Circa 339/8-335 BCE
Æ Hemilitron 21mm, 11.91 g, 6h
Wreathed head of Demeter right /
Head of bull facing slightly right, fillets hanging from horns; barley grain above.
Castrizio Series III, 1; Campana 4; HGC 2, 394
Enna, Sicily was remarkable in ancient times for being one of the most impregnable fortresses in the world. It stood near the direct center of Sicily, roughly a day’s travel from any coast, and was surrounded on all sides by cliffs.
During the time this coin was minted, Enna was famous for a cult of Demeter. There existed a temple to which pilgrims traveled from all over.
Dionysos I of Syracuse attempted multiple times to take this challenging city, but never managed to obtain it by force. He used trickery to finally subdue it. The city later came under the dominion of Agathokles.
Tradition has the Persephone was carried off by Hades at a spot roughly 8km from Enna. Those who visited and described the spot during Roman times exclaim the remarkable amount of wildflowers there.
Practically nothing remains of the ancient city. The famed temple is believed to have fallen during an ancient rockslide and the modern city swallowed the rest.
Dionysios I of Syracuse takes control of Enna through treachery.
Enna opens its gates to Xenodicus under the hope of his promise of freedom.
Pinarius, the governor of Enna, worries that the city will defect from the Romans. He therefore uses the garrison to massacre its citizens in the theater.
Enna is at the center of the First Servile War.