Coin of of Syracuse under Pyrrhos c. 278

Editor: Here we have a coin of Syracuse under Pyrrhos, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The artist is Pyrrhos of Epiros himself. It feels like holding a small piece of ancient history! What stories do you think this coin whispers to us? Curator: Ah, the silent stories of a coin! Well, it speaks to the ambition of Pyrrhos, a king who dreamt of empires. I see the wear and tear, the fading image—it's a tangible link to the past, to hands that bartered and traded. Do you notice the figure on the reverse? Editor: Yes, I think it looks like a deity. Zeus, perhaps? Curator: Perhaps. Or Nike, goddess of victory. Pyrrhos was quite the conqueror, though a little too fond of the phrase "one more such victory will undo me." I find the coin fascinating. It reminds me that even in the smallest of objects, history breathes. Editor: So true! It's amazing how a simple coin can open up such a wide world. Thanks for sharing your insight!