10 Euros Thucydides

Reverse

Portrait of Thucydides facing right, based on an original marble bust from the early 4th Century BC. Placed to the right of Thucydides image is the Greek text "THUCYDIDES" (spelt in Greek), seen along the upper right periphery of the coin. The year of issue "2019" is placed towards the centre right periphery along with the mint mark of the Hellenic Mint. On the outer periphery is a traditional meander surrounding the design.

Script: Greek

Lettering:
ΘΟΥΚΥΔΙΔΗΣ
2019

Translation:
THUCYDIDES
2019

Engraver: Geórgios Stamatópoulos

Edge

Plain

Comment

With Thucydides the Athenian (ca 460 - ca 400 BC), history came of age and became more scientific in method. Thucydides chronicled the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), which ended in victory for Sparta and in the downfall of Athens. He himself served as a general during the war, but was exiled for his alleged responsibility for the loss of Amphipolis. During his 20 years in exile, he devoted himself to writing and to documenting the facts through on-site research and rigorous crosschecking. Influenced by the ideas of the sophists, he rejected the metaphysical interpretation of events for a more rational approach, seeking their underlying causes and the
 constants in human nature that generate similar behaviours and situations over time («γιγνόμενα καὶ ἀεὶ ἐσόμενα», “events which happened and are bound to recur”). His writing style is dense and concise, with vivid
descriptions and dramatic effect. As was Thucydides’s ambition, his work remains to this day “a possession for all time” («κτῆμα ἐς ἀεὶ») and an influential subject of study.

Packaging: Coin box with Certificate of Authenticity
Minting quality: Proof

Interesting fact

Price

Date	Mintage	VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
2019	1200	-	-	-	-	-	-

Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for 10 Euros (Thucydides) 2019 coin.