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Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineTetradrachm: 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
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