55 Delphi coin Ram & dolphins
PHOKIS, Delphi. Circa 460-448 BC. AR Trihemiobol Head of ram right, dolphin below, facing head of goat, flanked by dolphins, all within incus square.
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The significance of the ram in antiquity:
The ram was sacred in various entwined ancient civilizations, from as far back as the Mesopotamian civilization (approx 3000 BC), to the Etruscan, Egyptian and Greek civilizations. Furthermore the peace-loving and quite mystical Minoans also revered it as an all important symbol of fertility.
Additionally, the ram was seen as the incarnation of the Egyptian god Jupiter-Ammon. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt he visited the shrine of Ammon (or Amun). Embracing the god, upon and after his visit, he dressed himself with the skin of a ream and the horns as a head-dress. Thereafter the horns of the ram (known as the horn of ammon) were depicted much like a crown in Alexander's portraits and depictions on Alexander's coinage
The dolphin in Minoan culture was adored and worshipped for its man-loving nature. The Minoans who loved the sea also used this animal as an emblem of speed and aggression on Aegean daggers and upon the decoration of ships.
