copy, exhibit case layout
Object label written for the reinstallation of the Greek and Roman Galleries of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art.
Unknown artist, Greek
Stater coin, 360-330 BCE
Silver
Arkas was the child of the god Zeus and the mortal Kallisto. Hera, Zeus’s wife, jealously transformed Kallisto into a bear, rendering the newborn Arkas an orphan. On this coin, the messenger god Hermes takes Arkas to be raised by the god’s own mother. In ancient art, Hermes is often depicted not only transporting children to caretakers, but also transporting the dead to the underworld. The die-engraver of this coin did not depict Hermes in flight. Rather, he represented the god’s movement more effectively by portraying him mid-stride on the ground.