Description:
This ancient coin depicting Pegasus, was minted in the Greek city of Syracuse, during the rule of Timoleon. Syracuse was founded along the southeast coast of Sicily in 734 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth and the city soon flourished. Timoleon seized power in 344 BC and with the help of Corinth, defeated the attacking armies of Carthage. This freedom inaugurated a long period of peace and prosperity for the Greeks of Sicily and Syracuse became one of the most renowned capitals of antiquity.
In Greek mythology, Pegasus, the pure white flying horse, first set foot on Earth at Corinth. With the help of Athena, who presented him with a golden bridle, a young Corinthian nobleman named Bellerophon captured Pegasus while he paused to drink from a spring. He then tamed Pegasus so he could ride on its back and defeat both the Chimera and the Amazons, tasks which would otherwise have been impossible for a mortal.
The reverse shows Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the harvest goddess who controlled the seasons. In a famous Greek myth, Persephone became the queen of the underworld when Hades abducted her and brought her into the underworld. Life on Earth came to a standstill as the depressed Demeter searched for her lost daughter. Finally, Zeus forced Hades to return Persephone, but before she was released, Hades tricked her into eating a number of pomegranate seeds, the food of the underworld. This forced Persephone to return to Hades for 4 months each year, which corresponds with the winter months.
