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Rare 4 Litrai of Gelon II, son of Hieron II Click image to view larger Description: Sicily, Syracuse AR 4 Litrai. Gelon II, son of Hieron II, circa 240 BC. Diademed head of Gelon to left / ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣIOI ΓΕΛΩΝΟΣ, eagle with closed wings standing to right on a thunderbolt; E to left; BA to right. ANS 898-9; SNG Lloyd 1550; SNG München 1363; Weber 1704 (all same dies). 3.18g, 16mm, 5h. Extremely Fine, flaw on obv. Rare. Polybius records of Gelon that he 'made it his highest object in life to obey his father and not to consider wealth or royal power or anything else as more valuable than affection and loyalty to his parents'. His father Hieron certainly saw fit to associate him with his government, as evidenced by the coinage in his name, and appears even to have bestowed the title of king upon him. He married a daughter of Pyrrhos, and had a daughter as well as a son - the future king Hieronymos. Yet in contrast to Polybius' account, Livy asserts that following the Roman defeat at Cannae, Gelon contravened his father's wishes by attempting to subvert the Syracusan alliance with Rome. He also notes that Gelon's conveniently timed death cast suspicion even on his father Hieron. Livy's remarks should however be taken with a generous pinch of salt.