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, 320-270 BCE
Silver
The island of Crete, site of the prehistoric Minoan civilization (3000–1000 BCE) had a colored history when this coin was minted. Homer wrote of the Cretan King Minos, whose wife gave birth to the half-man half-bull Minotaur. At the king’s behest, the craftsman Daedalus designed a labyrinth to contain the creature. The hero Theseus slew the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos. The story of the Minotaur and his labyrinth was cherished on Crete for centuries. The portrayal of the famed labyrinth on this coin shows the enduring nature of cultural mythology.