archaicwonder:Philoktetes: The Trojan War HeroThis very rare Greek coin from the ancient city of Hom
archaicwonder:Philoktetes: The Trojan War HeroThis very rare Greek coin from the ancient city of Homolion in Thessaly shows the Trojan War hero Philoktetes wearing a pileus with a coiled serpent on the reverse along with the inscription OMOLEIΩN . It was minted circa 360 BC.Philoktetes was the son of the king of Meliboea (map) in Thessaly, and was famous for his friendship with Herakles, whose pyre he lit. Herakles left him his bow and arrows. Philoktetes joined the Greek forces against Troy but, on the trip over, he was bitten by a snake on Lesbos and this caused a terrible wound that refused to heal and gave off an awful smell. He was then marooned on Lesbos, on the counsel of Odysseus, and remained there for ten years until the Greeks received a prophecy saying they would not win against Troy without the weapons of Herakles. So a team led by Odysseus rushed back to Lesbos, were astonished to find Philoktetes still alive and still in possession of the bow and arrows, and managed to bring him back with them to Troy where he was healed by one of the sons of Asklepios. After the war was won, Philoktetes returned to Thessaly but found Meliboea in revolt: he then departed for Magna Graecia where he founded cities and ultimately died and was buried near Sybaris. His connection with Homolion is unclear however, it has been suggested that the Homolians thought that Philoktetes had also founded their city, which is why they used his image on their coinage. Philoktetes story is told in Homer’s Iliad, Book 2, which describes his exile on the island of Lemnos, his being wounded by snake-bite, and his eventual recall by the Greeks. -- source link