Cales Coins: Athena, Nike and Silver from Rome’s Rise
Cales Coins: Athena, Nike and Silver from Rome’s Rise
A helmeted goddess. A racing chariot. An Italian city whose coins reveal why Greek and Roman history cannot always be separated.
Cales was an ancient city in Campania, near modern Calvi Risorta in southern Italy. Its silver didrachms show Athena in a crested helmet and Nike driving a two-horse chariot. The surprise is that this Greek-inspired money came from a city that had already become a Latin colony under Roman power.
That makes a Cales coin a useful starting point for a bigger question: what did Italy look like while Rome was becoming its dominant power?
Where was Cales, and how did Rome take control?
Cales lay in northern Campania, north of Capua. Livy describes Rome’s campaign against the city and the decision to send 2,500 colonists there. The conventional chronology places its capture in 335 BC and the foundation of the Latin colony in 334 BC. [1]
By the time of the silver coinage discussed here, Roman influence had been established for decades. Yet the designs still drew on the artistic traditions of Greek-influenced southern Italy. Political control and the appearance of money did not change in perfect step.
What is a Cales didrachm?
A didrachm is a two-drachm silver denomination. You may also encounter the name nomos in catalogues for this southern Italian series. The Athena-and-chariot type is commonly referenced as Historia Numorum Italy 434.
- Obverse: Athena wearing a crested Corinthian-style helmet.
- Reverse: Nike, the personification of victory, driving a biga.
- Biga: A chariot drawn by two horses.
- CALENO: The inscription identifying the issuing community of Cales.
A Museums Victoria specimen weighs 7.11 grams and measures 22 millimeters. Those are measurements of that individual coin, not specifications every surviving example must match. [2]
When were these silver coins struck?
A commonly used date range is approximately 265 to 240 BC, as recorded for examples in the Ashmolean collection using Historia Numorum Italy. Museums Victoria instead dates its example to circa 268 BC. [2] [3]
The useful conclusion is that these are third-century BC issues. Catalogue dates are scholarly attributions, rather than dates written on the coins themselves. When describing a particular example, retain the date range supported by its attribution.
Why Athena and Nike?
Look first at the contrast between the two sides. Athena’s helmeted portrait is still and composed. On the reverse, Nike drives a chariot in motion. The pairing combines a familiar divine portrait with an energetic image of victory.
These are well-established Greek visual themes. Their presence at Cales illustrates the reach of that artistic tradition beyond Greek colonial cities.
It is tempting to connect the chariot to one particular victory. The design alone cannot establish that. Nor can it tell us who spent a surviving coin or what it purchased.
Are Cales coins Greek or Roman?
The most helpful description is specific: silver coinage of Cales in Campania, issued after the city became a Latin colony.
Collectors often find these pieces in Greek coin catalogues because of their regional setting, denomination and designs. That classification does not mean Cales was Athens, or that the coin was issued before Roman influence reached the city.
A Greek-looking coin can tell the story of an Italian city living under Roman power.
This is why the series rewards a closer look. The city name, the political setting and the imagery each reveal a different part of its identity.
What should collectors look for?
- Athena’s portrait: Check how much of the face and helmet remains visible.
- The chariot: Look for the horses, driver and wheels. Centering can matter as much as sharpness.
- The inscription: CALENO may be incomplete or off the edge of the struck area.
- Attribution: Match the portrait, reverse and small symbols to a published type.
- Surfaces: Ask about wear, cleaning, damage and authenticity.
Decide which details matter most to you. A coin with more wear but a complete chariot may tell the story more clearly than a sharper example with much of the reverse missing.
Frequently asked questions
Where is ancient Cales today?
Near modern Calvi Risorta in Campania, southern Italy.
What does CALENO mean?
It identifies the issuing community of Cales.
Is Nike driving four horses?
No. This type shows a biga, a two-horse chariot.
Why do catalogues give different dates?
Ancient coin chronologies depend on interpretation of evidence. Use the catalogue attribution for the particular example and acknowledge meaningful differences between references.
Sources and further reading
- Livy, History of Rome, Book 8, chapter 16. Ancient narrative of the capture and colonization of Cales.
- Museums Victoria, Cales didrachm NU 2005. Coin descriptions, measurements and circa 268 BC attribution.
- Ashmolean Museum, Greek and Roman Provincial collection. Cales records with dating of 265 to 240 BC according to HN Italy.
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