Item number: A1174

Year: 450-225 BC

Material: Silver

Size: 20.0 x 19.7 x 2.6 mm

Weight: 7.3 g

Provenance: Jean Elsen & ses Fils 2024

This is a silver coin issued by the city-state of Neapolis during ancient Greek times, with a denomination of 2 drachm.

The obverse of the coin features the right profile of Parthenope, with a bluish tint around the edge. Parthenope is depicted with elegantly styled rolled hair and wearing an earring. In Greek mythology, Parthenope was one of the daughters of the river god Achelous and was also a siren from legend. According to myth, Parthenope threw herself into the sea after her singing failed to lure Odysseus to his doom. The waves carried her body to the coast of Neapolis, where her head became the Capodimonte hill and her tail transformed into the Posillipo hill, thus forming the city of Neapolis.

The reverse of the coin depicts the river god Achelous, represented a bull with a human head. Above him, there is a winged goddess, likely Nike, symbolising victory. Below, the inscription “NEOΠΟΛITHΣ” identifies the city-state of Neapolis. Achelous is shown with a dolphin beneath his feet, signifying the importance of maritime trade and shipping to the region. Achelous represents the largest river in Greece, and he was famously defeated in a wrestling match with Hercules over the right to marry Deianira, an encounter in which Achelous took on the form of a bull.

Neapolis was an ancient Greek city founded by colonists from the island of Samos. It was a member of the Delian League and first appeared on the tribute list of Athens in 454 BC, later being recorded as a city-state in 443 BC. The use of its silver coinage continued until 241 BC, during the First Punic War, a conflict between Rome and Carthage over dominance in the Mediterranean.

物件編號: A1174

年代: 公元前 450-225 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 20.0 x 19.7 x 2.6 mm

重量: 7.3 g

來源: 比利時 Jean Elsen & ses Fils拍賣 2024

這是一枚來自古希臘時期那不勒斯城邦所發行的銀幣，面額為2德拉馬克。

銀幣正面為帕特諾佩右側臉，邊緣泛藍。帕特諾佩捲髮盤頭，帶著個耳環，十分地優雅。帕特諾佩為希臘神話中阿刻羅俄斯河神的女兒之一，也是傳說中海妖賽任。根據希臘神話，由於帕特諾佩她的歌聲未能引誘奧德修斯投海，所以帕特諾佩於海中自殺。海浪則將她的身體帶到了那不勒斯海岸，頭變成了卡波迪蒙特山，尾巴則變成了波西利波山，形成了那不勒斯市。

銀幣的背面為河神阿刻羅俄斯，形象為有著人頭公牛，上邊有個有翅膀的女神，推測可能為尼克(Nike)代表勝利。下方「NEOΠΟΛITHΣ 」為城邦那不勒斯的名字。阿刻羅俄斯腳下有一隻海豚，象徵當地的海港貿易和航運重要性。阿刻羅俄斯代表希臘內最大的河流Achelous。他曾為了爭奪與德伊阿妮拉(Deianira)結婚的權利，變成公牛的形象與海克利斯(Heracles)摔角，不過最後失敗了。

那不勒斯為古希臘城市，由薩索斯島殖民者所建立。那不勒斯為提洛同盟的成員，在公元前454年首次進入雅典的貢賦名單，過11年後改為城邦民族紀錄。銀幣使用延續到西元前241年第一次布匿戰爭，古羅馬與古迦太基為了爭奪地中海霸權的戰爭。