Ancient Coin Commemorates Trojan War Hero Pandaros?

Ancient Coin Found to Commemorate Trojan War Hero Pandaros

Robert M. Cutler, 2016

Abstract: An ancient bronze coin reverse of the city-state of Zeleia in
Troas shows a geometrical design, sometimes called a monogram, whose
significance has long been considered as uncertain. Reconsideration leads
to a suggestion based on the Iliad of Homer that the design may represent a
famous bow. This was the bow that the Trojan War leader and archer Pandaros
used to defend Troy by wounding Menelaus and Diomedes, though the latter
eventually slew Pandaros. If this design interpretation is correct,
Zeleians retained considerable pride in Pandaros many centuries after his
heroics in the supposed Trojan War and after Homer sang about him in the
Iliad.

Pandaros (sometimes Latinized as Pandarus) the legendary archer led
13th century BCE Trojan warriors from the town of Zeleia (Zelea) near the
Aisepos (Aesepus) River on the far side of Mount Ida from Ilion (Ilium or
Troy). In the words of Homer's seventh century BCE Iliad as translated
(here and throughout this paper) by Anthony S. Kline (2009,
http://www.poetryintranslation.com):

Pandarus, the noted son of Lycaon, whose bow was gifted him by Apollo, led
men from Zeleia, below Ida's lower slopes, prosperous men who drink from
Aesepus' dark waters. (Iliad 2)

Pandaros had previously shot an antelope, stag, or other animal that
had grown 16-hand-high horns, thanks to the goddess Artemis, and had these
made into a gold-tipped bow that he brought to the war. However, Pandaros
had little luck with his fantastic bow, failing to make kill shots at
Menelaus and Diomedes. Eventually Diomedes fatally speared Pandaros. A
disguised Athene (Athena) had suggested to Pandaros that he shoot King
Menelaus, whose death could have quickly ended the war to recover his Queen
Helen from the Trojan Prince Paris:

Swiftly he [Pandarus) took his bow made from the polished horns of a wild
ibex, shot beneath the chest as it came from behind a rock where he lay in
wait, so that it tumbled backward into a cleft. The horns of sixteen hands
the artisan had skilfully joined together, carefully smoothing the bow and
tipping it with gold. Now he set it firmly against the ground, and strung
it, while his noble friends hid him with their shields, lest the Greeks
should rise to their feet before Menelaus could be hit. Then he opened his
quiver and took a new-feathered arrow, darkly freighted with pain, swiftly
fitted the bitter shaft to the string, and vowed to Lycian Apollo, lord of
the bow, a great sacrifice of firstling lambs once he was home again in
holy Zeleia. Gripping the notched arrow and the ox-gut string he drew it
back to his chest till the iron point was against the bow, and bending the
great bow in a curve, it twanged, the string sang out, and the keen arrow
leapt, eager to wing its way towards the foe. (Iliad 4)

However, Athene continued to meddle, deflecting the arrow so that
Menelaus suffered only a minor wound. Regardless of the story's
continuation, the reverse of the following coin of Zeleia may depict the
animal that had been shot by Pandaros who used its horns to make his bow:

Zeleia, Troas. 400-300 BCE. AE 19 mm. 6.3 g. Artemis head / Antelope or
stag surrounded by Ξ Ε Λ Ε. BMCG 1-2. Lindgren & Kovacs 384. SNG Copenhagen
501. SNG von Aulock 1585. Forrer/Weber 5445. Classical Numismatic Group,
Inc. (CNG) Coin ID 64961 courtesy of CNG.

A smaller coin from Zeleia has a different reverse design that has
long eluded certain identification:

Zeleia, Troas. 400-300 BCE. AE 11 mm. 1.0 g. Artemis head / Uncertain
design of curves surrounded by Ξ Ε Λ Ε, all within a wreath. HN pg 550. SNG
Copenhagen 503-4. CNG ID 23279 courtesy of CNG.

Smaller denomination coins, having less space to show full design
types, often use symbols as abbreviations for full designs. For example,
Athene may be represented by her owl, or Herakles (Hercules) by his club.
If the reverse of the smaller Zeleia coin as shown is rotated 90 degrees
counterclockwise, it is possible to imagine the central design as schematic
of a frontal head of an antelope or stag, with its face at the lower
center, and its horns at the upper left and right. However, as oriented
above, the design may represent an unusually-shaped, double-curved bow with
a straight vertical segment representing a taut bow string. The bent form
taken by the bow when Pandaros draws his arrow and bowstring is notable. It
has been described by various translators as an arc, arch, curve, round,
round curve, circling curve, half-circle, or circle. Terms with the word
circle seem to be used more frequently, in accordance with Homer's
apparently intentional extremes. Thus, the exaggerated circularity of the
coin's reverse design may reflect the exceptional bow of Pandaros.

To complete the story, Pandaros decides for himself to shoot the
rampaging Greek warrior Diomedes:

Yet when glorious Pandarus, Lycaon's son, saw Diomedes rage across the
plain, routing the army ahead, he swiftly bent his curved bow, and aimed at
him, striking him firmly, as he ran, on the right shoulder-plate of his
cuirass, so the sharp arrow pierced clean through, and the armour ran with
blood. Pandarus cried aloud in triumph: 'On now, brave Trojans, you horse-
prickers! The best of the Greeks is hurt, and that arrow means he's done
for, if Lord Apollo, born of Zeus, truly blessed my journey here from
Lycia.' (Iliad 5)

However, Diomedes' life is saved with Athene's help, and he continues
his fight with renewed vigor. Pandaros abandons his bow in favor of his
spear, and joins with Aineias (Aenias) to attack Diomedes again:

While they [Aenias and Pandarus] spoke the two arrived at the gallop, and
Pandarus called out: 'Diomedes, the brave and bloody, though my swift
bitter shaft failed to fell you, let me try once more with the spear.' With
that he took his stance and hurled the long-shadowed javelin, and the
bronze tip struck Diomedes on the shield, piercing it through and reaching
his corselet. Pandarus shouted in triumph: 'A hit, right in the belly. That
should finish you, but add to my glory.' Mighty Diomedes, without a tremor,
replied: 'You've failed, not succeeded, but before you two are done one of
you must die, and sate with his blood Ares, god of the shield's tough hide.
With that, Diomedes hurled his spear whose bronze blade Athene guided to
the face beside the eye, shattering Pandarus' white teeth, shearing his
tongue at the root, and exiting through the chin. He tumbled from the
chariot with a clang of bright burnished armour, the swift horses swerved,
and there his strength failed, his spirit was loosed. (Iliad 5)

Pandaros was thus unsuccessful against Menelaus and slaughtered by
Diomedes, both assisted by the war goddess Athena. Nevertheless, Pandaros
was a well-respected leader, an exceptionally skilled bowman, and a
fearless warrior. He was therefore deserving of commemoration on the fourth
century BCE coins of Zeleia. If they indeed refer to the bow of Pandaros,
Zeleians must have retained considerable pride in his immortalization by
Homer's Iliad and his heroic actions in the epic of the Trojan War.