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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Sicily| ▸ |Himera||View Options:   | | | Himera (Termini), on the north coast of Sicily, was an ancient Chalcidic colony from Zancle, founded in the middle of the seventh century B.C. In 409 B.C., Carthage attacked Himera. The city was unprepared; its fortifications weak. At first they were supported about 4000 auxiliaries from Syracuse, but their general, Diocles, seized with panic for the safety of Syracuse itself, abandoned Himera. The city was utterly destroyed, its buildings, even its temples, were razed to the ground. More than 3000 prisoners were executed by General Hannibal Mago as a human sacrifice to the memory of his grandfather General Hamilcar who had been defeated at the Battle of Himera in 480 B.C. The site has been desolate ever since. The few surviving Greeks were settled by the Carthaginians eleven kilometers west of Himera at Thermae Himeraeae (Termini Imerese today). Thermae was taken by the Romans during the First Punic War. |
The style of the early coinage of Himera varied greatly. This coin has the most cartoon-like style. Calciati describes the beveled flan as a "truncated cone."SH68313. Bronze tetras, Calciati I p. 32, 18; SNG Cop 315; SNG ANS 181; SNG Morcom 596; HGC 2 467 (R1), VF, smoothing, weight 11.965 g, maximum diameter 22.1 mm, die axis 135o, Himera (Termini, Sicily, Italy) mint, 430 - 420 B.C.; obverse facing gorgoneion with cartoon-like style, protruding tongue, curly hair with no part, almond eyes, and pellet nostrils; reverse three pellets, within round incuse; rare; SOLD
Himera, Sicily, c. 430 - 420 B.C.
Himera was a Chalcidic colony founded from Zancle on the north coast of Sicily in mid-seventh century B.C. Carthage attacked in 409 B.C. At first Syracuse supported them with 4000 auxiliaries, but their general panicked for the safety of Syracuse itself abandoned Himera. The city was utterly destroyed, its buildings, even its temples, were razed to the ground. General Hannibal Mago executed more than 3000 prisoners as a human sacrifice to the memory of his grandfather General Hamilcar who had been defeated at Himera in 480 B.C. The site has been desolate ever since. The few surviving Greeks were settled by the Carthaginians eleven kilometers west of Himera at Thermae Himeraeae (Termini Imerese today). Thermae was taken by the Romans during the First Punic War.SH19458. Bronze hemilitron, Calciati I Group III, Class III, p. 29, 13; SNG ANS 179, gVF, weight 18.409 g, maximum diameter 26.6 mm, Himera (Termini, Sicily, Italy) mint, c. 430 - 420 B.C.; obverse facing head of Medusa (gorgoneion); face ovoid horizontally on ample flan, almond-shaped eyes, well modeled nose, hair in large curls, protruding tongue, showing teeth, dot border; reverse six pellets (mark of value), in two columns of three, in shallow round incuse, rounded edges; ex-Vecchi Auction #12, 3/93, #147; SOLD
Thermae Himerenses, Sicily, c. Late 2nd - Early 1st Century B.C.
The poet Tisias, better known as Stesichorus (meaning 'choral master'), lived in Himera. When the Carthaginians destroyed Himera in 409 B.C., most of the survivors settled seven miles away at Thermae Himerenses. Even after the change of location and into the Roman period they considered Tisias their most famous citizen (or perhaps second to Agathokles the tyrant of Syracusan who was born at Thermae).
Calciati notes this type is rare and especially rare in better condition because the type, along with many Sicilian issues of the Roman period, was struck with low quality metal highly susceptible to corrosion.GB85695. Bronze AE 26, Calciati I p. 120, 18; BMC Sicily p. 84, 9; HGC 2 1616 (R2); SNG ANS -; SNG Cop -; SNG Munchen -; SNG Morcom -, VF, green patina, porosity, light corrosion, reverse a little off center, weight 12.564 g, maximum diameter 26.0 mm, die axis 90o, Thermai Himeraiai (Termini Imerese, Sicily, Italy) mint, c. late 2nd - early 1st century B.C.; obverse turreted and veiled head of Tyche right, cornucopia behind; reverse ΘEPMITAN IMEPAIΩN, The poet Tisias (Stesichoros) standing right, long staff leaning against his right shoulder, with his right hand he is inscribing a poem on a wax tablet held in his left hand; ex Roma Numismatics e-sale 2 (2 Nov 2013), lot 28; very rare; SOLD
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