The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)
c. 467–440 BCE
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Three dolphins and a bit of a fourth are still visible swimming clockwise around Arethousa.Description
On the obverse of this highly symbolic coin is the head of Arethousa, a local goddess of Syracuse who fled from mainland Greece and arose on the site as a freshwater fountain. Four dolphins swim around her, suggesting Syracuse’s humble beginnings as a small island colony. On the reverse, a racing four-horse chariot recalls Syracuse’s past victories in Panhellenic games.- {{cite web|title=Tetradrachm: Quadriga (obverse); Head of Arethousa (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=c. 467–440 BCE|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.976