BOEOTIA. Thebes. Ca. 405-395 BC. AR stater (23mm, 11.57 gm, 5h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 5/5....
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BOEOTIA. Thebes. Ca. 405-395 BC. AR stater (23mm, 11.57 gm, 5h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 5/5. Boeotian shield / T-E, infant Heracles crouching facing, nude, head right, grasping two serpents. BCD Boiotia 459. Rare. Struck on an oblong flan and nicely toned. From the LII Collection of Historical Coins and Medals, Part II. Ex Heritage Auctions, Auction 3051 (9 January 2017), lot 30060; Heritage Auctions, Auction 3042 (22 September 2015), lot 29062. Heracles was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Zeus's wife, Hera, hated the child because he was living proof of Zeus's infidelity. Throughout Heracles' life, Hera repeatedly tried to destroy him. When Heracles and his twin half-brother Iphicles were still infants—typically said to be around eight months old—Hera sent two enormous serpents into their nursery. According to the most familiar version, the twins were asleep in the same cradle. Iphicles cried out in terror when the snakes approached, but Heracles calmly seized one serpent in each hand and strangled them to death. When Alcmene and Amphitryon rushed into the room, they found the infant Heracles holding the dead snakes. The episode had several important meanings for the ancient Greeks: Proof of divine parentage: No ordinary infant could kill two giant serpents. The feat confirmed Heracles' descent from Zeus. Foreshadowing of his labors: The victory over dangerous beasts as an infant prefigured his later exploits, including the Nemean Lion and the Lernaean Hydra. Hera's enduring hostility: This was the first of many attempts by Hera to destroy him, culminating in the madness she later inflicted upon him, which led to the killing of his wife and children and ultimately to the Twelve Labors. HID07901242017 www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice
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