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Greek city of
Opus in
Lokris
Federal Coinage for Lokris
Bronze 14mm (1.89 grams) Struck circa 330-300 B.C.
Pedigree: HGC 4, 983; BCD Lokris 111-118
Head of Athena in Attic helmet right.
ΛOKPΩN, Bunch of grapes on vine.
A mountainous and infertile region of Central
Greece, Phokis began producing a federal currency in early part of the 5th
Century B.C.There were two separate districts occupied by the Lokrians –
eastern Lokris, opposite the coastlines of Thessaly and Euboia, inhabited by the
Opuntians and the Epiknemidians; the western Lokris, on the Corinthian gulf,
called Lokris Ozolis. Following the battle of Chaeroneia, 338 B.C. , the coins
were issued in the name of the Lokrians in general, rather than just the
Opuntians, though doubtless Opus remained the mint.
The Opuntian Lokris enjoyed fame for being the home of Ajax
the Lesser. This took forty ships to fight at Troy, however was later killed by
Poseidon and Athena because of sacrilege and hubris after the city fell. When
the Lokrians marched off to war, they reserved a space for the shadow of Ajax in
their phalanx.
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Athena
or Athene (Latin:
Minerva
),
also referred to as Pallas Athena, is the goddess of war, civilization,
wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill in
Greek mythology
.
Minerva
,
Athena’s Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is also a shrewd
companion of heroes
and the goddess
of heroic
endeavour. She is the
virgin
patron of Athens
.
The Athenians built the
Parthenon
on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her honour (Athena Parthenos).
Athena’s cult as the patron of Athens seems to have existed from the earliest
times and was so persistent that archaic myths about her were recast to adapt to
cultural changes. In her role as a protector of the city (polis),
many people throughout the Greek world worshiped Athena as Athena Polias
(“Athena of the city”).
Athens
and Athena bear etymologically connected names.
Opuntian Locris or Eastern Locris was an
ancient Greek
region inhabited by the eastern
division of the Locrians
, the so-called tribe of the Locri
Epicnemidii (Greek:
Λοκροί Ἐπικνημίδιοι) or Locri Opuntii
(Greek: Λοκροί Ὀπούντιοι).
Geography
Opuntian Locris consisted of a narrow slip upon the eastern coast of Greece,
from the pass of
Thermopylae
to the mouth of the river
Cephissus
. The northern frontier town was
Alpeni
, which bordered upon the
Malians
, and the southern frontier town was
Larymna
, which at a later time belonged to
Boeotia
. The Locrians, however, did not inhabit
this coast continuously, but were separated by a narrow slip of
Phocis
, which extended to the
Euboean sea
, and contained the Phocian seaport
town of
Daphnus
. The Locrians north of Daphnus were
called Epicnemidii, from
Mount Cnemis
; and those south of this town were
named Opuntii, from
Opus
, their principal city. On the west the
Locrians were separated from Phocis and Boeotia by a range of mountains,
extending from
Mount Oeta
and running parallel to the coast.
The northern part of this range, called Mount Cnemis, now
Tálanda
, rises to a considerable height, and
separated the Epicnemidii Locri from the Phocians of the upper valley of the
Cephissus; the southern portion, which bore no specific name, is not so lofty as
Mount Cnemis, and separated the Opuntian Locrians from the north-eastern parts
of Boeotia. Lateral branches extended from these mountains to the coast, of
which one terminated in the promontory
Cnemides
, opposite the islands called
Lichades
; but there were several fruitful
valleys, and the fertility of the whole of the Locrian coast is praised both by
ancient and modern observers. In consequence of the proximity of the
mountains to the coast there was no room for any considerable rivers. The
largest, which, however, is only a mountain torrent, is the
Boagrius
(Βοάγριος),
called also
Manes
(Μάνης)
by Strabo, rising in Mount Cnemis, and flowing into the sea between
Scarpheia
and
Thronium
. The only other river mentioned by
name is the
Platanius
,[4]
a small stream, which flows into the Opuntian gulf near the Boeotian frontier:
it is the river which flows from the modern village of
Prosklyná
.
Opuntian Gulf
The Opuntian Gulf, at the head of which stood the town of Opus, is a
considerable bay, shallow at its inner extremity. In this bay, close to the
coast, is the small island of
Atalanta
.
History
The Eastern Locrians, are mentioned by Homer, who describes them as following
Ajax
, the son of
Oïleus
, to the
Trojan War
in forty ships, and as inhabiting
the towns of
Cynus
, Opus,
Calliarus
,
Besa
,
Scarphe
,
Augeiae
,
Tarphe
, and
Thronium
. Neither Homer,
Herodotus
, Thucydides, nor
Polybius
, make any distinction between the
Opuntii and Epicnemidii; and, during the flourishing period of Greek history,
Opus was regarded as the chief town of the Eastern Locrians. Even Strabo, from
whom the distinction is chiefly derived, in one place describes Opus as the
metropolis of the Epicnemidii (ix. p. 416); and the same is confirmed by Pliny
(iv. 7. s. 12) and
Stephanus
. In the
Persian War
the Opuntian Locrians fought with
Leonidas
at the
Battle of Thermopylae
, and also sent seven
ships to the Greek fleet. The Locrians fought on the side of
Sparta
in the
Peloponnesian War
. The Locri Opuntii also
minted coins in antiquity, some of which survive.
Cities and towns
The cities and towns of the Locri Epicnemidii, along the coast from north to
south, were: Alpenus
,
Nicaea
,
Scarphe
(Scarpheia),
Thronium
,
Cnemis
(Cnemides), more inland,
Tarphe
later
Pharygae
, and
Augeiae
. The cities and towns of the Locri
Opuntii, along the coast from north to south, were:
Alope
,
Cynus
,
Opus
,
Halae
,
Larymna
which later belonged to Boeotia, more
inland,
Calliarus
,
Naryx
, and
Corseia
.
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