[Leica] [IMG] Saving the Western World - Douglas

[John Nebel]

Thanks Douglas, ancient coins do provide a motivation for discovering 
what they are about, which can lead down interesting pathways.  John

On 5/20/15 6:27 PM, Douglas Barry wrote:
> Fascinating, John. You seem to have quite a collection.
>
> Douglas
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Nebel" <john.nebel at csdco.com>
> To: "lug >> Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 9:11 PM
> Subject: [Leica] [IMG] Saving the Western World
>
>
>> <http://photos.csd.net/athens_s_gi.html>
>>
>> Tetradrachm 483-480 BC
>> O: Athena wearing a crested Corinthian helmet
>> R: Owl, olive branch left, ΑΘΕ right, Α off the flan
>>
>> By 483 BC, the Athenians had discovered a new, large silver deposit in
>> their Laurion mines.   One foresighted Athenian, Themistokles,
>> persuaded the Athenian assembly that the newly mined silver should be
>> used to pay for expansion of their navy. He knew the Persians were
>> planning an invasion, although he used a local adversary, the
>> Aeginetans as a more immediate and publicly acceptable reason for the
>> naval expansion. As a result of Themistocles's persuasion, the
>> Athenian navy was increased by 200 ships, triremes, three banks of
>> oars, each ship to be manned by a crew of 200.
>>
>> In 480 BC, under the command of Xerxes, the Great King, an immense
>> Persian army and navy invaded the fiercely independent collection of
>> city-states comprising the Greek world. Cities surrendered, often
>> without a fight, but a few stood fast, allied with the Spartans and
>> Athenians.  A crack contingent of Spartans had been destroyed at
>> Thermopylai and the Persians prepared to invade Athens although the
>> Greek tenacity at Thermopylai had surprised Xerxes. The Athenians
>> panicked, and again Themistokles intervened.  He convinced his fellow
>> Athenians that a Pythian oracle advising them to seek refuge within
>> wooden walls must be interpreted that the Athenians should take refuge
>> in their triremes, ships of wood, which most indeed did.
>>
>> Herodotus 7.143-4
>>
>> "But a wall made of wood does farsighted Zeus to Tritogenes (Athena)
>> grant
>> Alone and unravaged, to help you and your children.
>> Do not await peacefully the horse and the foot,
>> The army gigantic that comes from the mainland;
>> Withdraw, turn your backs, though someday you still will meet face to
>> face"
>>
>> Athens was abandoned by its citizens, transported to safety in her
>> ships, soon afterwards invaded and sacked by the Persians.
>>
>> The Persian navy pursued the Athenian and allied cities' ships,
>> thinking them cornered, and Themistokles intervened yet again,
>> persuading again with trickery, this time that the allied navy must
>> fight the Persians rather than run, ultimately resulting in a decisive
>> Greek naval victory at Salamis. The Persian defeat was viewed
>> personally by Xerxes, watching from a throne on a nearby hilltop.
>> Xerxes fully expected to be entertained by viewing a slaughter of the
>> Greeks, thereby bloodily demonstrating his absolute power. Instead,
>> Xerxes fearing for his life after the naval defeat, fled to Asia
>> leaving behind only part of his army, the remaining men commanded by
>> Mardonius, who, the next spring was killed with much of the remaining
>> Persian force at the decisive infantry battle of Plataia.
>>
>> The allied navy and its victory at Salamis was the turning point, the
>> Persian invasion had been stopped, the west had been saved from
>> Persian domination. The coin shown is part of the emergency coinage of
>> the Laurion silver used to pay for constructing and manning the
>> Athenians' ships.
>>
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