Coin Depicting the Goddess Athena
after 322 BCE or 220-83 BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
142728
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts the head of the goddess Athena, wearing a Corinthian helmet, facing to the right. On the back (reverse), the god Zeus stands and throws a fulmen (lightening bolt).
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...