PHOKIS Phokian League 478BC Bull Boar RARE R2 Ancient Silver Greek Coin i53691

Item: i53691

Authentic Ancient 

Coin of:

Greek coin of the

Phokis
Silver Obol 10mm (0.79 grams) Struck circa 478-460 B.C.
Reference: HGC 4, 1068 

Rare R2; BCD Lokris 228.3-5
ΦO, Bull’s head facing
Forepart of boar charging left; all within incuse 
square.

You are bidding on the exact item pictured, 

Authenticity.

Phocis was an
ancient region
in the central part of
Ancient Greece
, which included
Delphi
. A modern administrative unit, also 
called Phocis
is named after the ancient region, 
although the modern region is substantially larger than the ancient one.

Geography

Ancient Phocis was about 1,619 km² (625 mi²) in area, bounded on the west by
Ozolian Locris
and
Doris
, on the north by
Opuntian Locris
, on the east by
Boeotia
, and on the south by the
Gulf of Corinth
. The massive ridge of
Parnassus
(2,459 m/8,068 ft), which traverses 
the heart of the country, divides it into two distinct portions.

Being neither rich in material resources nor well placed for commercial 
enterprise, Phocis was mainly pastoral. No large cities grew up within its 
territory, and its chief places, such as
Delphi
and
Elatea
, were mainly of strategic or cultural 
importance.

History

The early history of Phocis remains quite obscure. During the
Persian
invasion of 480 BC the Phocians at 
first joined in the national defence, but, by their irresolute conduct at the
Battle of Thermopylae
lost that position for 
the Greeks
; at the
Battle of Plataea
they were enrolled on the 
Persian side. In 457 BC an attempt to extend their influence to the headwaters 
of the
Cephissus
in the territory of Doris brought a
Spartan
army into Phocis in defence of the 
“metropolis of the Dorians”. A similar enterprise against
Delphi
in 448 BC was again frustrated by 
Sparta, but not long afterwards the Phocians recaptured the sanctuary with the 
help of the Athenians
, with whom they had entered into 
alliance in 454 BC. The subsequent decline of Athenian land power had the effect 
of weakening this new connection; at the time of the
Peloponnesian War
Phocis was nominally an ally 
and dependent of Sparta, and had lost control of Delphi.

In the 4th century BC Phocis was constantly endangered by its Boeotian 
neighbours. After helping the Spartans to invade Boeotia during the
Corinthian War
(395–94 BC), the Phocians were 
placed on the defensive. They received assistance from Sparta in 380 BC, but 
were afterwards compelled to submit to the growing power of
Thebes
. The Phocian levy took part in the 
inroads of
Epaminondas
into
Peloponnesus
, except in the final campaign of
Mantinea
(370–362 BC), from which their 
contingent was withheld. In return for this negligence the Thebans fastened a 
religious quarrel upon their neighbours, and secured a penal decree against them 
from the
Amphictyonic
synod (356 BC). The Phocians 
participated in two important battles: the
Battle of Crocus Field
and the
Battle of Thermopylae
(353 BC). The Phocians, 
led by two capable generals,
Philomelus
and
Onomarchus
, replied by seizing Delphi and using 
its riches to hire a
mercenary
army. With the help of these troops 
the Phocian League at first carried the war into Boeotia and
Thessaly
, and though driven out of the latter 
country by
Philip of Macedon
, maintained itself for ten 
years, until the exhaustion of the temple treasures and the treachery of its 
leaders placed it at Philip’s mercy. The conditions which he imposed – the 
obligation to restore the temple funds, and the dispersion of the population 
into open villages – were soon disregarded. In 339 BC the Phocians began to 
rebuild their cities; in the following year they fought against Philip at
Chaeronea
. Again in 323 BC they took part in 
the Lamian War
against
Antipater
, and in 279 BC helped to defend 
Thermopylae against the
Gauls
.

Henceforth little more is heard of Phocis. During the 3rd century BC it 
passed into the power of Macedonia and of the
Aetolian League
, to which in 196 BC it was 
definitely annexed. Under the dominion of the
Roman republic
its national league was 
dissolved, but was revived by
Augustus
, who also restored to Phocis the votes 
in the Delphic Amphictyony which it had lost in 346 BC and enrolled it in the 
new Achaean synod. The Phocian League is last heard of under
Trajan
.