EGYPT. Alexandria. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Drachm (Bronze, 34 mm, 22.21 g, 12 h), RY 4 = 140/1. ΑΥΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ ЄΥϹ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Antoninus Pius to right, seen from behind. Rev. [L Δ] Herakles and the horses of Diomedes: Herakles standing left, nude but for lion's skin over his right shoulder and billowing out behind him, holding the bridle of one of the horses of Diomedes with his left hand and prepares to strike it with his club in his right hand, fallen horse before him on the ground; behind Herakles, forepart of Diomedes laying face down. Dattari (Savio) -. Emmett -, cf. 1552.5-6. K&G -, cf. 35.142. Milne 1715. RPC IV.4 online 246. Voegtli p. 33 and pls. 5d, 12l. Very rare. Somewhat rough and with minor deposits, otherwise, very fine.



Herakles’ eighth labor, assigned to him by King Eurystheus of Tiryns, was to capture the flesh-eating mares of King Diomedes of Thrace and bring them back. On this coin, he is depicted about to club one of the beasts, while another lies behind, already stunned. Several versions of the myth exist, but the most common holds that the mares fed on human flesh, becoming wildly excited and dangerous to anyone nearby. Herakles captured them by first feeding them their owner, King Diomedes; once satiated, the mares grew docile, allowing Herakles to bind their mouths and deliver them to Eurystheus. Eurystheus, in turn, dedicated the mares to Hera - Zeus’s wife and queen of the Greek pantheon - who, in her jealousy, had set Eurystheus the task of assigning Herakles his labors. As an interesting aside, it was claimed in antiquity that Alexander the Great’s famous horse, Bukephalos, was descended from one of Diomedes’ mares.