Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 21, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 21, 2023 The scene was Troy, over three thousand years ago. Achilles' best friend Patroclus had just been taken down by Hector. Achilles was furious and now wished to rejoin the war. However, Hector took his armor, leaving Achilles with none. What was a demi-god to do? He couldn't get one off Amazon, because they'd killed them all. Nor could he head down to the latest Arms R'Us because god-like armor was typically a special order, and he needed something now. With no other options, he did what every legendary soldier would do. He called his mom. "Maaa!" he said on his cell. "Patroclus got all excited and he took my armor and he went into battle and then Hector saw him and Hector thought he was me and then they fought and then Hector killed him and oh my Zeus Patroclus is dead! And so I want to get my revenge and bash Hector's head in and then I want to drag his body all across town in a chariot but I don't have any armor because Patroclus took it and then Hector took it. What am I going to do?!" His mother, Thetis, just told him to breathe in and out and she would take care of everything. With Achilles temporarily calm, she made a plan to visit Hephaistos, the best armorer available. But how would she get there? The car was in the shop and Pegasus had a bad case of gas, so with reluctance she harnessed up a hippocamp and headed out. Needless to say, the armor was not cheap. The shield alone maxed out one of her credit cards and Hephaistos charged more for the rush order, but at last she had the armor and hurried back to her son. Achilles was thrilled to see the armor, which was even better than his last one, but then had a panic attack over the body of Patroclus, which he was worried would decay while he was carrying out murder and mayhem. So, she placed some ambrosia and nectar in Patroclus' nose, which nearly caused her to hurl but those are the things we do for our kids, and then Achilles happily went on his bloodthirsty revenge. I honestly wasn't aware of this type until I saw one for sale, although it's not a rare type. Achilles was a Thessalian hero, which explains his presence on their coins. Larissa Kremaste, Thessaly 302 - 286 BCE Ae 17.6mm 5.1g Obv: Head of Achilles left Rev: Thetis riding left on hippocamp holding shield of Achilles with XA monogram; LAPI below SNG Cop. 151 Here is my other coin from Larissa Kremaste. Kremaste means "hanging", which was merited because the city was built on a steep slope. Thessaly, Larissa Kremaste c. 302-286 BCE Æ Chalkous 12mm, 1.76g, 12h Wreathed head of nymph l. R/ Harpa within olive wreath tying below. BCD Thessaly II 405.1; HGC 4, 17 Feel free to post your own coins from Larissa Kremaste, some other Larissa, or depicting Achilles or Thetis! 13 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 22, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted May 22, 2023 (edited) Very cool coin of Achilles and that Thetis reverse is rad!! I didn't know about this coin type, but now NEED one. I still hold Hektor as my favorite of the heroes of the Trojan War, as his story is the saddest. Troas, Ophrynion Æ13. Circa 350-300 BC. Bearded, three-quarter facing head of Hektor, turned slightly right, wearing triple crested helmet / OΦΡΥ, the infant Dionysos kneeling right, holding grape cluster in right hand. SNG Copenhagen 456ff; BMC 4-7; SNG von Aulock 1559; Laffaille 457.1,88gr. Purchased from Art & Coins May 2022 TROAS. Ophrynion Ae (Circa 350-300 BC). Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right. Rev: OΦΡΥ. Warrior Hektor, wearing crested helmet, crouching left, holding shield and spear. BMC 8-9; SNG Copenhagen 460. Rare 1,57gr. Purchased from Art & Coins May 2022 Very Rare. "Ophrynion was the reputed burial place of the Trojan hero Hector. Strabo reports that the grove of Hector occupied a prominent place, and it is possible that a lost play of Sophocles referred to this tradition, which is also alluded to on an early 6th century vase by Onesimos that depicts the sack of Troy. The final lines of the Iliad are devoted to the funeral of Hector: 'Nine days long did they bring in great heaps of wood, and on the morning of the tenth day, with many tears they took brave Hector forth, laid his dead body upon the summit of the pile, and set the fire thereto. Then when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared on the eleventh day, the people again assembled, round the pyre of mighty Hector. When they were got together, they first quenched the fire with wine wherever it was burning, and then his brothers and comrades with many a bitter tear gathered his white bones, wrapped them in soft robes of purple, and laid them in a golden urn, which they placed in a grave and covered over with large stones set close together. Then they built a barrow hurriedly over it keeping guard on every side lest the Achaeans should attack them before they had finished. When they had heaped up the barrow they went back again into the city, and being well assembled they held high feast in the house of Priam their king. Thus, then, did they celebrate the funeral of Hector, tamer of horses.'" Edited May 22, 2023 by Ryro 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted May 22, 2023 · Benefactor Author Benefactor Share Posted May 22, 2023 That second Ophrynion I think is even rare than the first! I recently added a Hector from Ophrynion. I must admit that, if you had asked me to describe Hector, I wouldn't have depicted him like this. 🙂 Another interesting fact about Hector's bones is they were transported to Thebes supposedly at the behest of your favorite guy - Kassander. When Thebes was being rebuilt, an oracle said that the city would not prosper unless Hector's bones were moved there, so they did. However, Strabo mentions that Hector was still worshipped in Ophrynion long after the bones were moved, so obviously either their presence didn't deter them, or they gave Kassander some other set of bones. Troas. Ophrynion circa 350-300 BCE Æ 12 mm, 1,73 g Bearded head of Hector of Troy facing, turned slightly to the right, wearing triple crested helmet / ΟΦΡΥ, the infant Dionysos kneeling right atop ivy branch, holding grape cluster in right hand. SNG Copenhagen 456; SNG von Aulock 1559. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor LONGINUS Posted May 22, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 22, 2023 Very interesting coin and post, @kirispupis. This coin features Herakles who was another visitor to Troy 🏛️. Although it was years before the Trojan War. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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