Art Institute of Chicago

Stater (Coin) Depicting a Horseman

Greek; minted in Taras (now Taranto), Italy

Date

380-345 BCE

Medium

Silver

Culture

Taranto

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a nude horseman galloping to the left, holding a shield. The back (reverse) depicts Taras, nude, riding on a dolphin to the left. The boy riding the dolphin on this coin represents Taras, the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. According to the founding myth of the city of Taras (Tarentum), when Taras was lost at sea, a dolphin rescued him and deposited him on the shore of Calabria in Italy, where the city of Taras grew and prospered. When this coin was struck, four hundred years after the city’s founding, the philosopher Archytas ruled Taras. His coinage is known for the beauty of its design.

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