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Litra - Agathocles
| Issuer | Syracuse (Sicily) |
|---|---|
| Year | 310 BC - 308 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | A winged griffin depicted in a dynamic springing posture to the left, with powerful leonine hindquarters, raised forepaws, and large, finely detailed spread wings filling the upper field. The creature's head is turned alertly with an open beak, conveying vigorous movement. A thunderbolt or similar object appears beneath the griffin's forepaws in the lower field, serving as a ground line element. The composition is boldly modelled in high relief, typical of Syracusan bronze coinage struck under Agathocles. The reverse field is otherwise plain, with no additional legend. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Agathocles seized power in Syracuse through a calculated massacre of the oligarchic opposition in 317 BC, establishing himself as the city's autocrat before eventually taking the title of king in 304 BC. This bronze litra belongs to the turbulent middle period of his reign, struck while he was simultaneously fighting Carthage on Sicilian soil and — in a bold reversal — launching a direct invasion of North Africa in 310 BC, the first time a Greek general had carried war to Carthaginian territory. The African campaign stripped Syracuse of manpower and resources, making civic bronze issues from precisely this window relatively scarce in well-provenanced collections.