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Litra - Agathokles
| Issuer | Syracuse |
|---|---|
| Year | 304 BC - 289 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | A winged thunderbolt depicted in the centre of the field, rendered with detailed wings spread symmetrically to either side and volutes at each end, a powerful emblem of royal authority and divine sanction. The two-line Greek legend ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ is divided around the central device, reading above and below, proclaiming Agathocles as king. The bold, deeply struck lettering frames the thunderbolt in a composition reflecting the Hellenistic royal coinage conventions adopted by Agathocles after his assumption of the title of king circa 304 BC. |
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| Additional information |
Agathokles seized power in Syracuse through a political massacre in 317 BC, executing hundreds of opponents in the assembly before declaring himself king in 304 BC — the first Sicilian ruler to adopt the royal title. His coinage reflects a reign defined by near-constant military pressure: an invasion of Carthaginian-held Africa, failed campaigns in Italy, and repeated sieges of his own city. This litra belongs to the bronze civic coinage issued during that turbulent stretch, circulating in a Syracuse that was simultaneously a Greek polis and an aspiring Hellenistic monarchy.
Agathokles died in 289 BC, reportedly poisoned, possibly by a splinter from a toothpick prepared by a political enemy.