5 RARE ANCIENT GREEK COINS-THRACE-MARONEIA-450-350 BC
Coins and Paper Money :: Coins: Ancient :: Greek
5 RARE ANCIENT GREEK COINS-THRACE-MARONEIA-450-350 BCFROM PLACE/TIME RANGE CLOSE TO KING LEONIDAS & 300
III RPH III PRESENTING LOT OF 5 RARE ANCIENT GREEK COINS- THRACE, MARONEIA (450-350 BC), F/GFObverse: Horse prancing right, monogram below.Reverse: Inscription MAR WNI TWN around linear square containing vineSIZES: 3 - 14 mm; 12 mm, 13 mm SO I WANTED TO TELL YOU, THAT THIS COIN FROM TERRITORY IN ANCIENT GREECE, PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT PLACE AND TIME RANGE, WHERE FAMOUS BATTLE AT THERMOPYLAE HAPPENED. SPARTAN KING LEONIDAS I WITH 300 SPARTAN TROOPS(and 5-6 thousand Greeks from surrounding territories, on a first day of a battle) FOUGHT TO THE DEATH TRYING TO STOP INVASION OF PERSIAN KING XERXES WITH 350000 OR MORE TROOPS. WHO WATCHED THAT MOVIE "300", THEY KNOW THE STORY. WHO DID NOT - BRIEF STORY AT THE END OF DESCRIPTION, OR SEARCH NET. BUT ALSO I AND MANY BELIEVE, THAT BATTLE HAD HUGE IMPACT ON THE FUTURE COURSE OF HISTORY OF OUR CIVILIZATION. BECAUSE ONE YEAR LATER INSPIRED GREECE UNITED AND DEFEATED OUTNUMBERED ARMY OF XERXES AND PREVENTED INVASION TO THE WEST EUROPE. AND GREECE STAYED FREE AND UNITED, AND ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND ALL THOSE FAMOUS PEOPLE WERE BORN AND ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE REST. IF NOT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD NOW. DO NOT YOU THINK SO? SO HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET THIS COIN. FROM PLACE AND TIME RANGE CLOSE TO THAT, WHEN AND WHERE THOSE REAL HEROES LIVED AND FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE, SO WE MIGHT LIVE TODAY? MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM THE THRACE WAS INVOLVED. WHO KNOWS. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND BIDDING :-) SHIPPING AND HANDLING COST: FIRST CLASS MAIL - USA- $5.99(insured); WORLDWIDE - $6.99 WE DO COMBINE ITEMS FOR SHIPPING DISCOUNT. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE ITEM - $2.99, UP TO 5 IN ONE SHIPMENT. All items are unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine, authentic and as presented, pictured. HERE IS BRIEF STORY ABOUT THE HEROES In 480 BC the Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece with nearly 1.8 million men at arms (so Herodotus tells us, although the figure may have been closer to 300, 000 fighting men) and an armada of nearlya thousand ships . After marching across Thrace he turned south and prepared to engage a small force of Greeks, under the leadership of the Spartan king Leonidas, at a narrow pass called Thermopylae (The Hot Gates). Herodotus writes that the Greeks had chosen this pass because the terrain was unsuitable for cavalry charges and because it was narrow enough to be defended by a small force. Estimates of the path's width vary but most authorities believe that it was about 21 meters wide at the Middle Gate. The Greeks fortified an old wall that the Phokians had originally built (to defend themselves against attacks from the north) and positioned themselves in front and behind this wall. It is unclear how many Greek troops initially fought at Thermopylae (again estimates range from 5,200-6, 000), but we do know that those who eventually defended the pass to the end comprised of what remained of the original 300 Spartans (and their helots) under Leonidas and a contingent of seven hundred Thespians. Four hundred Thebans were also involved in the fighting but they surrendered tothe Persians before the end of the battle, on the third day. Thus, the total number who survived two days of fighting and remained behind to defend the pass could not have been more than 1500. The battle raged fiercely for two full days and the Persians made little progress against the Greeks. Bodies lay everywhere and the battle often took place over the dead and dying. Eventually, a local by the name of Ephialtes, hoping for a rich reward, informed Xerxes of a path that led over the mountain of Kallidromos, up a pass called Anopaia and down and around the rear of the Greek forces. Herodotus informs us that the Immortals (probably closer to 9000 who survived after two days of fighting) led by Hydarnes set out on the evening of the second day of the battle (at about the time of the lighting of the lamps), probably around 9 pm, and marched all night until dawn when they came upon a force of a thousand Phokian troops (around 5 am) who were guarding the path. A short skirmish ensued and the Phokians, who were caught by surprise, and against superior odds, scattered. Most retreated to a craggy mountain top where they determined to make a final stand while others were probably sent away as messengers back to Thermopylae. After regrouping, the Persians pressed on and arrived behind the Greek lines some time in mid morning, probably around 10 am. Their arrival could not have been much earlier than this time because Herodotus tells us that Xerxes had decided to delay his attack on that fateful day (probably because he intended to coordinate his assault with the arrival of the Immortals). After the battle had been in progress for some time, the Greeks were informed that Hydarnes and his Immortals were amassing at the rear, on the road from the village of Alpenoi. Since the Phokian wall was no longer defensible the remaining Spartans and Thespians retreated to a hillock immediately behind the wall where they resolved to make their last stand. About this time the Thebans surrendered to the Persians. Surrounded, and badly outnumbered, the Greeks died fighting to the last man. The battle may have been over well before noon. Picture of the battle site and the surrounding area. Dark lines indicate possible routes taken by Hydarnes and the Immortals Various estimates put the Greek losses at Thermopylae to between two and three thousand while the Persians may have lost as many as twenty thousand men. The bodies of the Greeks who died at Thermopylae were buried in this hillock, where they made their final stand, and the following lines were inscribed on a tablet, ( a modern version of which may be seen today) over their grave, in honor of the fallen Spartans: "O stranger passing by,go tell the Lacedaemonians that here,faithful to their bidding, we lie" Commentary While the battle was technically won by the Persians, it was a great moral victory for the Greeks. It helped to stiffen Greek resolve against the invader and served to rally many Greek city states which, until that point, were wavering as to which side to support. More importantly, Thermopylae served to demonstrate Greek resolve and the superiority of Greek armour and tactics, even against overwhelming odds. The battle had a demoralizing effect on the Persians and their allies and this may well have contributed to their defeat at Plataea, a year later. A year later, in 479 BC, the combined forces (about 50, 000 men, Herodotus notwithstanding) of several Greek cities, including a contingent of about five thousand Spartans under Pausanias, soundly defeated a force of over one hundred thousand Persians at the battle of Plataea. This decisive battle, together with the naval victory at Salamis, ended all Persian ambitions of conquest in Greece, and the west. In fact, some argue that it may have changed the future course of history for all of western civilization. On Sep-16-07 at 12:07:34 PDT, seller added the following information: Sellers Add a Map Counter to Your Listings. Fast. Simple. Powered by eBay Turbo Lister | ||||||||||||
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