A Kinda Scary Monster From Kindya

Buh bye wagon! That didn't last long. Observing the recent Roma auction led to logging in to the Roma auction which led to much clicking. :D

I've admired the type and was delighted to nab this particular example.



KARIA, Kindya
510-480 BC
AR tetrobol, 2.18 gm, 11 mm, Samian standard
Obv: head of ketos right
Rev: geometric pattern within incuse square
Ref: Kagan and Kritt, 'The Coinage of Kindya,' NC 1995, 1 var. (head left); SNG Keckman 920 var. (same); SNG Kayhan 815; "Asyut Hoard" 688
ex Goldberg auction 69 lot 3156, 15 May 2012

There are a couple of possible myths which may be represented by this coin's ketos (sea monster). Because of geography, I suspect it depicts the Trojan sea monster. To summarize, Poseidon sent the monster to terrorize Troy as revenge for a breach of contract. Laomedon didn't pay him for his work building Troy's wall, instead saying it was volunteer work, that Poseidon did the work on his own accord. An oracle proclaimed that sacrificing an occasional maiden was required.

Unfortunately for Laomedon, one year the selected maiden was his daughter, Hesione. Herakles was in the neighborhood and struck a bargain: rescue of Hesione in exchange for a horse formerly owned by Zeus. Hesione was rescued and Laomedon reneged on the deal, which resulted in retaliatory slaying of Laomedon and his sons. (Gang wars, Greek style).

Here's some pottery depicting this rescue of Hesione:



Seeing the coin and this pottery convinced me that the Ketos was based on a killer whale. After all, there is a similar appearance and killer whales do snatch prey from shores, as seen in this gruesome video:



Don't worry, the man was not snatched by Orca-- it was made from footage of killer whales feasting on seals. Somehow I find it harder to watch whales eating cute seals.

Anyhoo, searching revealed that killer whales are not found in the Greek seas so my theory is wrong. "False killer whales" (Pseudorca crassidens) are though, so that's my best guess.



Kindya was in southwestern Anatolia (modern Turkey), southwest of Mylasa. The approximate location is marked with a yellow x below:



The original and larger version of this map is here

Post your Kindyas or sea monsters!