Nikai on Coins and Pottery from Gela in Context

The iconography of coins is often studied in relative isolation, but much more about the meaning of these images can be ascertained by examining them within the visual vocabulary and broader cultural milieu of ancient Greece. In Sicily, depictions of Nikai appear on the tetradrachms of Gela and Syracuse at the beginning of the fifth century B.C., but it is ambiguous whether the Nikai commemorated the Deinominids’ military or athletic victories, or both. Gelon, the tyrant of Gela and later Syracuse, and his sons won many athletic victories in the 480s and

470s, but they also won major military victories—the capture of Syracuse in 485 and the Battle of Himera in 480.

Nikai appear on more than just coins. Gelon dedicated a tripod and Nike at Delphi, and

Nikai are often depicted on Attic pottery imported to Sicily. The archaeological context in which these vessels were found is important to the meaning of the goddess’s image in Sicily. Attic pottery with images of Nike were primarily imported to Gela, but not to Syracuse. Hardly any vessels with Nike depictions were imported to Akragas, another major Sicilian city. At Gela, the images of Nike are found on vessels deposited in male graves and are very common from 475-

450 (Torelli 2003). This masculine funerary context suggests that the images on the pottery likely commemorate the Deinomenid military victories achieved by Geloan soldiers in the battles of the 480s. Therefore, similarly, the Nikai on the Sicilian coins are more likely to relate to the

Geloan military than to the athletic victories. The Geloan citizens and the mint demonstrated their pride in their victories through their coins and choice of imported pottery, but only the

Syracusan mint commemorated the city’s defeat by Gelon.

In addition to clarifying the meaning of the coins’ iconography, the pattern of Nike images is important for understanding the trade in Attic figured-pottery. Even though Akragas, Gela, and Syracuse are on the same trade route, Gela strongly preferred pottery featuring Nike

(Giudice 1996, Giudice 2007). Indeed, nearly 40 pots with Nike dating from 475-450 were found in Gela, but only one was found at Akragas. This concentration of pottery with depictions of Nike shows a clear Geloan taste for images of Nike to commemorate their military victories.

The Athenian pottery industry targeted these tastes and sold many pots with depictions of Nike to Gela. Several Athenian painters exported multiple depictions of Nike to Gela, and the

Bowdoin Painter even exported more than ten pots with Nike. Just as the context of the pottery sheds light on Sicilian coins’ iconography, it also provides greater insights into trade in Attic pottery.

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