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Description
Gold coins minted by Pyrrhus king of Epirus during the final stage of his campaign in Sicily have on the reverse the image of Nike bearing a trophy and holding an oak wreath. The trophy consists of a corselet cuirass and a thyreos-type shield with a central reinforcing ridge. Recent analysis has linked this iconography to the memory of Pyrrhus’ victory at Heraclea Lucaniae. The iconography seen on the golden staters and half-staters minted at Syracusae has been compared to two terracotta figurines from the inventory of a grave in a garden near the church dedicated to San Francesco di Paola in the urban area of the city of Taras. Here, we propose to relate the image of Nike bearing a trophy, including a thyreos-type shield, to the imagery dating to the eastern campaigns of Pyrrhus in Italy and Sicily.
