Stater (Coin) Depicting a Horseman
380-345 BCE
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
5744
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The front (obverse) of this coin depicts a nude horseman galloping to the left, holding a shield. The back (reverse) depicts Taras, nude, riding on a dolphin to the left. The boy riding the dolphin on this coin represents Taras, the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. According to the founding myth of the city of Taras (Tarentum), when Taras was lost at sea, a dolphin rescued him and deposited him on the shore of Calabria in Italy, where the city of Taras grew and prospered. When this coin was...
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...