Ptolemy IX Soter II, by name is Lathyrus Greek for Chickpea (really?) Is the Macedonian king of Egypt in 116-110, 109-107 and 88-81 B.C. He ruled Egypt in various times with his brother and mother. In 88 B.C. he gained sole rule of Egypt. Ptolemy IX, Tetradrachm, Alexandria 112-111 B.C. AR24.4 14g O: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, with aegis at neck R: ΠΤΟΛEMAIOY- BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ, Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt, LS Ref: Svoronos 1667
Nice coin, IR. He shared the chickpea name with Cicero, whose cognomen means just that. I do like chickpeas...
There is little I won't eat and even less that I like. Chickpeas I do not like even though I can eat them if I have to.
Nice coin - for a late Ptolemaic tet. it is exceptionally fine in terms of style and strike. It still has that slightly crazed "coloring outside the lines" look of the late ones without looking barbaric. I'd like to get one of those. As for those Ptolemy nicknames, "chickpea" ain't as bad as some (from Wikipedia): Ptolemy XII[ (117–51 BC; ...more commonly known as "Auletes" (Αὐλητής, Aulētḗs = the Flutist) or "Nothos" (Νόθος, Nóthos = the Bastard) Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II...Ptolemy the Benefactor...c. 182 BC – June 26, 116 BC), nicknamed Physcon (Φύσκων ≈ the Fat),
