| Description: |
18494. Silver diobol, BMC Italy p. 208, 376; Vlasto 1443 var (club right), HN Italy 1063
var; SNG ANS 1470 var; SNG Munich 761 var; SNG Cop -, gVF, attractive toning, 0.893g,
11.2mm, 180o, Tarentum mint, head of Athena facing slightly right, wearing triple crested
helmet decorated with olive wreath; reverse Herakles stands left, naked, wrestling the
giant Antaeus, lifting him off the ground, club between legs (horizontal only top edge on
flan), FI right; fine style, reverse flatly struck; very rareAntaeus was a giant of Libya,
the son of Poseidon and Gaia. He compelled all strangers to wrestle, killed them and
collected their skulls (with which he hoped to build a temple for his father). He was
invincible as long as he remained in contact with the ground (his mother, the Earth) for
she gave him strength. Heracles discovered his secret, held Antaeus aloft and strangled
him. |
