Ancient Greek, Hellenistic Bronze Coin pendant - Dichalkon of Athena (No reserve price)

Golden silver pendant with an Athena coin. How did the goddess of wisdom inspire the inhabitants of the ancient Greek world to attain wealth?

Well, thanks to her achievements described in mythology, which she attained with the complicity of an owl with large yellow eyes, a symbol of skill and vigilance—successes that the priests proclaimed—in this way, the teacher of strategic warfare taught men to fight with intelligence and skill.

Additionally, she was also a skilled spinner and protector of heroes. Her favorite? Ulysses, whom mythology recounts that Athena inspired to build the wooden horse with which the Greeks defeated the Trojans.

She is perhaps one of the most valuable deities of the 12 from the Greek pantheon, who, with her spear and shield, is considered a protector of cities.

Now, when someone asks you, 'And what is that pendant you're wearing?' you can say that it is a bronze coin of Athena minted more than two thousand years ago in Pergamon (modern-day Turkey) between 150 and 100 BC, and that it bears the images of two figures from Greek mythology. Just imagine:

On the obverse, Athena facing to the right, goddess of wisdom and patroness of Athens, with an open helmet decorated on the side and a central crest.

And on the reverse side, an owl, a symbol of philosophy and knowledge, standing on a palm leaf, facing forward with wings open, and the inscription: 'ΑΘΗΝΑΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ' (of Athens, victorious).

And that dark pearl gray color is the patina that time has given it.

She was also revered elsewhere, in addition to being a protector of the arts and craftsmanship, with remarkable achievements in the city of Pergamum. As Athens sought prestige, it enhanced its library to the point that the demand for books eventually led to the creation of a colossal scroll industry.

And more importantly, it generated a lucrative network of specialized trade in its sale, being the leading exporter in the ancient world until the Middle Ages; hence its name Pérgamo-pergamino.

The fact is, the library owed much of its content to Flavia Melitene, a woman of a city councilor, who had the ability to understand that cultural prestige also lies in the details; therefore:

- placed inside it a statue of Emperor Hadrian;

He donated another reading room to the healthcare center 'Asclepeión', on the outskirts of Pergamon.

And how did it rival the prestige of the Great Library of Alexandria? In fact, with an intelligent strategy, differentiating itself and investing more in quality than in quantity.


This is how, thanks to Athena's ingenious knowledge, it became the second most important, with a library of 200,000 manuscripts on Stoic philosophy, art history, topography, etc., instead of competing with the more than 400,000 scrolls of literary works, philology, etc., which was what Egypt offered.


Ultimately, a civilization that influenced subsequent events in humanity through a timeless and unique jewel, with a story you can tell to anyone who naturally notices it to spark an ingenious conversation that is unlikely to occur with contemporary jewelry.


Disclaimer: I am sending this item from Spain via registered mail with a tracking number. If you receive it in an area with a special tax regime, your local customs might hold it while you pay any applicable fees, and this, as the seller, is beyond my control.