The Great Carthaginian Invasion of Sicily
2x
114. Sicily, Syracuse AV Dilitron. Emergency issue of the Second Democracy, winter 406/5 BC. Obverse die signed by ‘IM...’. Head of Athena left, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with serpent, palmette and elaborate spiral tendrils, [ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ before, IM below truncation of neck] / Aegis with gorgoneion at centre. Boehringer, Essays Thompson, pl. 38, 12 = Hess Leu Sale (27 March 1956), lot 210 (same obverse die); Manhattan Sale I, 28 (same dies). 1.76g, 10mm, 7h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare; one of very few known specimens - only one other on CoinArchives.
7,500
The year 406 marked a desperate time for the Greeks in Sicily. A great Carthaginian invasion of Sicily had commenced in the Spring to punish the Greeks for having raided the Punic territories of Motya and Panormos. 60,000 soldiers under Hannibal Mago in 1,000 transports along with 120 triremes sailed for Sicily, where despite a plague that ravaged the ranks of the Carthaginian army and felled its commander, they successfully besieged and sacked Akragas, the wealthiest of all the cities of Sicily. After razing the city to the ground, the Carthaginians under their new commander Himilco marched east to Gela. Despite a spirited defence of the city by the defenders and the arrival of a relief force of 34,000 men and 50 triremes under Dionysios of Syracuse, the city fell after a poorly coordinated and unsuccessful attack launched by the Greeks. As Dionysios retreated from Gela first to Kamarina and then back to Syracuse, both of these now indefensible cities were sacked and levelled by Himilco’s forces. It was against this backdrop of a desperate fight for survival that many emergency coinages were issued in Sicily. Gold was scarce in the Greek world and tended to be used only for emergency coinages, as in that famous instance when Athens in the last decade of the fifth century resorted to melting the gold from the statues of Nike on the Akropolis when cut off from their silver mines at Laurion. Gela, Akragas, Kamarina and Syracuse all issued emergency gold coinage in 406/5 BC, without doubt to pay the mercenaries they had hired in their doomed resistance to Himilco. The master engraver ‘IM...’ responsible for this coin is also known to have engraved Syracusan tetradrachms around this period (see Tudeer 67).
115. Sicily, Syracuse AR Dekadrachm. Dionysios I, struck circa 405-400 BC. Unsigned dies in the style of Euainetos. Charioteer, holding kentron in extended right hand and reins in left, driving fast quadriga left; above, Nike flying right, crowning charioteer with wreath held in her extended hands; below heavy exergual line, [military harness, shield], greaves, cuirass, and crested Attic helmet, all connected by a horizontal spear; [AΘΛA below] / Head of Arethusa left, wearing wreath of grain ears, triple-pendant earring, and pearl necklace; ΣYPAKOΣIΩN above, [pellet below chin], four dolphins swimming around. Gallatin dies R.XXII/J.IV; SNG ANS –; Dewing –; Bement 517 (same dies); Hirsch 594 (same dies); HGC 2, 1299. 40.96g, 35mm, 5h. Very Fine. Old collection tone with iridescent highlights. Surfaces somewhat rough. From the M.M. Collection; Ex Daniel Koppersmith Collection, Classical Numismatic Group E-Auction 311, 25 September 2013, lot 446; Ex Rockefeller University / Dr. Alfred E. Mirsky Collection, Gemini VII, 9 January 2011, lot 174; Ex A.C. Ionides Collection, Christie’s, 4 March 1953.
38
6,000