Pontus, City of Amisos, Gorgon (Medusa) Coin - 85 to 65 BCE - Greek World

These bronze coins were struck in Amisos, an ancient city on the Black Sea that was part of the Hellenistic (culturally Greek) kingdom of Pontus. The obverse side features the head of a gorgon, a snake haired creature in Greek mythology—the most famous example being Medusa. The Greek goddess Nike is seen holding a wreath and a palm branch on the reverse side. These coins were struck under Mithridates VI, and their denomination is a tetrachalkon (one twelfth of a drachm.) A map of the Kingdom of Pontus. The light pink areas were added during Mithridates VI's reign. The Extraordinary Story of Mithridates VI Mithridates succeeded his father in 120 BCE, when he was still only a boy. He briefly co-ruled with his mother until he deposed and imprisoned her in 115 BCE. Mithradates was a ruthless leader and warlord, gradually conquering western and southern regions along the Black Sea. Among his acts of brutality, he reportedly orchestrated the killing of 88,000 Roman and Italian noncombatants