Sicily, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. Æ Dilitron, 25mm (20.01 g), 344-317 BC. Timoleontic Symmachy coinage, ca. 339/8-334 BC. ZE[YΣ EΛEY]ΘEPIOΣ, laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios left. Reverse: ΣYPA-K-OΣIΩ-N, horse galloping left. Castrizio series II, 1; CNS 80; SNG ANS 533-41. Lovely green patina. Superb Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $1,500 - UP
After decades of suffering under the tyrants Dionysios I, his son Dionysios II, and Hiketas of Leontinoi, in 344 BC the Syracusans had finally had enough and begged for aid from Corinth, the mother-city of Syracuse. Corinth responded by dispatching Timoleon at the head of a Peloponnesian mercenary army in order to overthrow the tyrants and establish a new democratic constitution. By 343 BC, Timoleon had expelled both Hiketas and Dionysios II and began the work of destroying the symbols of the former tyrannies and restoring constitutional government at Syracuse. However, while Dionysios II had surrendered and quietly went into opulent retirement at Corinth, Hiketas remained at large and called in support from Carthage. Although Hiketas received a great Punic army to sweep him back to power, this was defeated by Timoleon and his much smaller force while attempting to cross the Krimissos River in 339 BC. Having expelled the tyrants, restored good government, and freed Greek Sicily from the Punic menace, Timoleon promptly retired to private life.
Ex Goldberg 117 (15 September 2020), 2011; Roma XVIII (29 September 2019), 533.