Amphinomos and Anapias, Examplars of Filial Piety

327, Lot: 454. Estimate $500. Sold for $800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SICILY, Katane. Circa 186-170 BC. Æ (20mm, 6.37 g, 12h). Wreathed head of Dionysos right; monogram to left / The brothers Amphinomos and Anapias advancing left and right, carrying their father and mother. Casabona 16; BAR Issue 15; CNS 10; HGC 2, 626. Good VF, attractive brown-green patina.

From the Continental Collection.

Strabo (VI, 2:3) recounts the tale of Amphinomos and Anapias, who rescued their parents during an eruption of Aetna in the 5th century BC. The lava miraculously parted as it approached the brothers, allowing them to safely escape.