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Home > Members' Coin Collection Galleries > Jay GT4 > 08. Southern Italian
Calabria, Taras didrachm
Horseman riding left, holding shield and bridle. 

Taras seated on dolphin left TAPAΣ beneath. 

Tarentum, Calabria 390-385 BC

7.40g

Scarce

Vlasto 384, Period III, 380-345 BC (Age of Archytas); ; Fischer-Bossert 428, gives date of 390-380 and corresponds to SNG ANS 901.

Ex-Calgary Coin; Ex-Alberta Coin; 

Tarentum, the only Spartan colony ever to be established, was founded in 706 BC by the Partheniae - Spartan children born to unmarried women as a product of Spartan desperation to ensure the survival and continuation of their demographic during the bloody Messenian wars, who were later disowned and expelled by the state - and Perioeci (subjects, but not citizens of Sparta), under the leadership of the Parthenian Phalanthos. According to legend, Phalanthos consulted the oracle at Delphi, and was told that he should found his new city 'where rain fell from a clear sky'. After much searching, and despairing of finding a suitable location for a city, Phalanthos was consoled by his wife Aethra who laid his head in her lap, and as her tears splashed upon his forehead he understood the oracle's words for his wife's name itself meant 'clear sky', and thus he determined to make the nearby harbour the site of their new home, which they named after Taras, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Satyrion.

Calabria, Taras didrachm

Horseman riding left, holding shield and bridle.

Taras seated on dolphin left TAPAΣ beneath.

Tarentum, Calabria 390-385 BC

7.40g

Scarce

Vlasto 384, Period III, 380-345 BC (Age of Archytas); ; Fischer-Bossert 428, gives date of 390-380 and corresponds to SNG ANS 901.

Ex-Calgary Coin; Ex-Alberta Coin;

Tarentum, the only Spartan colony ever to be established, was founded in 706 BC by the Partheniae - Spartan children born to unmarried women as a product of Spartan desperation to ensure the survival and continuation of their demographic during the bloody Messenian wars, who were later disowned and expelled by the state - and Perioeci (subjects, but not citizens of Sparta), under the leadership of the Parthenian Phalanthos. According to legend, Phalanthos consulted the oracle at Delphi, and was told that he should found his new city 'where rain fell from a clear sky'. After much searching, and despairing of finding a suitable location for a city, Phalanthos was consoled by his wife Aethra who laid his head in her lap, and as her tears splashed upon his forehead he understood the oracle's words for his wife's name itself meant 'clear sky', and thus he determined to make the nearby harbour the site of their new home, which they named after Taras, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Satyrion.

File information
Filename:Taras_didrachm.jpg
Album name:Jay GT4 / 08. Southern Italian
Filesize:590 KiB
Date added:Aug 09, 2018
Dimensions:1200 x 618 pixels
Displayed:130 times
URL:https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=148473
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 5 of 5
Page: 1

Canaan   [Aug 09, 2018 at 08:15 PM]
Very nice!!!!
quadrans   [Aug 09, 2018 at 08:23 PM]
Great coin Smile, and details,
Enodia   [Aug 10, 2018 at 09:08 PM]
Nice example of an early horseman.
Mark R1   [Apr 10, 2019 at 01:42 PM]
Like it!
Anaximander   [Sep 10, 2022 at 10:02 AM]
Great coin & backstory.

Comment 1 to 5 of 5
Page: 1

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