Art Institute of Chicago

Drachm (Coin) Depicting the Gorgon Medusa

Greek; minted in Neapolis, Greece

Date

411-356 BCE

Medium

Silver

Culture

Kavála

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The ancient city of Neapolis (near modern Kavala, Greece) was famous for its horse-breeding, so they chose to honor the snake-haired Medusa, mother of the miraculous winged horse Pegasus, on the front (obverse) of their coins. On the back (reverse), they depicted the maiden Parthenos, a local moon goddess and patron of the city. These images helped link Neapolis to a set of Greek deities and myths shared by city-states across the Mediterranean.

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