The State Hermitage Museum: Exhibitions

Drachma. Reverse: Aphrodite

300 B.C.

Corinth

Silver

Diameter - 14 mm; weight - 2.37 g

Aphrodite - the most beautiful of the Greek goddesses - should on the face of things have little to do with such a serious matter as coinage, yet at different times 127 cities placed a depiction of her on their coins. It should be noted too that the image of this goddess on coins does not always coincide with her depictions in sculpture and painting.

The Greeks adopted the cult of Aphrodite from the east and consequently she has many features of eastern goddesses, while her role is far from being confined to amorous matters. At first her cult met with resistance among the Greeks. There is a tale, for example, of the women on the island of Lemnos who refused to venerate the goddess and she avenged herself by making the women smell bad. If we remember Aphrodite's connection to eastern goddesses, her functions are considerably enlarged. She was not only the goddess of love, but also the goddess of fertility, perpetual spring and life, the protectress of animals and seafarers (she had, after all, herself been born in the sea). She was also known as the goddess of mountains. In short both heaven and earth were encompassed by Aphrodite's power.

Coins more often bore the depictions of the goddess's head, marked by a great variety (for example, in contrast to Zeus). On this coin from Corinth we can see such a depiction, perhaps the most interesting one. Represented is a young woman wearing a necklace and earrings, her hair covered with a sakkos (special sack for hair). This fact shows that Aphrodite is a serious goddess devoid of any hints on coquetry.

View reverse of coin

Drachma. Obverse: Pegasus

300 B.C.

Corinth

Silver

Diameter - 14 mm; weight - 2, 37 g