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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods| ▸ |Syria| ▸ |Antioch||View Options:   | | | |
Zabinas claimed to be an adoptive son of Antiochus VII, but may have been the son of an Egyptian merchant. He was used as a pawn by the Egyptian king Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon). Zabinas managed to defeat Demetrius II and thereafter ruled parts of Syria, but soon ran out of Egyptian support and was defeated by Demetrius' son Antiochus VIII Grypus. As a last resort, Zabinas plundered the temples of Antioch. He is said to have joked about melting down a statuette of the goddess of victory, Nike, which was held in the hand of a Zeus statue, saying "Zeus has given me Victory." Enraged by his impiety, the Antiochenes expelled Zabinas, who was captured and executed soon after. "Zabinas" is a derogatory name meaning "the bought one," implying he was Ptolemy's slave.SH113424. Silver tetradrachm, Houghton-Lorber II 2219(3)c, SNG Spaer 2288, Newell SMA 333, HGC 9 1149d, VF, well centered, toned, scratches and bumps, edge cracks, weight 16.766 g, maximum diameter 31.2 mm, die axis 0o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 128 - 127 B.C.; obverse diademed head right, fillet border; reverse Zeus seated left on throne, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, Nike in right hand, long lotus tipped scepter vertical behind in left hand, BAΣIΛEΩΣ (king) downward on right, AΛEΞANΔPOY (Alexander) downward on left, monogram left, Σ under throne; from the PS Collection, ex Aegean Numismatics (Mentor, OH);
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
Herakles is depicted wearing the Nemean lion skin around his neck. The first of Herakles' twelve labors, set by his cousin King Eurystheus, was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its skin. Herakles discovered arrows and his club were useless against it because its golden fur was impervious to mortal weapons. Its claws were sharper than swords and could cut through any armor. Herakles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death. During the fight, the lion bit off one of his fingers. After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife but failed. Wise Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told him to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.RP114277. Silver tetradrachm, RPC III 3533, Prieur 1496, McAlee 458, Wruck 151, VF, broad flan, double struck, edge cracks, graffito X obverse right field, weight 14.097 g, maximum diameter 27.2 mm, die axis 180o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 103 - 111 A.D.; obverse AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK (Imperator Caesar Nerva Trajanus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus), laureate head right, club left below, eagle standing right with wings closed at point of bust; reverse ΔHMAPX - EΞ IE YΠAT E (tribunicia potestate, consul V), laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, Nemean lion-skin around neck tied at front, cruder larger bust style variant;
Seleukid Kingdom, Philip I Philadelphos, c. 94 - 83 or 75 B.C.
Philip I Philadelphus was the fourth son of Antiochus VIII Grypus. He took the diadem in 94 B.C. together with his twin brother Antiochus XI Epiphanes, after the eldest son Seleucus VI Epiphanes was killed by their cousin Antiochus X Eusebes. The next year Antiochus X killed Antiochus XI. Antiochus X was probably killed in 88 B.C. Philip's younger brother Demetrius III turned on Philip I and took the capital, but the Philip I prevailed and took Antioch. Their youngest brother Antiochus XII took Damascus. Philip I tried to take Damascus, after which he disappears from the historical record, which does not tell us how or when he died. His death is traditionally dated 83 B.C. but Numismatic evidence and clues in ancient literature indicate that Philip I might have died in 75 B.C. His coins remained in circulation when the Romans conquered Syria in 64 B.C. Roman authorities in Syria continued to issue coins modeled on Philip I's coins, including his portrait, until 13 B.C.GY113434. Silver tetradrachm, Houghton-Lorber II 2463(2)i, SNG Spaer 2803, Newell SMA 441, HGC 9 1319, BMC Seleucid -, gVF, toned, light encrustations, obv. off center, weight 15.904 g, maximum diameter 25.2 mm, die axis 0o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, c. 88/7 - 83/75 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Philip I Philadelphos right, bulging eye, pouting lips, pronounced aquiline nose, fillet border; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY EΠIΦANOYΣ ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY, Zeus seated left on high-backed throne, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, Nike presenting wreath in right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left, .I.(Φ)/A outer left, N inner left,
(frozen control monogram) below throne, all within laurel wreath; ex Leu Numismatik auction 26 (13 July 2023), lot 6961 (part of); Trebonianus Gallus, June or July 251 - July or August 253 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
The Persians occupied part of Syria in 251 A.D. and took and burned Antioch in 256 A.D. and again in 260 A.D.RY113509. Billon tetradrachm, RPC Online IX 1792; McAlee 1172(b); Prieur 658; BMC Galatia p. 227, 637; SNG Hunterian 3110; Dura Coins 579, EF, much mint luster, small rust encrustations, weight 12.255 g, maximum diameter 25.3 mm, die axis 180o, 2nd officina, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, first issue, Jun/Jul 251 - 252 A.D.; obverse AYTOK K Γ OYIB TPEB ΓAΛΛOC CEB (Imperator Caesar Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus Augustus), laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, •• below bust; reverse ΔHMAPX EΞOYCIAC (holder of Tribunitian power), eagle slightly right, wings open, head left, tail left, wreath in beak, B between legs, S C (senatus consulto) in exergue;
