Aeolis, Myrina

Aeolis, Myrina Tetradrachm circa 165-150, 32mm, AR 16.55 g. Laureate head of Apollo r. Rev. Apollo of Grynium standing r., holding phiale and laurel branch. All within laurel wreath. Sacks 71a (this coin). Lovely iridescent tone and extremely fine Ex Naville X, 1925 fmr. Baron Alexandre De Petrowicz lot 667; Hess 207, 1931, 402 and Auctiones 20, 1992, 402. Ex NAC Auction 84 Part II Lot 1532 May 21, 2015 Naville catalog ref plates: http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/kundig_naville1925_06_15/0154/scroll?sid=d97002a4bb6c3192d3ef66d4fbb505e7 Special thanks to Phil Davis for his services. GRYNIUM or GRYNIA (Γρύνιον, Γρύνεια: Eth. Γρυνεύς), one of the Aeolian cities in Asia Minor, 40 stadia from Myrina, and 70 from Elaea. In the early times the town was independent, but afterwards became subject to Myrina. It contained a sanctuary of Apollo with an ancient oracle and a splendid temple of white marble. (Hdt. 1.149; Strab. xiii. p.622; Verg. Ecl. 6.72, Aen. 4.345; Plin. Nat. 5.32, 32.21; Steph. B. sub voce Γρύνοι; Paus. 1.21.9; Scylax, p. 37.) Xenophon (Xenoph. Hell. 3.1.6) mentions Grynium as belonging to Gongylus of Eretria; and it is possible that the castrum Grunium in Phrygia, from which Alcibiades derived an income of 50 talents was the town of Grynium. (Nep. Alcib. 9.) Parmenio took the town by assault, and sold its inhabitants as slaves, after which the place seems to have decayed. (Diod. 17.7.) [L.S]