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Search Advanced Search Search By Coin ID     Home ANCIENT/BYZANTINE Ancient Spain (872) Byzantine (753) MEDIEVAL/EARLY WORLD Germany (30) MODERN WORLD COUNTERFEITS AND IMITATIONS   Submit New Coin(s)   Sponsors page Terms of Service Contact Us About Us FAQ Page Coin Detail Click here to see enlarged image. ID:     76000991 Type:     Roman Provincial Region:     CILICIA City:     Tarsus Issuer:     Caracalla Date Ruled:     AD 198-217 Metal:     Bronze Struck / Cast:     struck Diameter:     33 mm Weight:     18.2 g Die Axis:     12 h Obverse Legend:     AVT KAI M AVP CEVHPOC ANTΩNEINOC CEB Π Π Obverse Description:     Laureate head left undraped Reverse Legend:     ANTΩNIANHC CEVH AΔP MHT TAPCOV ΔEK Reverse Description:     Hercules standing left, destroying Lernaean Hydra; D Mint:     Tarsus Primary Reference:     SNG France - Reference2:     Voegtli 2q Reference3:     SNG Levante 1051 (same dies) Photograph Credit:     Classical Numismatic Group Source:     http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=108666 Grade:     Good VF, black-green patina with lighter green and brown overtones. Notes:     Sale: CNG 76, Lot: 991 From the James E. Cain Collection.Hercules, made temporarily insane by the goddess Hera, murdered his wife and children. Once recovered, and distressed by his actions, Hercules consulted the Delphic Oracle to find a means of expiating his sin. As a punishment, Apollo replied that the hero would have to serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king Tiryns, a man whom Hercules despised, for a period of twelve years. Because Eurystheus also hated Hercules, he devised a series of ten feats of such difficulty that they would be either insurmountable, or Hercules would die in the attempt. Because Hercules received assistance in completing two of the tasks, Eurystheus added two more. Each labor became more fantastic, and eventually Hercules was compelled to break the bonds of the supernatural in order to complete his task. Once he accomplished the Labors, Hercules was absolved of his guilt, and preceded to perform many other heroic feats.The Lernaean Hydra, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, was said to be the sibling of the Nemean Lion, the Chimaera, and Cerberus. Inhabiting the swamp near Lake Lerna in the Argolid, the creature possessed numerous mortal and one immortal head on its single body; should one head be removed, two more would grow in its place. When Hercules reached the swamp where the Hydra dwelt, he drew it out of its lair near the spring of Amymone. Thereupon, wielding a harvesting sickle, he attempted to decapitate the creature. When this proved unsuccessful, because of the Hydra’s regenerative ability, Hercules enlisted the assistance of his nephew Iolaus, who devised a plan: once Hercules had cut off one of the creature’s heads, Iolaus would cauterize the stump with a burning firebrand. The plan succeeded, and the Hydra was destroyed. Hercules placed its one immortal head under a large rock on the sacred way between Lerna and Elaius and dipped his arrows in its poisonous blood.

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