Art Institute of Chicago

Drachm (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Nike

Greek; minted in Bruttium, Italy

Date

216-203 BCE

Medium

Silver

Culture

Sant'Eufemia Vecchia di Lamezia Terme

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the goddess Nike facing to the right. On the back (reverse) is the god Pan, holding a spear and a staff, crowning himself. When the Romans conquered the Italian Peninsula, the Bruttii, the native occupants of the “toe” of Italy, were allowed to issue their own coins until 203 BCE when the Romans closed the mints. This is one of the last coins issued by the city. The image of the winged goddess Nike was a favorite of the Bruttii, but a profile face of Nike is rare because of the difficulty in rendering the goddess’s trademark wings. Here the artist daintily tucked them on either side of her throat.

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