PONTUS. Heracleopolis (as Sebastopolis). Septimius Severus, 193-211. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 27 mm, 12.17 g, 5 h), CY 208 = 205/6. [ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Λ CЄΠΤ CЄΟΥΗΡΟC AY] Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus to right. Rev. CЄΒΑCΤΟΠ ΗΡΑΚΛ[ЄΟΠΟ] / [ЄΤ] HC Herakles wrestling the Cretan Bull. RG 6 var. (differing bust type). Voegtli 4o. Rare. Some deposits and the reverse struck slightly off center, otherwise, good fine.


For his seventh labor, Eurystheus tasked Herakles with fetching the Cretan Bull. This bull had been sent by Poseidon out of the sea to King Minos in order that the latter might sacrifice it to him, but the animal was of such beauty that Minos decided to keep it for himself and sacrifice another. Thus slighted, Poseidon drove the bull mad and inflicted Minos' wife, Pasiphaë, with an incurable lust for the animal, which would eventually lead to the birth of the Minotaur. Herakles, for his part, received no aid from Minos, but still managed to subdue the Bull, bringing it back to Eurystheus. Afterwards, he let it loose again, and the Bull ravaged Greece until it was slain by Theseus.