Description:
This coin was minted in the Hellenistic city of Pergamon, which was located in modern-day western Turkey, 26 miles from the coast of the Aegean Sea. Pergamon was settled by the Greeks around the 8th century BC, however, by the early 4th century BC, the city was ruled by the Persian Empire. After unsuccessful revolts, the Greeks were finally liberated by Alexander in 334 BC. Alexander attacked and defeated the Persian forces at the Battle of the Granicus and then marched his army south along the Aegean coast, freeing this region from the Persians.
During the 3rd Century BC, Pergamon prospered and became one of the great cultural centers of the Greek World. The city was home to the Temple of Dionysus and the Acropolis of Pergamon, which was modeled after the Acropolis in Athens. The theater had a seating capacity of 10,000, with the steepest seating of any known theater in the ancient world.
The obverse side of this coin features the greatest of all the Greek hero Hercules, wearing the impenetrable pelt of the Nemean Lion. Hercules was worshiped by the ancient Greeks for the stories of his extraordinary strength, courage, and ingenuity. He was best known for accomplishing the 12 Labours which included killing the Nemean Lion, destroying the Hydra and capturing the Cretan Bull. The reverse side depicts a statue of Athena holding a spear and shield. Athena was revered to the people of ancient Greece as the goddess of wisdom, peace, warfare strategy and reason.
