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Year published: 2012

Portraying Mythology. The Image of Myth on Ancient Coins

The bilingual publication Portraying Mythology. The Image of Myth on Ancient Coins presents 39 coins from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection. It showcases the representations of myth on ancient coins. Reference is made to the 12 Olympian gods, secondary deities, heroes and mythological stories, the myths of Crete, mythical creatures and objects.

Publication details
  • Edited by: Dimitra Tsangari
  • Language: Bilingual (Greek/English)
  • Year published: 2008

What the publication includes

The bilingual publication Portraying Mythology. The Image of Myth on Ancient Coins looks at the representations of myth on ancient coins. It presents 39 coins from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection.

The image of Myth

Ancient Greek mythology is a timeless mental product of enormous value. It has fascinated and mentally shaped people through the ages.

Mythological stories started out as oral tradition. They gradually acquired specific representations so that people who saw them would recognise them. An exciting world with gods, heroes and mythical creatures inspired the artists of antiquity, even coin engravers.

These depictions open up a path to explore the past. The coins, these daily-use objects, become carriers of various messages and information. Many times they turn into exquisite works of art.

This publication is linked to the publication Myth and Coinage. Representations, Symbolisms and Interpretations from the Greek Mythology that accompanied the same-titled exhibition in 2011.

Edited by: Dimitra Tsangari
Publisher: Alpha Bank
Place and time: Athens, 2008
Dimensions: 30 x 21 cm
Pages: 25
Cover type: Paperback