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Nomos - Lykon, Si- and Py-
| Issuer | Tarentum |
|---|---|
| Year | 280 BC - 272 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Taras, the mythological founder and eponymous hero of the city, depicted nude and seated astride a dolphin leaping to the left; he holds a trident upright in his right hand and extends a kantharos in his left. The ethnic legend ΤΑΡΑΣ is inscribed in Greek characters along the lower field, with the magistrate's monogram ΓΥ visible to the right. The scene is rendered with the fluid, accomplished style characteristic of South Italian Greek coinage of the early third century BC. |
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| Additional information |
Struck during the most politically turbulent decade in Tarentum's history, this nomos falls within the period of Pyrrhus of Epirus's Italian campaign — invited by the Tarentines themselves in 280 BC after their naval provocations against Rome made war inevitable. The magistrate signatures Lykon, Si-, and Py- place this issue among a cluster of types produced under acute military pressure, with Pyrrhic forces occupying the city and Rome pressing from the north. Tarentum's mint remained active throughout, partly to fund mercenary obligations.