Cleveland Museum of Art

Drachm: Head of Herakles (obverse); Club, Bow Case (reverse)

Date

387–300 BCE

Medium

silver

Culture

Greek, minted at Erythrai (Ionia)

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

One of many city-states to include the hero Herakles–here shown beardless and wearing his lion-skin–on its coinage, Erythrae lies on the Ionian coast, near the island of Chios. The reverse features the inscriptions ΕΡΥ (for Erythrae) and ΔΙΟΝΥΣΙΟΣ, likely the name of a magistrate. Also present are a small owl and kantharos (wine cup), plus the club and bow case of Herakles. The hero Herakles appears on coinage from city-states across the Greek world.

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