Pair of Ancient Greece 3rd & 1st Century BCE Bronze Coins, 2pcs

Pair of Ancient Greece 3rd & 1st Century BCE Bronze Coins, 2pcs

Bring home two little witnesses to ancient history with this pair of Greek coins!

Both are well-worn, having clearly seen daily use by people who lived in the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods.

The first is from the 3rd century BCE and is identified as having come from the Corinthian colony of Syrakousai (Syracuse) on the island of Sicily. Syracuse was a cultural hotspot throughout Greek history, having hosted some of the most renowned names in Classical history, including Plato, Aeschylus, Pindar, and Xenophon. The coin dates to the reign of the Hieronids (Hiero II, Gelo II, and Hieronymus), the last Syracusan dynasty to rule Sicily. Syracuse made the fatal mistake of allying with the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars, drawing the eye and the ire of a rapidly expanding Rome.

The second coin is from the 1st century BCE, a gloomy period for Greece. Having been conquered by the Romans in 146, Greece spent most of the 1st century BCE as a battleground. The Mithridatic Wars, fought between Rome and the formidable King Mithridates of Pontus, ate up a quarter of the century. Greece was also a primary battleground in the Roman civil wars of both Julius Caesar (see: the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BCE) and his nephew, Octavian (the Battle of Actium, 31 BCE).