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
Herakles is depicted wearing the Nemean lion skin around his neck. The first of Herakles' twelve labors, set by his cousin King Eurystheus, was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its skin. Herakles discovered arrows and his club were useless against it because its golden fur was impervious to mortal weapons. Its claws were sharper than swords and could cut through any armor. Herakles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death. During the fight, the lion bit off one of his fingers. After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife but failed. Wise Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told him to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.RP114278. Silver tetradrachm, RPC III 3533, Prieur 1496, McAlee 458, Wruck 151, VF, well centered, full legends, flow lines, rev. die wear, areas of porosity, tiny edge cracks, weight 13.550 g, maximum diameter 25.5 mm, die axis 180o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 103 - 111 A.D.; obverse AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK (Imperator Caesar Nerva Trajanus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus), laureate head right, club left below, eagle standing right with wings closed at point of bust; reverse ΔHMAPX - EΞ IE YΠAT E (tribunicia potestate, consul V), laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, Nemean lion-skin around neck tied at front, cruder larger bust style variant;
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
| The ruins of Antioch on the Orontes lie near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey. Founded near the end of the 4th century B.C. by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch's geographic, military and economic location, particularly the spice trade, the Silk Road, the Persian Royal Road, benefited its occupants, and eventually it rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the Near East and as the main center of Hellenistic Judaism at the end of the Second Temple period. Antioch is called "the cradle of Christianity,” for the pivotal early role it played in the emergence of the faith. It was one of the four cities of the Syrian tetrapolis. Its residents are known as Antiochenes. Antioch was renamed Theoupolis after it was nearly destroyed by an earthquake on 29 November 528. Once a great metropolis of half a million people, it declined to insignificance during the Middle Ages because of warfare, repeated earthquakes and a change in trade routes following the Mongol conquests, which then no longer passed through Antioch from the far east. |  |
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
| On 8 or 9 August 117, Trajan, age 63, died at Selinus, Cilicia while en route from Mesopotamia to Italy. On his death bed, he adopted Hadrian as his successor. The Roman Empire reached its maximum territorial extent at the time of Trajan's death. Hadrian soon abandoned indefensible parts of Mesopotamia to the Parthians. |  |
Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
| The Tyche of Antioch was a cult statue of the city goddess (fortune) of Antioch, venerated in a temple called the Tychaion. The statue was made by Eutychides of Sicyon (c. 335 - c. 275), a pupil of the great Lysippus. It was the best-known piece of Seleucid art, remarkable because it was sculpted to be viewed from all directions, unlike many statues from the period. Although the original has been lost, many copies exist, including the one in the photograph right, now at the Vatican. The goddess is seated on a rock (Mount Sipylus), has her right foot on a swimming figure (the river Orontes), wears a mural crown (the city's walls), and has grain in her right hand (the city's fertility). |  |
Otho, 15 January 69 - 17 April 69 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
Otho supported Galba's revolt against Nero in expectation he would be named heir. Since he was not, Otho had himself declared emperor. He ruled for only three months. After a minor defeat by Vitellius, Otho committed suicide. This was perhaps the only noble act of his life - he preferred to die rather than see more bloodshed in civil war.RP114672. Bronze semis, McAlee 323(c); RPC I 4319; Butcher 151; BMC Galatia p. 177, 213, aF, scratches, obverse legend almost entirely off flan or worn, weight 5.404 g, maximum diameter 22.0 mm, die axis 0o, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 15 Jan 69 - 17 Apr 69 A.D.; obverse IMP M OTHO CAES AVG (clockwise from upper right), laureate head right; reverse S C (senatus consulto), all within a laurel wreath with eight bunches of leaves, no dot (control mark); rare;
Severus Alexander, 13 March 222 - March 235 A.D., Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria, Syria
On almost all specimens of this type, the wreath on the reverse is closed with a star. Even the star variety of the type is rare. We know of only two other specimens of this extremely rare variant with the wreath closed with a garland (or jewel?).RY114991. Bronze as, McAlee 852b (ex. rare); RPC Online VI T8096.3 (Milan 3564); Waage 633 var. (wreath closed with star); BMC Galatia p. 207, 468 var. (same), gVF, nice portrait, bare metal, bumps, scratches, weight 5.212 g, maximum diameter 18.9 mm, Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) mint, 13 Mar 222 - Mar 235 A.D.; obverse AYT KAI MAP AY CE AΛEΞANΔPOC CE, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse S C, Δ E above, eagle standing left with head right and wings open below, all within laurel wreath fastened at the top with a garland (or jewel?); first specimen of this type handled by FORVM; extremely rare;
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