Cleveland Museum of Art
Tetradrachm: Head of Young Herakles (obverse); Zeus (reverse)
- Date
- 336–323 BCE
- Medium
- silver
- Culture
- Greek, Macedonian, minted at Amphipolis (Macedonia), reign of Alexander III [The Great]
- Department
- Greek and Roman Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
On this coin, the head of a youthful Herakles, wearing his lion-skin, appears on the obverse, with his father Zeus, king of the gods, seated on the reverse. For Alexander III (the Great), who claimed descent from the line of Herakles, coins like this one projected power. Thus, while their attributes (lion-skin, eagle, scepter) identify hero and god, the inscription ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ (of Alexander) identifies the leader. The Pegasos protome beside Zeus (on the reverse) indicates that this coin was minted at Amphipolis.
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