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THRACE, Hadrianopolis. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ Tetrassarion (29mm, 12.60 g, 1h). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Herakles standing left, grappling with the Lernaean Hydra, which he is about to strike with his club. Jurukova, Hadrianopolis – (V155 [Caracalla]/R414 [Geta]); Varbanov –. Green patina, pitting, scratches and scrape on reverse. Near VF. Very rare.
Ex Roma E-Sale 80 (4 February 2021), lot 792.
Herakles, made temporarily insane by the goddess Hera, murdered his wife and children. Once recovered, and distressed by his actions, Herakles 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 Herakles despised, for a period of twelve years. Because Eurystheus also hated Herakles, he devised a series of ten feats of such difficulty that they would be either insurmountable, or Herakles would die in the attempt. Because Herakles received assistance in completing two of the tasks, Eurystheus added two more. Each labor became more fantastic, and eventually Herakles was compelled to break the bonds of the supernatural in order to complete his task. Once he accomplished the Labors, Herakles 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 Herakles 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, Herakles enlisted the assistance of his nephew Iolaus, who devised a plan: once Herakles 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. Herakles 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.
Closing Date and Time: 1 May 2024 at 12:16:00 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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