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Dec 05 Editorial 29/11/05 4:27 pm Page 369Haselgrove, C. 1984: Warfare and its aftermath as reflected in the preciousmetal coinage of Belgic Gaul. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 3, p.81-105.1999: The development of Iron Age coinage in Belgic Gaul. NC 159,p.111-168.Metzler, J. 1995: Das treverische Oppidum auf dem Titelberg (G.-H. Luxemburg)(Luxembourg).Pion, P. 2003: L’or des Rèmes. In Plouin, S. and Jud, P. (eds). Habitats, mobilierset groupes régionaux à l’âge du fer. Actes du XXe colloque de l’A.F.E.A.F.,Colmar-Mittelwihr, 16-19 mai 1996 (Vesoul), p.387-401.Roymans, N. 2004: Ethnic identity and imperial power. The Batavians in the earlyRoman empire (Amsterdam).Scheers, S. 1972: Coinage and currency of the Belgic tribes during the GallicWar. BNJ 41, p.1-6.1977: Traité de numismatique II. La Gaule belgique (Paris).Sills, J.A. 2003: Gaulish and early British gold coinage (London).2005: Identifying Gallic War uniface staters. Chris Rudd 83, p.2-6.Van Heesch, J. 1991: Le trésor gaulois de Thuin/De gallische schat van Thuin(Brussels).Portraits of Greek CoinageR. J. Eaglen7 – MessanaObverseReverse¿ Tetradrachm c. 430 BCObv. Charioteer wearing a long tunic (χιτών) and driving abiga of mules slowly r., holding reins in both hands and a rod orgoad (κέντρον) in right. Above, Nike flying r. with fillet (?) in l. andcrown of olive leaves in r. hand, held over mules’ heads. Inexergue, an olive leaf and fruit.Rev. Hare bounding r., above dolphin r. ΜΕΣΣΑΝΙΟΝ around.17.12g (25mm diameter).Author’s collection. Ex Baldwin, 2005.Messana lay in the north-eastern corner of Sicily, by the narrowstraits separating the island from the toe of Italy. The city wasknown as Zancle when Anaxilas, tyrant of Rhegium on the otherside of the straits seized it in about 489 BC, but shortly after it wasrenamed Messana 1 . After Anaxilas’ death his sons ruled over bothcities until they were ousted in 461 BC 2 .Anaxilas introduced the biga of mules and hare type inRhegium and in Messana 3 . The obverse design alluded, on theauthority of Aristotle 4 , to the victory of Anaxilas’ biga in theOlympian games of 484 BC or, more probably, 480 BC 5 . Althoughthe glory was his, doubtless the achievement was that of hischarioteer 6 . In the classical period, the games lasted for five days 7 ,with chariot racing on the second morning 8 . It is hard to imagine,however, that mule biga racing enjoyed the same standing inspeed or panache - not to say thrills and spills 9 - as the races withtwo and four-horse chariots. The event is believed to have beenintroduced, in 500 BC, at the instigation of the Sicilian Greekswho were famed for their mules, but was discontinued after thegames of 444 BC 10 .At Rhegium, the biga type had been superceded before theoverthrow of the tyrants 11 , but at Messana it survived withvarious changes in treatment until the city was destroyed by theCarthaginians in 396 BC 12 . Initially, the charioteer was portrayedbearded, crouched on a mule cart with a box seat, but later diesshow a clean-shaven charioteer with full-length tunic, standingin profile in a vehicle of similar design to that used for horsechariot racing. From about 430 BC 13 dies are encountered wherethe charioteer has been identified as the city goddess, Messana,because her name appears in the obverse field 14 . However, longhair and tunic, and lack of a beard, were not exclusively femaleattributes. Moreover, if the coin type was rooted in an Olympianvictory, a female charioteer would not be expected, especiallywhen, on other dies, the name is absent and Nike appears instead,bearing a victory wreath. At the games only one event, ashortened foot-race (στάδιον) 15 , was open to women, althoughwomen and even states were known to have