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Æ25 - Hadrian ΑΡΓΕΙωΝ
| Issuer | Argos (Achaea) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse lettering | ΑΥΤ ΑΔΡΙΑ-ΝΟϹ ΚΤΙϹΤΗϹ (Translation: Emperor Hadrian the Founder) |
| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the mythological scene of Cleobis and Biton, the two Argive brothers celebrated by Herodotus, shown straining to draw a chariot to the left, in which their mother, the priestess of Hera, is seated. The figures are rendered in low relief in a typical provincial hammered style. The wheel of the chariot is prominently visible in the lower field. The ethnic legend ΑΡΓΕΙωΝ, meaning 'of the Argives', appears in the field, affirming the civic pride of the mint city in its legendary heritage. |
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| Additional information |
Argos maintained its civic coinage well into the imperial period largely on civic pride rather than economic necessity — Roman provincial bronzes from the Peloponnese circulated within tightly local networks, rarely traveling far from the issuing city. Under Hadrian, Argos had particular reason to honor the emperor: he visited the city during his tour of Greece, and his philhellenic program directed genuine imperial patronage toward old Peloponnesian centers that had long since faded from political relevance. The reference III#353 places this among a well-documented but thinly populated series.