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Theseus' Numismatic Mythology

Theseus, son of Aigeus, the king of Athens was known for a number of heroic feats on the model of Herakles. The most famous of these feats was his slaying of the Minotaur. Because the city was a tributary subject to Minos, the king of Crete, it was forced each year to send seven youths and seven maidens to the Cretan capital of Knossos to feed the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull who lived in the Labyrinth. To liberate Athens from this humiliating tribute, Theseus connived with his father to join the next shipment of youths. Once in Crete, he would slay the Minotaur, free his fellow victims, and return home. If successful, his returning ship would carry a white sail; if not, the sail would remain the black with which he left. With the help of Minos' daughter, Ariadne (who loved him), Theseus entered the Labyrinth and slew the Minotaur. On his return voyage, however, Theseus forgot to replace the black sail, and Aigeus, seeing this, hurled himself in despair into the sea which now is called Aegean.

There are a number of coins from ancient Greece that celebrate this rich mythological tradition.

Theseus Slaying the Minotaur

ATTICA, Athens. Circa AD 145-175. Drachm 4.84g Athena and Theseus slaying Minotaur. Kroll 276, SNG Copenhagen 341.
(image courtesy of CNG/Triton XI, 169; Bill Hearn collection)


ATTICA, Athens. Circa AD 145-175. Drachm 5.74g Athena and Theseus slaying Minotaur. Kroll 276, SNG Copenhagen 341.

(image courtesy of CNG/Triton IX, 878)



ATTICA, Athens. Circa AD 145-175. Drachm 5.20g Athena and Theseus slaying Minotaur. Kroll 276, SNG Copenhagen 341.
(image courtesy of CNG 60, 61)


ATTICA, Athens. Circa AD 145-175. Drachm Athena and Theseus slaying Minotaur. Kroll 276, SNG Copenhagen 341.
(image courtesy of CNG 828461)


BITHYNIA, Nikomedia Severus Alexander 222-235 A.D. 26mm. Theseus attacking the Minotaur. SNG vAulock 784. 

(image courtesy of Munzen und Medaillen 15, 426)



Theseus Driving the Bull

ATTICA, Athens. CA 125-145 Drachm 10.41g theseus driving Marathonian Bull. Kroll 180, SNG Copenhagen 321. CNG 76, 495

(image courtesy of CNG 76, 195)


Theseus Raising his Club

ATTICA, Athens. 264-267 A.D. Obol 3.42g Athena and Theseus holding club overhead. Kroll 408, SNG Copenhagen 371. 

(image courtesy of CNG 76, 503)


Theseus Raising the Rocks at Troizen

ARGOLIS, Troizen. Commodus 177-192 A.D. 22mm 8.85g Theseus raising the rock at Troizen. BCD Peloponnesos 1341.

(image courtesy of CNG 147, 43)



Theseus

ATTICA, Athens. Ca. 125-175 A.D. 12mm 1.97g Theseus and Bucranium. Kroll 240, SNG Copenhagen 378.
(image courtesy of CNG 195, 57; Bill Hearn collection)


ATTICA, Athens. Ca. 125-175 A.D. 11mm 1.66g Theseus and Bucranium. Kroll 240 SNG Copenhagen 378.

(Auctiones AG 29, 295)



ATTICA, Athens. Ca. 125-175 A.D. 11mm 2.09g Theseus and Winged Caduceus. Kroll 241.

(image courtesy of CNG 173, 176)



Theseus and Ariadne in Cart Drawn by Centaurs

BITHYNIA, Nicaea. Julia Domna 193-211 A.D. 13.50g Dionysus Ariadne in cart drawn by centaurs. RG II 445, 372.
(image courtesy of Numismatik Lanz 109, 589)


CILICIA, Tarsus. Maximinus I. 37mm 22.64g Dionysus Ariadne in cart drawn by centaurs. SNG Levante 1104.

(image courtesy of CNG 64, 709)



CILICIA, Tarsus. Maximinus I. 37mm 16.02g Dionysus Ariadne in cart drawn by centaurs. SNG Levante 1104.
(image courtesy of CNG 60, 1258)


THRACE, Perithus. Gordian III 238-244 A.D. Dionysus and Ariadne Schonert 805.
(image courtesy of Gorny & Mosch 156, 1702)

Ariadne

MYSIA, Pergamum. Septimius Severus and Julia Domna 193-211 A.D. 44mm, 44.06g Ariadne forlorn in the grotto on Naxos. SNG France 2210.
(image courtesy of CNG 69, 986)


The Minotaur

(image courtesy of Fritz Rudolph Kunker 136, 158)


The Labyrinth

CRETE, Knossos. 330-300 B.C. AR Stater. Demeter and labyrinth. Svoronos 71


CRETE, Knossos. AR Drachm 300-270 B.C. Head of Hera and Labyrinth.
(image courtesy of Hess-Divo AG 308, 56)


CRETE, Knossos. AR Drachm. 200 B.C. Head of Minos and Labyrinth.
(image courtesy of Fritz Rudolph Kunker 136, 188)


CRETE, Knossos. ca. 220 B.C. 18mm Alliance between Knossos and Gortyna. Europa and Labyrinth. SNG Copenhagen 378.
(image courtesy of CNG/Triton V, 397)

King Minos

CRETE, Knossos. AR Stater 360-330 B.C. 10.55g Head of Ariadne or Persephone and King Minos.
(image courtesy of Fritz Rudolph Kunker 136, 159)


CRETE, Gortyna. Circa 2nd-1st century BC. AR Drachm Head of Minos and Apollo on rock.
(image courtesy of CNG 67, 608)


CRETE, Gortyna. AR Drachm 267-200 B.C. Head of Minos and warrior.
(Hess-Divo AG 309, 61)

Talos - said to have been a man of brass given to King Minos by Zeus or Hephaistos. He guarded the island of Crete by walking around the island three times each day. When the Argonauts arrived off Crete, Talos attempted to keep them from landing by throwing stones at them.


CRETE, Phaistos. Ca. 280 B.C. AR Stater 11.21g Talos advancing left, head facing, about to hurl stone.
(Heritage World Coin, Long Beach Signature Sale 441, 50066)



CRETE, Phaistos. ca. 350 B.C. Stater. Europa on rock next to bull and Hermes. Svoronos 2, 22, 36.
(image courtesy of Bank Leu 81, 234)