Classical Hemidrachm of Thebes

426 BCE-395 BCE

1/2 in. x 1/2 in. x 1/8 in. (1.3 cm x 1.3 cm x 0.32 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Classical - Refers to an ancient Greek style and period that begins around 480 BCE, when the Greek city-states defeated the Persian invaders, and ends around 323 BCE, with the death of Alexander the Great. It is characterized by the rebuilding of cities after the Persian wars, the flourishing of philosophy, drama, architecture, sculpture, painting, and the other arts. In the visual arts, it is known for the mastery of the human form and sophistication of architectural design.
• clubs - General term for percussive weapons typically consisting of a staff of wood, metal, or other hard, heavy material, often carrying a head of stone or metal, wielded by hand as striking weapons.
• coins - Pieces of metal stamped by government authority for use as money.
• incuse - Use to describe a design or part of one, as on coins, that is rendered in intaglio rather than in relief.
• kantharoi - Ancient Greek drinking vessels featuring a deep, footed bowl set on a tall footed stem and two vertical side handles extending from the bottom of the vessel to the rim. The kantharos is intimately associated with the wine god Dionysos, who is often depicted on vases holding a kantharos of type A or a rhyton.
• shields - General term for armor pieces carried in the hand or on the arm, used to parry an opponent's blows or provide shelter from projectiles. They have existed worldwide throughout history in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials.
• silver - Pure metallic element having symbol Ag and atomic number 47; a malleable, ductile, white metal with characteristic sheen, considered a precious metal. Silver is widely distributed throughout the world, occurring rarely as metallic silver (in Peru, Norway) but more often as silver-gold alloys and silver ore. Today silver is obtained as a byproduct in the refinement of gold, lead, copper, or zinc ores. Silver was smelted from the ore galena as early as 3800 BCE. As a pure metal, silver is second to gold in malleability and ductility, can be polished to a highly reflective surface, and used -- typically in an alloy -- in jewelry, coinage, photography, mirrors, electrical contacts, and tableware.