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Year published: 2014

The Europe of Greece. Colonies and Coins from the Alpha Bank Collection

The publication The Europe of Greece. Colonies and Coins from the Alpha Bank Collection accompanied the same-titled exhibition hosted at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. It presents the 2nd Greek colonisation in Europe and the widely spread use of coins. The publication includes coins of Greek colonies and ancient artefacts. Most of the exhibits come from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection.

Publication details
  • Author: Dimitra Tsangari
  • Language: Greek, English
  • Year published: 2014

What the publication includes

The publication The Europe of Greece. Colonies and Coins from the Alpha Bank Collection presents the historical framework and the myths relating to the 2nd Greek colonisation.

It includes the ancient coins of 39 Greek colonies founded in today’s Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. It also includes original photographs of the colonies, 53 ancient artefacts from 5 museums in Greece and 5 abroad, 93 ancient coins from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection and 2 ancient coins from the Numismatic Museum of Athens.

The catalogue of a major exhibition

The publication accompanied the exhibition “The Europe of Greece. Colonies and Coins from the Alpha Bank Collection” hosted by the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki in 2015.

Wandering in ancient Greek colonies

The preface of the publication includes a map and a graphic tree representation of the network of metropolises and colonies. The presentation of the Greek colonisation is structured in 3 sections:

  1. Adventure and challenge, identity and homecoming – The publication presents the historical framework of colonisation, the myths that emerged, the role of the Oracle of Delphi and oracles in general. It also includes urban and housing parameters required to establish a colony, as well as the basic principles of coinage in colonies.

  2. New homelands – The publication presents 15 Greek colonies in Southern Italy and 11 in Sicily, the colonies in south-western Europe and 2 colonies on the Illyrian coast. The section concludes with 8 Greek colonies in the Black Sea founded in today’s Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

  3. The Greeks and the others – The publication presents Phoenician colonisation, the multi-layered encounter of the Greeks with the Celts and their coins, which were minted according to the principles of Greek coinage.

Annex

The publication presents the museographical design and architectural study by loopoSTUDiO which prepared the same-titled exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.

Edited by: Dimitra Tsangari
Publisher: Alpha Bank
Place and time: Athens, 2014
Dimensions: 30 x 23 cm
Pages: 335
Cover type: Hardcover, Paperback
Greek ISBN: 978-618-5072-06-3
English ISBN: 978-618-5072-05-6