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Transcript No. 971
June 24, 1996
HERCULES, ANCIENT STRONG MAN, ON COINS
by Kerry Wetterstrom
From Atlas to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the strong-man has always been
viewed with admiration and awe. Perhaps the most honored of all was that
hero of myth and movies, Hercules.
Today, we'll mention the many coins which feature the image of
Hercules.
Alexander the Great chose a bust of Hercules for the front of his
standard silver coin, the tetradrachm. Other ancient Greek rulers, and
cities as well, placed Hercules on their coins. Most often, Hercules is
shown naked, holding his two trademarks: a club, and a lion skin he earned
by clubbing and then strangling a monstrous lion sent by Hera. Hera was
jealous of Hercules because he was the illegitimate child of her husband,
Zeus, the greatest of all the gods.
The Egyptian city of Alexandria issued a rare series of bronze coins
showing Hercules and scenes from his monumental "Twelve Labors." These
coins were issued in Egypt while it was under the control of the Roman
emperor Antoninus Pius. Perhaps Hercules was a personal hero and role-
model for the emperor.
Part of Hercules' appeal to ancient society was the fact that he
became a demigod. Physical strength helped Hercules achieve his position.
Because of all the deeds he performed in his lifetime, Hercules was able to
go from being a mere mortal to a god . . . a goal sought by most people in
ancient times, and more than a few today.
Modern heroes like Schwarzenegger show that the strong-man is still an
important part of our culture today. Is there a commemorative coin in
Arnold's future? Doubtful, maybe--but not impossible!
Today's program was written by Kerry Wetterstrom and underwritten by
COINS magazine, providing its readers with the latest news on the U-S coin
market. "Money Talks" is a copyrighted production of the American
Numismatic Association, 818 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903,
719/632-2646, ana@money.org, http://www.money.org.