Greek Lokris - Lokris Opuntii

Lokris Opuntii - ΟΠΟΝΤΙΩΝ​

The coins reverse depicts the hero Ajax [or Ajax the Lesser] son of King Oileus, commander of the Lokrians in the Trojan War, who led a fleet of forty ships against Troy in the war to claim Helen, famously characterized in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world. In his classic Iliad Homer describes one poignant Bronze Age conflict, the heart of the Trojan War.

At Troy's fall, he was alleged by Odysseus to have violated a sanctuary of Athena by ravishing Cassandra, who had sought refuge there. He thus brought down the wrath of Athena upon himself and his countrymen: Ajax himself was wrecked and killed in a storm as he made his way home from the war, and the rest of the Opuntians reached home only with great difficulty.

Nevertheless, they annually honoured their former leader by launching a ship fitted with black sails and laden with gifts, which they then set alight, and whenever the Lokrian army drew up for battle, one place was always left open for Ajax, whose spirit they believed would stand and fight with them.

His story has been retold in numerous ancient and modern works, from epic poems to plays, serving as a poignant reminder of the complexities of heroism and the human condition. Ajax, the Locrian hero, remains a compelling figure, celebrated for his valor in battle and remembered for the profound tragedy of his final moments.