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Tetradrachm (Coin) Depicting Arethusa

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

474-450 BCE

Artist:

Greek, minted in Syracuse, Sicily

About this artwork

The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the head of Arethusa facing to the head, her head circled by dolphins. On the back (reverse) is a charioteer with a winged Nike flying above to crown horses with a wreath.

To escape the unwanted attentions of the river god Alpheus, the nymph Arethusa swam under the sea to the island of Sicily, where she found sanctuary. Arethusa’s path was said to explain the freshwater spring that miraculously bubbled into the nymph’s pool and that still exists in Syracuse. When this coin was issued, Syracuse was one of the most powerful cities in the Mediterranean basin. Local civic pride was emboldened by a series of ambitious tyrants, who enlarged the city’s territory and also encouraged the arts.

Status

On View, Gallery 151

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Tetradrachm (Coin) Depicting Arethusa

Place

Ancient Greece (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

474 BCE–450 BCE

Medium

Silver

Dimensions

Diam.: 2.6 cm (1 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of William F. Dunham

Reference Number

1920.723

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/139866/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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