SYRACUSE in SICILY 2-1CBC RARE R2 Zeus Tyche Galley Greek Coin by Romans i55910

Greek city of

Sicily
Bronze 20mm (9.01 grams) struck under the Romans, late second-early first 
century B.C.
Reference: HGC 2, 1473

Rare R2; CNS II, no. 239
Laureate head of Zeus right.
ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and scepter; prow of galley to 
right.

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In the
ancient Greek
 
religion, Zeus was the 
“Father of Gods and men” (πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν 
τε)
who ruled the Olympians of
Mount Olympus
 
as a father ruled the family. He was the
god of sky
 
and
thunder
 
in
Greek mythology
. 
His
Roman
 
counterpart is
Jupiter
 
and
Etruscan
 
counterpart is Tinia
.

Zeus was the child of
Cronus
 
and
Rhea
, 
and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he was married to

Hera, although, at the 
oracle of Dodona
, 
his consort was
Dione
: 
according to the Iliad
, 
he is the father of
Aphrodite
 
by Dione. He is known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and 
heroic offspring, including
Athena
,
Apollo
 
and Artemis
,
Hermes
,
Persephone
 
(by Demeter
),
Dionysus
,
Perseus
,
Heracles
,
Helen of Troy
,
Minos
, 
and the Muses
 
(by Mnemosyne
); 
by Hera, he is usually said to have fathered

Ares,
Hebe
 
and Hephaestus
.

As
Walter Burkert
 
points out in his book, Greek Religion, “Even the gods who are not his 
natural children address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence.” 
For the Greeks, he was the
King of the Gods
, 
who oversaw the universe. As
Pausanias
 
observed, “That Zeus is king in heaven is a saying common to all men”. In 
Hesiod’s Theogony
 
Zeus assigns the various gods their roles. In the Homeric Hymns he is 
referred to as the chieftain of the gods.

His symbols are the
thunderbolt
,
eagle
,
bull
, 
and oak
. 
In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical “cloud-gatherer” 
also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the
Ancient Near East
, 
such as the
scepter
. 
Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, 
striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated 
in majesty.

Tyche (Greek for luck; the Roman equivalent was
Fortuna
) was the presiding
tutelary deity
that governed the fortune and 
prosperity of a city, its destiny. Increasingly during the Hellenistic period, 
cities had their own specific iconic version of Tyche, wearing a
mural crown
(a crown like the walls of the 
city).

The 
Greek historian Polybius
believed that when no cause can be 
discovered to events such as floods, droughts, frosts or even in politics, then 
the cause of these events may be fairly attributed to Tyche.

Stylianos Spyridakis  concisely expressed Tyche’s appeal in a 
Hellenistic world of arbitrary violence and unmeaning reverses: “In the 
turbulent years of the
Epigoni of Alexander
, an awareness of the 
instability of human affairs led people to believe that Tyche, the blind 
mistress of Fortune, governed mankind with an inconstancy which explained the 
vicissitudes of the time.”

In literature, she might be given various genealogies, as a daughter of
Hermes
and
Aphrodite
, or considered as one of the
Oceanids
, daughters of
Oceanus
and
Tethys
, or of

Zeus. She was connected with
Nemesis
and
Agathos Daimon
(“good spirit”).

She was uniquely venerated at
Itanos
in Crete, as Tyche Protogeneia, 
linked with the Athenian
Protogeneia
(“firstborn”), daughter of
Erechtheus
, whose self-sacrifice saved the 
city.

She had temples at
Caesarea Maritima
,
Antioch
,
Alexandria
and
Constantinople
. In
Alexandria
the Tychaeon, the temple of 
Tyche, was described by
Libanius
as one of the most magnificent of the 
entire Hellenistic world.

Tyche appears on many
coins
of the Hellenistic period in the three 
centuries before the Christian era, especially from cities in the Aegean. 
Unpredictable turns of fortune drive the complicated plotlines of
Hellenistic romances
, such as
Leucippe and Clitophon
or
Daphnis and Chloe
. She experienced a 
resurgence in another era of uneasy change, the final days of publicly 
sanctioned
Paganism
, between the late-fourth-century 
emperors
Julian
and
Theodosius I
who definitively closed the 
temples. The effectiveness of her capricious power even achieved respectability 
in philosophical circles during that generation, though among poets it was a 
commonplace to revile her for a fickle harlot.

In medieval art
, she was depicted as carrying a
cornucopia
, an
emblematic
ship’s rudder, and the
wheel of fortune
, or she may stand on the 
wheel, presiding over the entire circle of fate.

The constellation of
Virgo
is sometimes identified as the heavenly 
figure of Tyche, as well as other goddesses such as
Demeter
and
Astraea
.

