Ancient Greek - AR Hemidrachm - City of Thebes
$1,500
Denomination: AR Hemidrachm
Mint: Thebes, Boeotia
Date: Circa 426-375 BC
Description: Thebes, Boeotia. Circa 426-375 BC. Obverse: Boeotian shield Reverse: Kantharos; horizontal club above.
History: Thebes was one of the few city-states in Ancient Greece to embrace lifelong same-sex partnerships. The city was home to the Sacred band of Thebes, an elite military unit made up of 150 pairs of male lovers who served in the Theban army in the 4th century. Arch-rival to Athens and allies to the Spartans in the Peloponnesian wars, Boeotia was a region of ancient Greece and Thebes was its capital. Thebes is birthplace of many mythological stories including Dionysus, Oedipus, and Cadmus.
The coinage of Thebes may be thought of as ‘ancient advertisement’, with a trophy or urn depicted on the front, and a shield on the back. These people were artistic, intelligent, and strong both politically and militarily. As neighbors of Greek Attica, Thebes was a major force to be reckoned with. It was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest, and home of the Boeotian confederacy. In 336 BC, Thebes was destroyed by Alexander the great, but later restored by Kassander.
ID14893
