★ The poet Anakreon ★

IONIA. Teos. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Assarion (Bronze, 21 mm, 5.17 g, 7 h), Geg..., magistrate. Bearded and draped bust of Poseidon to right; before, dolphin twisted around trident. Rev. ЄΠ ΓЄΓ ANAK THIΩN The poet Anakreon seated to right, playing lyre set on his knee. BMC 59. SNG Copenhagen 1503. Very rare. Good fine.

The famous poet Anakreon was native to Teos, but he fled Ionia in circa 544 BC together with a large part of the city's population to escape Persian supremacy. Moving to Thrace, the emigrants founded the city of Abdera, but Anakreon soon left again to serve as the court poet of the tyrants Polykrates of Samos and Hipparchos of Athens. He eventually died in Athens in 495 BC, aged 85, allegedly by choking on a grape.