HERAKLES killing Nemean Lion/Grasshopper NGC XF Athena Ancient Greek Silver Coin

Description

Ancient Greek Coinage CALABRIA Tarentum c. 325-280 BC Silver Diobol 12mm, 1.05gm.  Very Small Coin--a Dime is 17.9mm Obverse: Head of Athena to right, wearing Attic helmet adorned with Skylla hurling a rock. Reverse: depicts the first of the Twelve labors of Herakles ~ naked Herakles  kneeling low on both legs strangling the Nemean Lion, club behind; Grasshopper on back of lion facing left. Ref. HN III 976. SNG Copenhagen 979. Vlasto 1327. RARE with Grasshopper. VF. Nicer in hand ~ Small coin shown greatly enlarged. .
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Ancient Greek Coinage
CALABRIA Tarentum
c. 325-280 BC
Silver Diobol 12mm, 1.41gm.  Very Small Coin--a Dime is 17.9mm
Obverse: Head of Athena to right, wearing Attic helmet adorned with Skylla hurling a rock.
Reverse: depicts the first of the Twelve labors of Herakles ~ naked Herakles  kneeling low on both legs strangling the Nemean Lion, club behind; Grasshopper on back of lion facing left.
Ref. HN III 976. SNG Copenhagen 979. Vlasto 1327.
RARE with Grasshopper.
Extremely Fine Condition! Nicer in hand ~ Small coin shown greatly enlarged.
NGC Certified & Graded XF (Extremely Fine) Strike: 4/5. Surface: 3/5.
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The Twelve Labors of Hercules
The Twelve Labors of Herakles is a myth about the labors that Herakles (Hercules)  had to perform as a part of his sentence after killing his own children.
Being one of the offsprings of Zeus’ affairs, Hercules has always been subject of Hera’s hatred. Hera tried to kill Hercules many times throughout his adventures or at the very least made everything in her power to torture him. It was one of those times when Hera made Hercules lose his mind temporarily and Hercules killed his own children during this craze. After a short while he was awakened from his state of madness and realized what he did in great sorrow and regret. He sought guidance from Apollo and was told by Apollo’s oracle that his punishment would be serving his cousin and archenemy, Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae and Tiryns for twelve years.
Hercules was assigned to perform twelve labors/tasks which were considered almost impossible to be fulfilled. However, Hercules managed to perform these labors successfully thanks to the help he got from Athena and Hermes. Having performed these labors was, indeed, the reason why Hercules has been rewarded with immortality in the end.
First Labor: Killing the Nemean Lion
The first labor Eurystheus assigned Hercules to was slaying the Nemean Lion and bringing back his skin. The Nemean lion was a very powerful beast born from Typhon and Echidna. It was a beast that could only be harmed by human hand and no other weapon could hurt it. Hercules realized that the beast was invulnerable after shooting him with an arrow and he went into the cave the beast lived in, held his neck tight and choked the Nemean Lion to the death. Hercules brought back the lion’s skin to Eurystheus and set on to fulfill his second task.
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