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Source Description
On the obverse of this highly symbolic coin is the head of Arethousa, a local goddess of Syracuse who fled from mainland Greece and arose on the site as a freshwater fountain. Four dolphins swim around her, suggesting Syracuse’s humble beginnings as a small island colony. On the reverse, a racing four-horse chariot recalls Syracuse’s past victories in Panhellenic games.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
97355
label
Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
97355
contentType
object
title
Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)
description
On the obverse of this highly symbolic coin is the head of Arethousa, a local goddess of Syracuse who fled from mainland Greece and arose on the site as a freshwater fountain. Four dolphins swim around her, suggesting Syracuse’s humble beginnings as a small island colony. On the reverse, a racing four-horse chariot recalls Syracuse’s past victories in Panhellenic games.
date
c. 467–440 BCE
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79481597
genreSpecific
Coins
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
cul
Greek, minted at Syracuse (Sicily)
accession
1916.976
Source extras
tec
silver
tombstone
Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse), c. 467–440 BCE. Greek, minted at Syracuse (Sicily). Silver; diameter: 2.5 cm (1 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1916.976
collection
GR - Greek
inscriptions
inscription
ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ
inscription_translation
Of the Syracusans
inscription_remark
Reverse
didYouKnow
Three dolphins and a bit of a fourth are still visible swimming clockwise around Arethousa.
creditline
Gift of J. H. Wade
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:14:51.054000
sourceId
97355
dept
Greek and Roman Art
coll
GR - Greek
med
silver
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
2801f635b2bd791a