The ragged flan on this coin from Leukas caught my eye, plus Pegasos and the Chimaera, but the bonus was the rudder. It is only the second rudder I've found on an ancient. I didn't find a coin with Pegasos and the Chimaera facing left on Wildwinds, but there were two on ACSearch. The first had an astralagos in the exergue, the second had a rudder in the exergue and a similar ragged flan to the OP coin.
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2198811 There were no other coins from Leukas found with a rudder.
From Strabo's Geography:
"If we begin from the entrance of the Ambracian Gulf, the first place we meet with in Acarnania is Actium. The temple of Apollo Actius has the same name as the promontory, which forms the entrance of the Gulf, and has a harbour on the outside. At the distance of 40 stadia from the temple is Anactorium, situated on the Gulf; and at a distance of 140 stadia is Leucas."
"This was anciently a peninsula belonging to the territory of the Acarnanians. The poet calls it the coast of Epirus, meaning by Epirus the country on the other side of Ithaca, and Cephallenia, which country is Acarnania; so that by the words of the poet,
"the coast of Epirus"We must understand the coast of Acarnania."
"To Leucas also belonged Neritus, which Laertes said he took--
"as when I was chief of the Cephallenans, and took Nericus, a well-built city, on the coast of Epirus,"
and the cities which he mentions in the catalogue,
"and they who inhabited Crocyleia, and the rugged Ægilips."But the Corinthians who were despatched by Cypselus and Gorgus, obtained possession of this coast, and advanced as far as the Ambracian Gulf. Ambracia and Anactorium were both founded. They cut through the isthmus of the peninsula, converted Leucas into an island, transferred Neritus to the spot, which was once, but is now a channel connected with the land by a bridge, and changed the name to Leucas from Leucatas, as I suppose, which is a white rock, projecting from Leucas into the sea towards Cephallenia, so that it might take its name from this circumstance."
"The Piræus having been formerly an island, and lying off the shore, is said to have thus received its name. Leucas, on the contrary, has been made an island by the Corinthians, who cut through the isthmus which connected with the shore [of the mainland]. It is concerning this place that Laertes is made to say,
"Oh that I possess'd
Such vigour now as when in arms I took
Nericus, continental city fair."Here man devoted his labour to make a separation, in other instances to the construction of moles and bridges."
Strabo also says that at Cape Laukatas, the south end of the island, on the perpendicular cliff overlooking the sea that gives the island its name, are the remains of the Temple of Apollo. It was from this point, according to tradition, that Sappho threw herself.
Akarnania (Acarnania): Leukas (Leucas). c. 350-300 BC. Dichalkon.
Obverse: Bellerophon on Pegasos flying left; Λ below. Reverse: Chimaera (Chimera) on ground-line at bay left; rudder left in exergue. Bronze. Diameter: 16 mm. Weight: 3.27 gr.
Reference: BCD Akarnania 259. BMC 52.
Posted 06/06/2023 11:06 am
