Cleveland Museum of Art

Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)

Date: c. 467–440 BCE
Medium: silver
Culture: Greek, minted at Syracuse (Sicily)
Department: Greek and Roman Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

On the obverse of this highly symbolic coin is the head of Arethousa, a local goddess of Syracuse who fled from mainland Greece and arose on the site as a freshwater fountain. Four dolphins swim around her, suggesting Syracuse’s humble beginnings as a small island colony. On the reverse, a racing four-horse chariot recalls Syracuse’s past victories in Panhellenic games. Three dolphins and a bit of a fourth are still visible swimming clockwise around Arethousa.

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