sponsored chariotteams 16 . It is thus conceivable that the name Messana wasengraved on obverse dies to celebrate victory by a civic chariot,entered in honour of the city’s goddess. Examples arenevertheless encountered at the end of the fifth century BC offemale charioteers on coins from Syracuse 17 and probably on diesfrom Messana, showing the biga being driven left by a threequarterfacing, distinctly bosomy charioteer 18 .Kraay, in Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, suggested that Nikehad been added only from about 460 BC, either to emulate theprestigious obverses issued by Syracuse, or to celebrate an actualvictory by a citizen of Messana 19 . Another possibility is that Nikewas added to commemorate victory over the tyrants rather thana sporting triumph. On the coin illustrated Nike is flying right, buton others she balances upright on the charioteer’s reins 20 . Thisconceit is less aesthetically satisfying because it fails to soften thepredominantly vertical symmetry of the overall design.For most of the issue the reverse shows the hare bounding orleaping right, with various symbols beneath its belly. Of these,the dolphin is most commonly met. The earliest coins of Zanclealso bore a dolphin on the obverse, pointing to an emblematiclineage 21 . Dolphins clearly gave rise to the same fascination andaffection in the ancient world as they do today. This is reflected inthe story of Arion, who evaded death in the clutches of amurderous ship’s crew by being borne to safety on a dolphin’sback 22 .Aristotle also gave an explanation for the hare, intimating thatAnaxilas had introduced the species to Sicily. It would perhaps bemore plausible if such ‘hares’ could be taken to refer to the cointype rather that the animal itself 23 . The hare is usually associatedwith Pan, for whom it was a quarry 24 . On the coins of Messana,however, they are carefree creatures. As if to emphasise this, onereverse design shows Pan petting a hare poised before him on itshind legs 25 . The hare’s face is often executed amusingly, as on thecoin illustrated, a touch that would have made even Walt Disneyproud.Footnotes:1. The Oxford Classical Dictionary (OCD), edited by Simon Hornblower andAnthony Spawforth, 3rd edn revised (Oxford, 2003), p.963. N. G. L.Hammond, A History of Greece to 322 BC, 3rd edn (Oxford, 1986) followsThucydides, 6.4.6, in linking the change of name to expulsion of theSamians.2. Barclay V. Head, Historia Nummorum, (Oxford, 1911), p.153.3. David R. Sear, Greek Coins and their Values, I (London, 1978), No. 496(p.54) and 842 (p.88).4. Aristotle, fr. 578 R.5. Colin M. Kraay, Archaic and Classical Greek Coins (London, 1976), p.214.6. OCD, p.727; Judith Swaddling, The Ancient Olympic Games, 3rd edn(London, 2004), p.87.7. OCD, p.1066.8. Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook of Life in Ancient Greece(Oxford, 1997), p.420; The Ancient Olympic Games, p.53.9. In one such race only one of the forty (The Ancient Olympic Games, p.37)or forty-one chariots finished (Life in Ancient Greece, p.420).10. The Ancient Olympic Games, p.87.11. Sear, I, No. 498 (p.55).12. Ibid., Nos. 846 - 852, pp.88-89; OCD, p.963.13. Kraay, Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, p.219.14. C. M. Kraay and Max Hirmer, Greek Coins (London, 1963), Plate 18, 56.15. OCD, p.207.16. The Ancient Olympic Games, pp.41, 97.17. Greek Coins, Plate 38, 109 (c.410 - 400 BC).18. Ibid., Plate 18, 58 and 19, 60-61 (c.410 - 400 BC).19. Kraay, Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, p.219.20. Sear, I, No. 851 (p.89).21. Ibid., Nos. 721- 722 (p.76).22. Heroditus, The Histories, 1, 23 -24.23. Kraay, Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, p.214.24. OCD, p.1103.25. Kraay and Hirmer, Greek Coins, Plate 16, 57 (reverse).DECEMBER 2005 369