Tanagra was a town located on the right bank of the river Æsopus of Bœotia in the ancient greece not far from the Thebes. Poemandria is another name for it.  Tanagra was famous for its mass-produced mold-cast terracotta figurines during the antiquity. Tanagra was known for the best wine in Bœotia and for its fighting-cocks.

Two battles were faught in Tanagra. In 457 BCE, the Athenians were defeated by the Lacedæmonians and in 426 BCE the Athenians invaded the territory of Tanagra and defeated the Tanagrians and Bœotians.

It had temples for Dionysius (with a statue of Triton by Calanus), Themis, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hermes Criophorus and Hermes Promaclius.  Poetress Corinna was born in the city of Tanagra. Corinna wrote choral poetry for celebrations using a Boeotian dialect. She wrote about local myths and drew parallels between the world of mythology and ordinary human behavior. She was commemorated by a monument and a portrait at the gymnasium in Tanagra. She is also known as Korinna, one of the nine mortal muses.
 


Monetary System
Silver Decadrachm ~ 43 grams = 60 Obol
Silver Tetradrachm ~ 17.2 grams = 24 Obol
Silver Stater ~ 8.6 grams = 12 Obol
Silver Drachm ~4.3 grams = 6 Obol
Silver Tetrobol ~ 2.85 grams = 4 Obol
Silver Triobol / Hemidrachm  ~ 2.15 grams = 3 Obol
Silver Diobol ~ 1.72 grams = 2 Obol
Silver Obol ~ 0.72 grams
Silver Trittartemorion ~ 0.54 grams = 0.75 Obol
Silver Hemiobol ~ 0.36 grams = 0.5 Obol
Silver Trihemitartemorion ~ 0.27 grams = 0.375 Obol
Silver Tetratemorion ~ 0.18 grams = 0.125 Obol
Silver Hemitartemorion ~ 0.09 grams = 0.1 Obol
 
 


Tanagra. Silver obol. c387-374 BCE.
Obverse: Boeotian shield.
Reverse:Forepart of horse



References: Encyclopedia Britannica
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV.
Wikipedia.
Snyder, Jane McIntosh. The Women and the Lyre. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1991.
 

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RK. June 10, 2005.