BANKNOTE FRANCE 10 FRANCS 1963 VOLTAIRE ~ HISTORIAN,WRITER,PHILOSOPHER

Born in 1694, in Paris, France, Voltaire established himself as one of the leading writers of the Enlightenment. His famed works include the tragic play Zaïre, the historical study The Age of Louis XIV and the satirical novella Candide. Often at odds with French authorities over his politically charged works, he was twice imprisoned and spent many years in exile. He died shortly after returning to Paris in 1778.

Widely considered one of France's greatest Enlightenment writers, Voltaire was born François-Marie Arouet to a prosperous family on November 21, 1694, in Paris, France. He was the youngest of five children born to François Arouet and Marie Marguerite d'Aumart. When Voltaire was just 7 years old, his mother passed away. Following her death, he grew closer to his free-thinking godfather.

In 1704, Voltaire was enrolled at the Collége Louis-le-Grand, a Jesuit secondary school in Paris, where he received a classical education and began showing promise as a writer.

Voltaire wrote poetry and plays, as well as historical and philosophical works. His most well-known poetry includes The Henriade (1723) and The Maid of Orleans, which he started writing in 1730 but never fully completed.
More https://www.biography.com/people/voltaire-9520178

BANKNOTE GREECE 1000 DRACHMAI 1970 ~ ZEUS THE FATHER OF GODS AND MEN

Zeus is known in Greek Religion as “the father of Gods” and “the leader of Gods”. He is the youngest son of Titan King Cronus and his wife, Rhea. According to  history, as soon  Zeus was born Cronus demanded to swallow him just like he did for Zeus’s brothers and sisters, namely  Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia and Hades. However, Rhea made a plan with Gaea (the goddess of Earth), fed Cronus rocks wrapped in some clothes making him think he actually swallowed Zeus and managed to hide Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida.

CYPRUS 20 POUNDS 2004 ~~ GODDESS APHRODITE

APHRODITE is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. She was depicted as a beautiful woman often accompanied by the winged godling Eros (Love). Her attributes included a dove, apple, scallop shell and mirror. In classical sculpture and fresco she was usually depicted nude.

50 DRACHMAI 1939+1941 HESIOD ~ GREECE

 A poet and rhapsode, Hesiod lived around 700 B.C. Hesiod is always compared to Homer and is one those rare poets whose compositions survive to this day. No one knows who was born first Homer or Hesiod, but some assume they lived around the same time.
Some ancient Greek scholars like Aristarchus argued that Homer was the earlier and many accepted this later. But this claim is doubtful because both these poets existed when no records of history were compiled. So whoever was born first may never be known.
Hesiod claimed himself to be a farmer in Boeotia, an area in Central Greece. His father belonged to Kyme in Aeolis but travelled to Ascra and settled there (described as cursed in his poems). Hesiod's father owned a small piece of land and practised law along with his brother Perses. These details are derived from his works 'Works and Days' and the 'Theogony' but other than this, little of him is known.
Only these famous works 'Works and Days' and the 'Theogony' exist today and some lines of his composition 'Shield of Heracles'.

Works and Composition:
Only three of the many works of Hesiod are in a good state today. Other remains are fragmented and therefore incomplete. The first edition of 'Works and Days' came out in 1493 compiled by Demetrius Chalcondyles. Along with this composition other works were compiled and published in Venice by Aldus Manutius in 1495.
Hesiod's and Homer's poems main difference is that while Homer described the rich and kingly people in his works, Hesiod is known for describing the common man's life. In fact, some details of his own life are known to exist in 'Works and Days'.

Work and Days
This work, containing about 800 verses, makes the base for two facts in the Universe: Labour is the universal lot of Man, but he who is willing to work will get by. The background of this work can be dated to the agricultural land crisis in Greece which led to colonies in search of new land.
The works describes the five ages of man; mainly the Golden age, ruled by Cronos. In this era, people had extremely long lives and there was no sadness. Also mentioned are The Silver Age, which was ruled by Zeus, the Bronze age period of wars and the Heroic Age, the time of the Trojan war and the Iron age, the present corrupt era.
'Works and Days' also describes ethical values, hard work and unlucky and lucky days for specific occasions.

Theogony
Theogony is one of the main documents of Greek mythology. The same style of writing seen in 'Works and Days' is used in Theogony. Most scholars agree upon the author of the composition as Hesiod.
Theogony revolves around the concepts of cosmogony i.e origins of world and theogony i.e of Gods. The composition of Theogony begins with fictional characters such as Gaia, Nyx and Eros and the genealogy of Gods to humans. It is believed through his composition that all the Gods and humans descended from the godesseses Chaos and Earth. It clarifies the positions of all the Gods, Godesseses, demi-gods, demons, humans and heroes in Greek mythology, along with fictional fairy tales and myths.

Other Works
A short poem called the 'Shield of Heracles' is also credited to Hesiod. Other works of Hesiod, even if available, are in damaged (quotations or papyri) condition.
Another famous work of Hesiod is 'Catalogue of Women' or 'Eoiae' which describes mortal women who mated with Gods and their descendants.
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Hesiod/

Egypt Banknote 5 Piastre 1942 ~ God Hermes

Cassa Mediterranea di Credito per l'Egitto

 Italian occupation 

Hermes is an Olympian god in Greek religion and mythology, son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. He is second youngest of the Olympian gods. Hermes is a god of transitions and boundaries. He is quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He is protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen, thieves, orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade. His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster and the tortoise, purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and his main symbol is the herald's staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus which consisted of two snakes wrapped around a winged staff. In the Roman adaptation of the Greek pantheon, Hermes is identified with the Roman god Mercury, who, though inherited from the Etruscans, developed many similar characteristics, such as being the patron of commerce.

ANCIENT COINS DEPICTING GREEK GOD DIONYSOS

Dionysus- or Dionysos as he is known in the Greek language- was one of the most interesting sons of Zeus. Known as the God who was born three times- by Persephone, Semele and eventually his own father's thigh (!), Dionysus isn' t only the happy and carefree God of wine. The Dionysian Mysteries were among the most revered in Ancient Greece, as the young God was considered the One who helped the souls of the mortals ascend to  perfection and return to their Divine Source. Dionysus was worshipped throughout the ancient world.