Item: i64228 Authentic Ancient Coin of. Greek Coin of Seleukid Kingdom. King: 312-280 B. Silver Tetradrachm 28mm (17.25 grams) Susa mint Reference: HGC 9, 18c; SC 177.2; Sear 6832 var. (four elephants) Very rare. Ch VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 4241318-007 Laureate head of Zeus right. Athena, brandishing spear and holding shield, standing in chariot pulled by two horned elephants; on left, ?? OS; in exergue, SE?? YKOY; in field above, spear head; MO to right. Numismatic Note: This is seldom seen two elephant type of the rare Seleukos tetradrachm. The Seleucus I tetradrachms with a biga of elephants on the reverse are significantly rarer than those with a quadriga of elephants. There were a total of 43 different reverse varieties used at this mint according to Houghton and Lorber (SC 130), meaning the output was quite significant. The only mint to produce the reverse type with a biga of elephants, however, was Susa (SC 177 and HGC 9, 18c), which had only six emissions, suggesting the output was less than 15% that of Seleucia. Destined to be the longest-surviving of the’Successors’ of Alexander, Seleukos had a difficult time establishing his power. Allotted the satrapy of Babylon in 321 B. He was ousted from this position five years later, by Antigonos the One-eyed, and fled to his friend Ptolemy in Egypt. He regained Babylon and it is from this even that the Seleukid Era is dated. Seleukos gradually consolidated his power and in 305 B. Took the title of King. From 305-3 he campaigned in the east, extending his rule as far as India. With his defeat of Lysimachos in 281 he became master of the whole of Alexander’s empire, except Egypt; but the following year he was assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos, a renegade son of his late friend, the King of Egypt. The territorial extent of this might realm varied greatly from period to period. At its zenith, under Seleukos I and Antiochos I, it compromised almost the whole of Alexander’s conquests, except Egypt. In the mid-3rd century the easternmost provinces were lost when both Baktria and Parthia achieved independence. Antiochos III, the Great, attempted to regain the lost territories, but he was only partially successful and in 190 B. He was defeated by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia. This destroyed the Seleukid power in Asia Minor, their former possessions passed to Rome’s ally, the Kingdom of Pergamon. The Seleukid Kingdom, now restricted to Syria and the surrounding area, maintained a precarious existence until 64 B. When it finally succumbed to Pompey the Great. Athena or Athene (Latin: Minerva), also referred to as Pallas Athena, is the goddess of war, civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill in Greek mythology. Minerva, Athena’s Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is also a shrewd companion of heroes and the goddess of heroic endeavour. She is the virgin patron of Athens. The Athenians built the Parthenon on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her honour (Athena Parthenos). Athena’s cult as the patron of Athens seems to have existed from the earliest times and was so persistent that archaic myths about her were recast to adapt to cultural changes. In her role as a protector of the city (polis), many people throughout the Greek world worshiped Athena as Athena Polias (“Athena of the city”). Athens and Athena bear etymologically connected names. Seleucus I Nicator ca. 358 BC – 281 BC was one of the Diadochi, having previously served as an infantry general under Alexander the Great, he eventually assumed the title of basileus and established the Seleucid Empire over much of Alexander’s near eastern territories. After the death of Alexander, Seleucus initially supported Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander’s empire, and was appointed Commander of the Companions and chiliarch at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. However, at the outbreak of the Wars of the Diadochi, Perdiccas’ military failures against Ptolemy in Egypt led to the mutiny of his troops in Pelusium. Perdiccas was betrayed and assassinated in a conspiracy by Seleucus, Peithon and Antigenes in Pelusium sometime in either 321 or 320 BC. At the Partition of Triparadisus, Seleucus was appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater. But almost immedialty, the wars between the Diadochi resumed and Antigonus forced Seleucus to flee Babylon. Seleucus was only able to return to Babylon in 312 BC with the support of Ptolemy. From 312 BC, Seleucus ruthlessly expanded his dominions and eventually conquered the Persian and Median lands. Seleucus did not only rule Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander’s empire. Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he [Seleucus] acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia,’Seleucid’ Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus. Appian, The Syrian Wars. Seleucus’ wars took him as far as India, where, after two years of war, he made peace with the Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, and exchanged his eastern satrapies in the Indus River Valley for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, which would play a decisive role against Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC and against Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BC. The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants. Following Seleucus’ victories against Antigonus and Lysimachus, the Seleucid dynasty was virtually unopposed in Asia and in Anatolia. However, Seleucus also hoped to take control of Lysimachus’ European territories, primarily Thrace and Macedon itself. But upon arriving in Thrace in 281 BC, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, whom had taken refuge at the Seleucid court with his sister Lysandra. The effect of the assassination of Seleucus destroyed Seleucid prospects in Thrace and Macedon, and paved the way for Ptolemy Ceraunus to absorb much of Lysimachus’ former power in Macedon. Seleucus was succeeded by his son Antiochus I as ruler of the empire. Seleucus founded a number of new cities during his reign, including Antioch and in particular Seleucia on the Tigris, the new capital of the Seleucid Empire, something that eventually depopulated Babylon. The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the division of the empire created by Alexander the Great. Seleucus received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his dominions to include much of Alexander’s near eastern territories. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Kuwait, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and northwest parts of India. The Greek population of the cities who formed the dominant elite were reinforced by emigration from Greece. Seleucid expansion into Anatolia and Greece was abruptly halted after decisive defeats at the hands of the Roman army. Their attempts to defeat their old enemy Ptolemaic Egypt were frustrated by Roman demands. Much of the eastern part of the empire was conquered by the Parthians under Mithridates I of Parthia in the mid-2nd century BC, yet the Seleucid kings continued to rule a rump state from the Seleukid Kingdom until the invasion by Armenian king Tigranes the Great and their ultimate overthrow by the Roman general Pompey. World-renowned expert numismatist, enthusiast, author and dealer in authentic ancient Greek, ancient Roman, ancient Byzantine, world coins & more. Ilya Zlobin is an independent individual who has a passion for coin collecting, research and understanding the importance of the historical context and significance all coins and objects represent. Send me a message about this and I can update your invoice should you want this method. Getting your order to you, quickly and securely is a top priority and is taken seriously here. 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- Certification Number: 4241318-007
- Certification: NGC
- Grade: Ch VF
- Culture: Greek
- Material: Silver
- Year: Year_in_description
- Composition: Silver
- Denomination: Tetradrachm