A
galley  is a type of

ship propelled by
rowers
that originated in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea
and was used for
warfare
,
trade
and
piracy
from the first millennium BC. Galleys 
dominated
naval warfare
in the Mediterranean from the 8th 
century BC until development of advanced sailing warships in the 17th century. 
Galleys fought in the wars of
Assyria
, ancient
Phoenicia
,
Greece
,
Carthage
and
Rome
until the 4th century AD. After the fall 
of the
Western Roman Empire
galleys formed the 
mainstay of the
Byzantine navy
and other navies of successors 
of the Roman Empire, as well as new
Muslim
navies. Medieval Mediterranean states, 
notably the Italian maritime republics, including
Venice
,
Pisa
,
Genoa
and the
Ottoman Empire
relied on them as the primary 
warships of their fleets until the 17th century, when they were gradually 
replaced by sailing warships. Galleys continued to be applied in minor roles in 
the Mediterranean and the
Baltic Sea
even after the introduction of
steam propelled
ships in the early 19th 
century.

The galley engagements at
Actium
and
Lepanto
are among the greatest
naval battles
in history.

Syracuse pronounced,
Sicilian
: Sarausa,  is a historic
city in
southern Italy
, the
capital
of the
province of Syracuse
. The city is famous for its rich Greek history,
culture
,
amphitheatres
,
architecture
and association to
Archimedes
, 
playing an important role in ancient times as one of the top powers of the
Mediterranean
world; it is over 2,700 years old. Syracuse is located in the 
south-east corner of the island of
Sicily
, right 
by the Gulf of Syracuse next to the
Ionian Sea
.

The city was founded by
Ancient Greek
Corinthians
and became a very powerful
city-state
. 
Syracuse was allied with
Sparta
and
Corinth
, 
exerting influence over the entire
Magna Grecia
area of which it was the most important city. Once 
described by Cicero
 
as “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all”, it later became 
part of the
Roman Republic
and
Byzantine Empire
. After this
Palermo
 
overtook it in importance, as the capital of the
Kingdom of Sicily
. Eventually the kingdom would be united with the
Kingdom of Naples
to form the
Two Sicilies
until the
Italian unification
of 1860.

In the modern day, the city is listed by
UNESCO
as a
World Heritage Site
along with the
Necropolis of Pantalica
. In the central area, the city itself has a 
population of around 125,000 people. The inhabitants are known as Siracusans, 
and the local language spoken by its inhabitants is the
Sicilian language
. Syracuse is mentioned in the
Bible
in the
Acts of the Apostles
book at 28:12 as
Paul
stayed there.^[2] 
The patron saint
of the city is
Saint Lucy
; 
she was born in Syracuse and her feast day,
Saint Lucy’s Day
, is celebrated on 13 December.

Greek period

Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as 
shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, 
Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos, which already had a relationship 
with
Mycenaean Greece
.

Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek settlers from
Corinth
and Tenea
, 
led by the oecist (colonizer)
Archias
, who called it Sirako, referring to a nearby salt marsh. The 
nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of Ortygia. The settlers 
found the land fertile and the native tribes to be reasonably well-disposed to 
their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most 
powerful Greek city anywhere in the
Mediterranean
. Colonies were founded at
Akrai
(664 BC),
Kasmenai
(643 BC),
Akrillai
 
(VII century BC), Helorus
(VII century BC) and
Kamarina
 
(598 BC). The descendants of the first colonist, called Gamoroi, held the 
power until they were expelled by the Killichiroi, the lower class of the 
city. The former, however, returned to power in 485 BC, thanks to the help of
Gelo, ruler of
Gela. Gelo himself 
became the despot of the city, and moved many inhabitants of Gela, Kamarina and 
Megera to Syracuse, building the new quarters of
Tyche
and
Neapolis
outside the walls. His program of new constructions included a new 
theater, designed by
Damocopos
, which gave the city a flourishing cultural life: this in turn 
attracted personalities as
Aeschylus
, 
Ario of
Metimma
, Eumelos of
Corinth
and
Sappho
, who had 
been exiled here from
Mytilene
. 
The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against the
Carthaginians
, who ruled western Sicily. In the
Battle of Himera
, Gelo, who had allied with Theron of
Agrigento
, 
decisively defeated the African force led by
Hamilcar
. A
temple
, 
entitled to Athena
 
(on the site of the today’s Cathedral), was erected in the city to commemorate 
the event

Gelon was succedeed by his brother
Hiero
, who
fought
against the
Etruscans
at Cumae
in 474 BC. His rule was eulogized by poets like
Simonides of Ceos
,
Bacchylides
and Pindar
, who visited his court. A democratic regime was introduced by
Thrasybulos
(467 BC). The city continued to expand in
Sicily
, 
fighting against the rebellious
Siculi
, and on the
Tyrrhenian Sea
, making expeditions up to
Corsica
and
Elba. In the late 
5th century BC, Syracuse found itself at war with
Athens
, which 
sought more resources to fight the
Peloponnesian War
. The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general from
Sparta
, Athens’ 
foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to 
starve on the island (see
Sicilian Expedition
). In 401 BC, Syracuse contributed a force of 3,000
hoplites
and a general to
Cyrus the Younger
‘s
Army of the Ten Thousand
.

