What was depicted on the Athenian coins?

Athenian coins depicted an owl on the obverse side. For this reason, they were called “owls”. Athens’s protector deity was the goddess Athena. The Parthenon was her temple and the owl her sacred symbol.

What is the significance of red paint in Athens?

After being caught shirking their duty as citizens of Athens, they had been marked with red paint as punishment. In Athenian democracy, every citizen was required to participate or suffer punishment.

What is the purpose of the Athenian coin?

It is a high value coin representing, in the mid-fifth century BC, four days’ pay for a skilled labourer or for a hoplite soldier, or two days’ pay for a sculptor working on a public building.

Why is the minting of coins important to the ancient Greeks?

Around 600BC city-states began to make their own coins. Greek coins had images of important people, symbols, local produce or gods and heroes and inscriptions to emphasize the independence and individuality of the city where they were made.

Where was the Athenian coin found?

Athens coin (circa 500/490–485 BC) discovered in the Shaikhan Dehri hoard in Pushkalavati, Ancient India. This coin is the earliest known example of its type to be found so far east.

How big was an ancient drachma coin?

Denominations of Ancient Greek drachma It was divided into six obols of 0.72 grams, which were subdivided into four tetartemoria of 0.18 grams, one of the smallest coins ever struck, approximately 5–7 mm in diameter.

Who was a citizen in Athens?

Citizens. To be classed as a citizen in fifth-century Athens you had to be male, born from two Athenian parents, over eighteen years old, and complete your military service. Women, slaves, metics and children under the age of 20 were not allowed to become citizens.

What did it mean if you were marked with red dye in ancient Greece?

The Red Rope If a person tried to resist going to the assembly they were sure to get caught in the rope and have red paint on their clothes. Anyone who had red paint on their clothes at the assembly would not get paid for their attendance.

What were the rights and responsibilities of Greek citizens?

Athenian Rights and Responsibilities. All Athenian citizens had the right to vote in the Assembly, debate, own land and own slaves. All Athenian citizens were expected to have military training, be educated, pay their taxes and serve Athens in times of war.

What is a ancient Greek coin called?

Drachma, silver coin of ancient Greece, dating from about the mid-6th century bc, and the former monetary unit of modern Greece. The drachma was one of the world’s earliest coins. Its name derives from the Greek verb meaning “to grasp,” and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows.

How old is the Athenian coin?

How much is a 100 drachma coin worth?

Mintage, Worth:

What was on the reverse of Ancient Greek coins?

Archaic coin of Athens with effigy of Athena on the obverse, and olive sprig, owl and ΑΘΕ, initials of ” Athens ” on the reverse. Circa 510–500/490 BC The history of ancient Greek coinage can be divided (along with most other Greek art forms) into four periods: the Archaic, the Classical, the Hellenistic and the Roman.

What does the inscription on an Athenian coin mean?

The inscription “ΑΘΕ” is an abbreviation of ΑΘΕΝΑΙΟΝ, “of the Athenians”. These coins were so popular that they were often copied by other countries, they retained this inscription with the hope of having their currency associated with the positive qualities of the genuine Owl tetradrachms.

What kind of coin was the Athenian owl?

Athenian Owls, thick, heavy, high-relief silver coins minted more than 2,000 years ago, were arguably the most influential of all coins, and the Classical Owl tetradrachm, pictured above, is the most widely recognized ancient coin among the general public today. Owls were the first widely used international coin.

Why did the Athenians mint so many coins?

These later coins are orders of magnitude more common than the earlier issues, and this prevalence allowed Athens to flourish. Athenians treated their coinage not only as means for facilitating commerce and spreading their political imagery, but also as a business, making a profit on each Owl minted.