Mandibole animali (Aetolia)

[apollonia]

Lega etolica: emistatere Testa del giovane Eracle/Etolia (Gemini IX).

Aetolia. Aetolian League. c. 239-229. Half Stater, 4.30g. (h). Obv: Head of young Herakles right, wearing knotted lion-skin headdress. Border of dots. Rx: AITΩΛΩΝ Aetolia, personified, seated right on a pile of Celtic shields, wearing causia, short chiton, chlamys and endromides, with sword slung around waist; holding spear and wreath-bearing Nike. To right, figure of Artemis running to right, quiver at shoulder. Tsangari, p. 75, 459, pl. 24. BMC 3, pl. XXX, 4 (same dies). Morkholm, EHC, p. 35, 515. Choice EF with luster.
Ex Gemini VI, 10 January 2010, lot 89.
 

The figure of Aetolia sitting on Celtic shields might allude to a votive statue at Delphi, donated by the Aetolians in memory of their victories against the Celtic tribes invading Central Greece from 281 BC on, particularly the rescue of Delphi in 279 BC. Once situated by the rear facade of the temple of Apollo, the statue is now lost, cf. M.F. Courby, La terrasse du temple, Fouilles de Delphes II 1 (Paris 1927), pp. 288-291. The date of the donation is less clear. It is possible that the statue was not erected before 243 BC when the Aetolians started to celebrate the Soteria festivals at Delphi which referred to their victory some 30 years earlier.