Then in the early 4th century BC, the
tyrant

Dionysius the Elder
was again at war against
Carthage
 
and, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing the whole 
of Sicily. After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on 
the Ortygia
 
island of the city and 22 km-long walls around all of Syracuse. Another period 
of expansion saw the destruction of
Naxos
, Catania
and Lentini
, then Syracuse entered again in war against Carthage (397 BC). After 
various changes of fortune, the Carthaginians managed to besiege Syracuse 
itself, but were eventually pushed back by a pestilence. A treaty in 392 BC 
allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities of 
Adrano, Ancona
,
Adria
, Tindari 
and Tauromenos, and conquering
Reggio Calabria
on the continent. Apart from his battle deeds, Dionysius was 
famous as a patron of art, and
Plato
himself 
visited Syracuse several times.

His successor was
Dionysius the Younger
, who was however expelled by
Dion
in 356 BC. But the latter’s despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, 
and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in 347 BC. A democratic government was 
installed by Timoleon
in 345 BC. The long series of internal struggles had weakened 
Syracuse’s power on the island, and Timoleon tried to remedy this, defeating the 
Carthaginians in 339 BC near the
Krimisos
river. But the struggle among the city’s parties restarted after 
his death and ended with the rise of another tyrant,
Agathocles
, 
who seized power with a coup in 317 BC. He resumed the war against Carthage, 
with alternate fortunes. He however scored a moral success, bringing the war to 
the Carthaginians’ native African soil, inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. 
The war ended with another treaty of peace which did not prevent the 
Carthaginians interfering in the politics of Syracuse after the death of 
Agathocles (289 BC). The citizens called
Pyrrhus of Epirus
for help. After a brief period under the rule of Epirus,
Hiero II
seized power in 275 BC.

Hiero inaugurated a period of 50 years of peace and prosperity, in which 
Syracause became one of the most renowned capitals of Antiquity. He issued the 
so-called Lex Hieronica, which was later adopted by the Romans for their 
administration of Sicily; he also had the theater enlarged and a new immense
altar
, the “Hiero’s 
Ara”, built. Under his rule lived the most famous Syracusan, the
natural philosopher

Archimedes
. 
Among his many inventions were various military engines including the
claw of Archimedes
, later used to resist the
Roman
 
siege of 214 BC–212 BC. Literary figures included
Theocritus
 
and others.

Hiero’s successor, the young
Hieronymus
(ruled from 215 BC), broke the alliance with the Romans after 
their defeat at the
Battle of Cannae
and accepted
Carthage
‘s 
support. The Romans, led by consul
Marcus Claudius Marcellus
,
besieged the city
in 214 BC. The city held out for three years, but fell in 
212 BC. It is believed to have fallen due to a peace party opening a small door 
in the wall to negotiate a peace, but the Romans charged through the door and 
took the city, killing Archimedes in the process.

 From 
Roman domination to the Middle Ages

Though declining slowly by the years, Syracuse maintained the status of 
capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the
praetor
. It 
remained an important port for the trades between the Eastern and the Western 
parts of the Empire.
Christianity
spread in the city through the efforts of
Paul of Tarsus
and Saint Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it 
one of the main centres of
proselytism
in the West. In the age of the persecutions massive
catacombs
were carved, whose size is second only to those of Rome.

After a period of
Vandal
rule, Syracuse and the island was recovered by
Belisarius
 
for the
Byzantine Empire
(31 December 535). From 663 to 668 Syracuse was the seat of 
Emperor Constans II
, as well as metropolis of the whole Sicilian Church.

Another siege in 878, resulted in the city coming under two centuries of
Muslim
rule. The 
capital was moved from Syracuse to
Palermo
. The 
Cathedral was converted into a
mosque
and the 
quarter on the Ortygia island was gradually rebuilt along Islamic styles. The 
city, nevertheless, maintained important trade relationships, and housed a 
relatively flourishing cultural and artistic life: several Arab poets, including
Ibn Hamdis
, 
the most important Sicilian poet of the 12th century, flourished in the city.

In 1038, the Byzantine general
George Maniaces
reconquered the city, sending the relics of St. Lucy to
Constantinople
. The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, 
although it was built under the
Hohenstaufen
rule. In 1085 the
Normans
 
entered Syracuse, one of the last
Arab
strongholds, after a summer-long siege by
Roger I of Sicily
and his son
Jordan of Hauteville
, who was given the city as count. New quarters were 
built, and the cathedral was restored, as well as other churches.

In 1194
Henry VI
of Swabia
occupied Syracuse. After a short period of
Genoese
rule (1205–1220), which favoured a rise of trades, Syracuse was 
conquered back by emperor
Frederick II
. He began the construction of the
Castello Maniace
, the Bishops’ Palace and the Bellomo Palace. Frederick’s 
death brought a period of unrest and feudal anarchy. In the struggle between the
Anjou
and
Aragonese
monarchies, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and defeated the 
Anjou in 1298, receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. 
The pre-eminence of baronal families is also shown by the construction of the 
palaces of Abela
,
Chiaramonte
, Nava
,
Montalto
.