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32 Litrai - Hieron II
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 217 BC - 215 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | Nike, nude to the waist and rendered in dynamic Hellenistic style, drives a swift biga (two-horse chariot) to the right, her body turned slightly as she extends her right hand holding a kentron (goad) and grasps the reins in her left. The horses are depicted in full gallop, conveying vigorous forward movement. The control letter E appears below the horses in the field. The legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ appears above and ΙΕΡΩΝΟΣ is inscribed in the exergue, identifying the issuing king Hieron II. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ E ΙΕΡΩΝΟΣ |
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Hieron II ruled Syracuse for over half a century — an extraordinary tenure by any Hellenistic standard — maintaining a careful neutrality between Rome and Carthage until the Second Punic War forced his hand. He aligned with Rome, and this heavy silver issue belongs to the final years of his reign, when Hannibal's victories at Trasimene and then Cannae were sending shockwaves through every allied city-state in the western Mediterranean. Hieron died in 215 BC, and within a year Syracuse had defected to Carthage under his grandson Hieronymus.
At 28+ grams, this denomination sits at the top of Syracuse's silver weight hierarchy — a 32-litra piece representing the Sicilian system's largest practical silver unit.