DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45275#0025
ATTICA.
xx i
lie may liave put into the form of coin at the Eretrian mint, and
claiming as he did the tyranny of Athens and the divine protection
of the goddess Athena, it would be natural that he should continue
to make use of the Athenian types. On such a hypothesis we could
account for the resemblance which I have remarked between some
of these coins and certain tetradrachms of Eretria (cf. pl. ii. 7 with
Cat. Cent. Gr., pl. xxii. 6). Whether the more frequent use of the
earlier form of the theta © on these pieces is due to the fact that it
lingered longer in use in this part of Greece than in Attica, as we
know it didin the neighbouring Boeotia downtoB.C. 426 (Cat. Cent.
Gr. pp. 76-72, pl. xii. 1-8), I leave palaeographists to decide.
Although therefore no hard and fast line can be drawn between
the Solonian coinage and that of Pisistratus, still there is a very
well marked difference in style between the earlier and the later
coins, both of which fall, as here classed, into the period of upwards
of 60 years which elapsed between the commencement of the
Athenian coinage under Solon and its reform, which took place
probably in the time of Hippias, b.c. 527-510.
That Hippias is thought to have reformed the coinage of Athens
we have already seen. He demonetized the exist-
Supposed recoin¬
ing coinage, calling it all in at a valuation, and then.
after an assembly had been summoned for the
purpose of agreeing upon a new type, to αύτο αργύρων. Taken
in its literal sense, these words imply that Hippias had recourse to
an expedient for raising money which was not unworthy of The-
mistocles, but, if τό αυτό αργύρων can be taken to signify the same
amount of silver money, and not necessarily the identical coins
which had been called in, then we may suppose that this proceeding
was not merely a cunning device for replenishing the exchequer
of the tyrant, but that it was at the same time, and perhaps mainly,
undertaken with the object of restoring the currency.
Possibly, as there was no alteration in the main features of the
xx i
lie may liave put into the form of coin at the Eretrian mint, and
claiming as he did the tyranny of Athens and the divine protection
of the goddess Athena, it would be natural that he should continue
to make use of the Athenian types. On such a hypothesis we could
account for the resemblance which I have remarked between some
of these coins and certain tetradrachms of Eretria (cf. pl. ii. 7 with
Cat. Cent. Gr., pl. xxii. 6). Whether the more frequent use of the
earlier form of the theta © on these pieces is due to the fact that it
lingered longer in use in this part of Greece than in Attica, as we
know it didin the neighbouring Boeotia downtoB.C. 426 (Cat. Cent.
Gr. pp. 76-72, pl. xii. 1-8), I leave palaeographists to decide.
Although therefore no hard and fast line can be drawn between
the Solonian coinage and that of Pisistratus, still there is a very
well marked difference in style between the earlier and the later
coins, both of which fall, as here classed, into the period of upwards
of 60 years which elapsed between the commencement of the
Athenian coinage under Solon and its reform, which took place
probably in the time of Hippias, b.c. 527-510.
That Hippias is thought to have reformed the coinage of Athens
we have already seen. He demonetized the exist-
Supposed recoin¬
ing coinage, calling it all in at a valuation, and then.
after an assembly had been summoned for the
purpose of agreeing upon a new type, to αύτο αργύρων. Taken
in its literal sense, these words imply that Hippias had recourse to
an expedient for raising money which was not unworthy of The-
mistocles, but, if τό αυτό αργύρων can be taken to signify the same
amount of silver money, and not necessarily the identical coins
which had been called in, then we may suppose that this proceeding
was not merely a cunning device for replenishing the exchequer
of the tyrant, but that it was at the same time, and perhaps mainly,
undertaken with the object of restoring the currency.
Possibly, as there was no alteration in the main features of the