Cilicia. Soloi - Pompeiopolis circa 200-100 BC.
Bronze Æ

17 mm, 5,42 g

Helmeted head of Athena right / ΣΟΛΕΩΝ, Dionysos standing left, holding kantharos and thyrsos; to left, monogram above owl.

Very Fine

SNG France 1201-2 var. (monogram); CNG E-230, lot 126.

Ex Numismatik Naumann Auction 48, Lot 282. Dionysus, also known as Dionysos, is a prominent figure in Greek mythology. He is the god of wine, fertility, theater, and religious ecstasy. Dionysus is often depicted with a thyrsus, a staff adorned with ivy leaves and a pine cone, and he is associated with revelry and the wild, primal aspects of human nature. His worship involved the consumption of wine and vibrant, ecstatic rituals, making him a symbol of both joy and liberation from societal norms. The Dionysia festival, which included dramatic competitions and plays, was dedicated to him, and his influence extended to Roman culture, where he was known as Bacchus. Dionysus embodies the dichotomy between civilization and the untamed forces of nature, and his mythology explores themes of ecstasy and transformation.