§ THE GODS AS REPRESENTED ON THE COINAGE.

Zeus (Jupiter). The head of this god is almost always bearded and crowned with laurel or olive [(Fig. 1]). The youthful head called Zeus Hellenios, on certain coins of Syracuse, is however beardless, and but for the inscription which in this case accompanies it, would be indistinguishable from a head of Apollo.

Zeus Ammon [(Fig. 2]), frequent on coins of Cyrene, is distinguished by the ram’s horn behind the ear. This god is sometimes beardless.

The head of the Zeus of Dodona is represented with a wreath of oak-leaves [(Fig. 3)].

Fig. 1.
Zeus (Jupiter).		Fig. 2.
Zeus (Ammon).		Fig. 3. Zeus
(Jupiter).

The entire figure of Zeus appears in various attitudes, of which the following are of most frequent occurrence:—

Zeus enthroned [(Fig. 4)], holding in one hand a sceptre, and in the other an eagle or a victory.

Zeus standing, with eagle or victory.

Zeus advancing, with ægis on his arm and hurling his thunderbolt.

Zeus Labrandeus on coins of Caria stands full draped, with the double axe (Labrys) over his shoulder and a sceptre in his hand.

Fig. 4.
Zeus (Jupiter).		Fig. 5.
Apollo.

Hades (Pluto), the king of the under world, resembles Zeus in type, but is usually accompanied by Cerberus.

Serapis. The great Egyptian divinity of the Ptolemaic age is also very like Zeus, but his head is always surmounted by a lofty modius (a measure for corn), which is often richly ornamented.

Apollo. The head of this god is more commonly met with on coins than that of any other divinity. He is represented in full youthful beauty, generally with flowing hair and almost always crowned with laurel (Figs. [5], [6, and 7]).

His full-length figure is variously delineated, usually naked, with bow or laurel branch in his hand, either standing or seated, often on the Delphian omphalos [(Fig. 8)], or else beside his sacred tripod. When he wears a long robe reaching to the feet, and carries a lyre, he is called Apollo Musegetes, the leader of the Muses.

Fig. 6.
Apollo.		Fig. 7.
Apollo.		Fig. 8.
Apollo.

Helios (Sol). The Sun god is known by the rays which encircle his head [(Fig. 9)]. On coins of the Imperial period he is often seen driving the chariot of the Sun.

Poseidon (Neptune). The head of this god much resembles that of Zeus, but may usually be distinguished from it by the absence of the laurel wreath, and by the heavy way in which the dank locks of his hair fall about his neck [(Figs. 10 and 11)]. Poseidon is sometimes seated on rocks holding a trident and a dolphin or an aplustre [(Fig. 12)].

Fig. 9.Fig. 10.Fig. 11.
Helios (Sol). Poseidon (Neptune).

Sometimes he stands resting on his trident, and sometimes he wields it on high as if about to strike. Occasionally he is seen on horseback armed with his trident. He is called Poseidon Hippios [(Fig. 13)].

Fig. 12.Fig. 13.Fig. 14.
Poseidon (Neptune).Dionysos.

Dionysos (Bacchus). The head of Dionysos is either youthful or bearded, and is encircled by a wreath of ivy (Figs. [14], [15, and 16]). His full-length figure is usually naked, or with merely a fawn skin hanging from his shoulder. He holds a wine cup (kantharos), or a bunch of grapes or the Bacchic staff (thyrsus), surmounted by a pine cone.

Sometimes he has bull’s horns growing from his forehead, and on coins of Neapolis he appears as a bull with a human head (Dionysos Hebon).

Fig. 15.Fig. 16.Fig. 17.
Dionysos (Bacchus).Hermes (Mercury).

Fig. 18.
Hermes (Mercury).

Hermes (Mercury). The head of Hermes is youthful, and wears a hat called a petasus (Figs. [17] and [18]), close fitting, sometimes with a broad flapping brim and adorned with two wings.

When his entire figure is represented, he is usually clad in a short cloak (chlamys), and has winged sandals (pedilia) on his feet.

Fig. 19.
Hephæstus (Vulcan).

As the messenger of the gods and the conductor of the souls of the dead, he carries the winged staff (caduceus), and sometimes, as god of trade, a purse. Hephæstus (Vulcan). This god is sometimes young and sometimes bearded. He wears a conical hat (pilos), [(Fig. 19)]. On coins of Lipara he is generally seated naked on a four-legged stool, holding a hammer in one hand and a cup (kantharos) in the other [(Fig. 20)]. The tongs and the anvil are also emblems of the worship of Hephæstus.

Fig. 20.Fig. 21.Fig. 22.
Hephæstus (Vulcan).Herakles (Hercules).

Fig. 23.Fig. 24.Fig. 25.
Herakles (Hercules).Pan.

Herakles (Hercules). The head of Herakles, youthful [(Fig. 21)], or bearded [(Fig. 22)], is usually covered with the skin of the Nemean Lion. Occasionally, however, he is simply laureate, and sometimes the club at his shoulder is added as a distinctive symbol. On reverses of coins, Herakles is represented performing his various labours, most frequently contending with the Nemean Lion [(Fig. 23)]. Sometimes also he is seen at rest, either standing and leaning upon his club, or seated [(Fig. 24)]. The infant Herakles strangling two serpents is a less frequent type.

Pan. The head of Pan (Figs. [25], [26, and 27]) has pointed ears, and is either youthful or bearded. Sometimes also he has goat’s horns. At his shoulder on many coins appears the shepherd’s crook (pedum).

Ares (Mars). The head of Ares is of rare occurrence on coins. He is usually bearded and helmeted, but sometimes young and crowned with laurel like Apollo [(Fig. 28)], and when thus represented, as on the Mamertine coin here engraved, his name was added in order that there might be no mistake as to whose head was intended.

Fig. 26.Fig. 27.Fig. 28.
Pan.Ares (Mars).

Asklepios (Æsculapius). Representations of the god of healing belong to a comparatively late period of art. He is bearded, amply draped, and leans upon a staff, round which a serpent twines [(Fig. 29)].

Fig. 29.Fig. 30.Fig. 31.
Asklepios (Æsculapius).River Gods.

He is sometimes accompanied by his daughter Hygieia, the goddess of health, or by a small figure enveloped in a cloak and hood, who is called Telesphorus, and is supposed to be the genius of convalescence.

River Gods. Rivers are represented during the earlier and finer periods of art as rushing bulls or as bulls with human heads [(Fig. 30)], or again as young male figures with bull’s horns over the forehead [(Fig. 31)].

In the later period the conventional River god is a bearded reclining figure, generally half-draped, resting upon an overturned vase from which a stream of water is flowing [(Fig. 32)]. Less frequently the god is shown as actually swimming in the water.

The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) wear conical hats, each surmounted by a star [(Fig. 33 a)]. Sometimes they are seen standing side by side with palm branches in their hands, but they are more often represented on horseback [(Fig. 33 b)].

Fig. 32.
A River God. 		(a) Fig. 33. (b)
The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux).

Perseus. The head of the hero Perseus [(Fig. 34)], the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa [(Fig. 35)], wears a winged helmet, while at his shoulders is sometimes seen the short sword or knife with a hook at the back of the blade (harba).

Fig. 34.
Perseus.		Fig. 35.
Gorgon-Head.		Fig. 36.
Hera (Juno).