Description:
This bronze coin was minted in the ancient city of Synnada, in the Hellenistic region of Phrygia, which was located in modern-day west-central Turkey. Stories of the heroic age of Greek mythology tell of the Phrygian King Midas, who turned whatever he touched to gold and according to Homer's Iliad, the Phrygians participated in the Trojan War as close allies of the Trojans. The city of Synnada is said to have been founded by the warrior Acamas, who went to Phrygia after the Trojan War. Synnada was at the intersection of two great roads and situated on a fertile plain covered with olive trees and opium plantations. Throughout the Roman Empire, the city was celebrated for its beautiful marble, which came from nearby quarries called Synnadic marble.
This rare 2nd century AD coin from Synnada depicts Athena wearing a crested attic helmet and an aegis. In Greek mythology, Athena was the favorite child of the king of the gods Zeus and was born full-grown and armored from his forehead. Athena became the goddess of wisdom, peace, warfare, strategy and reason. Her gifts to man were the inventions of the plow and the flute, the arts of taming animals, building ships along with making shoes. Athena was associated with birds and was often attended by her wise owl, which is shown on the reverse of this coin standing on an overturned amphora. An armed warrior goddess, Athena appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes, including Odysseus, Jason and Hercules.
