Obverse
Obverse legend : ANÉPIGRAPHE.
Obverse description : Tête diadémée d’Héra à droite, les cheveux longs avec boucle d’oreille et collier.
Reverse
Reverse description : Masque de lion de face.
Reverse legend : KLEITOFWN.
Reverse translation : (Keitophon).
Historical background
IONIA - IONIAN ISLANDS - SAMOS
(3rd - 2nd century BC)
The town of Samos was located southeast of the island of Samos. Pythagoras was of Samian descent. She joined the League of Delos from its creation in 478/477 BC.. -VS. Its contribution consisted in the provision of ships for the League. Samos revolted against Athenian hegemony in 441-440 BC. -VS. and Pericles came to besiege the city which did not surrender until 439 BC. -VS. During the Peloponnesian War, Samos was the main Athenian naval base. In 411 BC. -VS. , the Samians remained faithful to democracy after the Coup of the 400s in Athens. Rhodes, founded in 409 BC. -VS. , will now be its biggest rival. At the fall of Athens, Sparta replaces it. In 390 BC. -VS. , the Spartan fleet is captured by the Athenians. After the Peace of the Great King (Antalcidas), in 387 BC. -VS. , the city finds a certain prosperity. A second league is reconstituted in 378-377 BC. -VS. but, in 365 BC. -VS. , Thimothée seizes Samos and replaces the inhabitants by a cleruchy (Athenian colony). In 322 BC. -VS. Perdiccas restores Samos in its integrity. After Couroupédion in 281 BC. -VS. , Samos entered the orbit of Ptolemy I, then the city often changed hands, passing from the Lagids to the Seleucids and vice versa before being occupied by Philip V of Macedonia in 201 BC. -VS. The city then passed under Rhodian domination before being integrated into the kingdom of Pergamon after the peace of Apamea.. The island was occupied by Aristonikos before being integrated into the province of Asia under Roman administration.