The Abraham Cowley
Text and Image Archive

Bacchus out of Bounds / Savior Hercules

Thasos, island off Thrace, AR tetradrachm, after 148 BC, with barbarized Celtic imitations
Obv.: Bacchus with horns (?) and ivy-crown r.
Rev.: Herakles-Hercules standing l. with club and lionskin, quiver over shoulder, in Greek characters HERAKLEOUS THASION SOTEROS.

Nearby Maroneia's coinage made Bacchus himself the savior:


Obv.: Bacchus with horns (?) and ivy-crown r.
Rev.: Bacchus standing l. with narthex wands and bunch of grapes, cloak on forearm, in Greek characters DIONYSOU MARONITON SOTEROS.