Ancient Greek Money and Coins

Michael Lahanas

Αρχαία Εληνικά Νομίσματα

Barbarians are not beauty-lovers; they are money-lovers. Lucian (120-190 AD) The Hall. Who are these Barbarians, are the Romans included with their Pecunia non olet (assumed to be said by the Emperor Vespasian) ?

Oikos a Greek word for "house, habitation" from which the word ecumene is derived "the inhabited world " and economy (oikonomia) (household management)


Money in form of coins is as strange as sounds one of the main reasons for the scientific revolution that started in the Ionian Greek islands. It abstracted the value of commodities or objects in exchange and helped to initiate a new mode of abstract thinking. It also was important for political changes: from the aristocratic to the system of tyrants (often wealthy persons) and then to the democratic system.

Development of the Athenian Silver Tetradrachma and the Greek 1 Euro version today (Designer: G.Stamatopoulos). Athena and the Owl (Who brings owls to Athens? Aristophanes Birds (an expression for something totally unnecessary ))

TIMELINE

Around 600 BC Greeks adopt Coins Idea from Lydia. The first Coins from Lydia were made in the 7th century BC from electrum a mixture of silver and gold. The shape of the coins was irregular with a picture on only one side.

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