Authentic Ancient Greece - AR Hemidracm - Lycian League (Apollo) - Circa (35-30) BCE

Denomination:  AR Hemidrachm                                                

Date: 35 - 30 BCE

Mint: Myra, Masikytes, Lycia                                                      

Grade:  Very Fine

Mount: 14K gold

Description:  Obverse: Head of Apollo wearing Taenia, facing right. Reverse: The kithara (Lyre); all within incuse square. The Kithara is an ancient stringed musical instrument resembling the lyre.

History: Apollo was one of the most important and diverse of the Olympian deities. He has been variously recognized as a god of light, the sun, truth, prophecy, archery, medicine, healing music, poetry, the arts and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, Artemis. Apollo was worshiped in both Ancient Greek and Roman religion, as well as in the modern Greco-Roman Neopaganism. Apollo was an oracular god - the prophetic deity of the Oracle at Delphi. Medicine and healing were associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague; as well as one who had the ability to cure. . The kithara was primarily used by professional musicians, called kitharodes. In modern Greek, the word kithara has come to mean “guitar”.  "The Lycian League is the first known democratic union in history. Lycia's system of elected representatives was unique in the ancient world and much admired by ancient writers and later peoples. In fact, the writers of the constitution of the United States studied the Lycian federal system of government with proportional representation as a possible model for their own government.

Lycia's system of elected representatives was unique in the ancient world and much admired by ancient writers and later peoples. In fact, the writers of the constitution of the United States studied the Lycian federal system of government with proportional representation as a possible model for their own government. Not many of us know, but Alexander Hamilton and James Madison knew. The “Lycian Confederation” is mentioned four times in the U S Federalist Papers that were produced between 1787–1788".