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Didrachm - Krethes
| Issuer | Naxos (Cyclades) |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 180 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Bearded head of Dionysos facing right, crowned with an ivy wreath rendered with finely detailed leaves. The god's flowing locks fall behind the neck, and a short, curling beard frames the chin. The portrait displays the characteristic Hellenistic softness of modelling, with a serene, slightly idealized expression. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Naxos was the wealthiest island in the Cyclades through much of antiquity, its silver coinage backed by control of the Aegean marble and wine trades. By the early second century BC, however, the island's political autonomy was increasingly pressured by the shifting allegiances of the Hellenistic successor states. The Krethes issue likely falls within this unsettled period, when local magistrate names on coinage served a practical administrative function as much as any civic statement.
The magistrate name Krethes is attested on only a handful of dies, placing this among the scarcer named issues in the series catalogued by Cratérophores.