Tetradrachm from Thasos

A coin struck on the island of Thasos. The front face features the head of Dionysus in profile and the back face shows Heracles, surrounded by the words ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ, ΘΑΣΙΩΝ and ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ. There is a hole near the edge.

In addition to Dionysus, the cult of Heracles was strong in Thasos. There was a large temple of Heracles in the northern part of the island, and the back face of the coin probably refers to this. ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ may refer to a place called Sotiros on the island of Thasos. This coin shows us how several gods were worshipped even on smaller islands. Even if a certain god or goddess was a special patron of the city, this did not mean that they were the only god worshipped. Heracles was generally a popular hero and god in the ancient Greek city-states. He is easily recognisable by his club and, in this case, by his name on the coin itself.