Seleucid Elephant

Antiochus III, the younger son of Seleucus II, succeeded his assassinated brother, Seleucus III, in 223 BC. Though barely nineteen, he immediately set out to regain the territory that his father and brother had lost. By a show of force and skillful diplomacy he formed alliances with neighboring rulers from Pergamum to northern India, often allowing opponents to retain their thrones in exchange for tribute. By 205 BC he had formed such an extensive system of vassal kingdoms to the East that he adopted the ancient Persian title of "the great" (Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας) and promoted a royal cult in which he was worshiped as a god.

In 200 BC he defeated the Egyptian forces at Panias (Lebanon) and claimed control of Palestine and Phoenicia. The Jewish temple state of Jerusalem was granted special privileges for recognizing his suzerainty. In 195 BC, Antiochus invaded Egypt, forcing a peace treaty that finally formalized Ptolemaic recognition of Seleucid control of Syria and Palestine, territory that had been claimed by Seleucus I a century earlier. Subsequently, he led his forces to regain the cities of western Asia Minor that his father had lost.

Eventually, though, he bit off more than he could chew and defied Roman warnings to not cross into Europe. Conflict with Rome became unavoidable when Antiochus gave refuge to Hannibal and made him his military adviser. He was routed by the Romans at Thermopylae in Greece and Magnesia, Asia Minor (191-190 BC). To conclude a peace treaty he had to abandon western Asia Minor and allow his youngest son, Antiochus IV, to be taken to Rome as a hostage.

He was killed while pillaging a temple of Ba'al at Elymaïs, Persia, in 187 BC.

Elephants are a common feature on coins of Antiochus III and other Seleukid rulers, such as this one of his daughter, Laodike IV, which I illustrate in a previous thread.

Let's see your Seleucids, elephants, or anything you deem relevant!


Antiochus III, 223-187 BC.
Seleucid Æ 2.41g, 13.6 mm, 11 h.
Lydia, Sardes.
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Rev: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY, legend above and below elephant advancing left; upturned anchor before.
Refs: SC 979; HGC 9, 560; Newell, WSM 1114; SNG Spaer 615.

~~~

SC: A. Houghton & C. Lorber. Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalog. Lancaster. 2002.

HGC 9: O.D. Hoover. The Handbook of Syrian Coins: Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC. The Handbook of Greek Coinage, Volume 9. Lancaster, PA. 2009.

WSM: E.T. Newell & O. Mørkholm. The Coinage of the Western Seleucid Mints from Seleucus I to Antiochus III. ANSNS 4 (1977).

 

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Very nice write-up @Roman Collector ... bus guy. Nice coin. Looks like an angry elephant!

SELEUKID ELEPHANTS:


Seleukid Demetrios I Soter 162-150 BCE AE 17 serrate 16.8mm 3.9g Antioch on Orontes mint Horse Hd L - Elephant Hd R- SC 1646 SNG Spaer 1299-1304


Seleucid Seleucus I 312-280 BCE AR Tet 14.46g Seleucia on Tigris. Zeus - Athena driving a quadriga of 4 horned elephants SC 130


Seleucid Seleucus I 312-280 BCE AE 20 Athena-Elephant Spaer 129

 

Nice history on Antiochus III @Roman Collector he undoubtedly the greatest of all seleukids . I have his tetradrachm (not elephant type)

 

Great write up @Roman Collector - The period is covered extensively in this book, too.



which I recommend.

https://www.amazon.com/Hellenistic-World-Coming-Rome/dp/0520057376

 

Seleukid elephant, but another Antiochos.


SELEUKID KINGDOM, Antiochos VI Dionysos
AE24 Serrate. 7.03g, 23.8mm. Antioch mint, circa 143-142 BC. SC 2006; HGC 9, 1043. O: Radiate and diademed head of Antiochos VI right, wreathed with ivy. R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY above elephant walking left; ΣTA above cornucopiae to right, EΠIΦANOYΣ ∆IONYΣOY below.

 

AR Drachm, SC_1065.6
Mint: "perhaps Apamea on the Orontes" per SC.
17 mm.; 3.88 gr.

(A little too much flash on reverse picture.)

 

Nice examples, @Alegandron , @arashpour , @zumbly and @philologus_1 ! Thanks for the book recommendation, @ancient coin hunter ; it looks like an excellent, one-volume reference.

Let's keep 'em coming! I know we have more Seleucids out there! @Deacon Ray ?

 

How about ELEPHANTS as you requested?

NON-SELEUKID ELEPHANTS:

Etruria

Etruria 3rd C BCE AE 18mm 4.76g Hd African r Elephant r letter below SNG Cop 48 HNI 69 SNG Paris 138-140 SNG Morcom 44 RARE
(Probably commemorating Pyrrhos' - NOT Hannibals' - elephants fighting the Romans...)

Baktria

Baktria Apollodotos I 180-160 BCE Square AR Drachm 20mm 2.4g Elephant Zebu SNG ANS 324-327

Sunga India:

INDIA Sunga Dynasty 187-78 BCE Cast Copper 1-2 Karshapana 15mm 2.5g Elephant flag swastika taurine symbol - Tree 3-arched hill hollow cross MACW 4378

Rubicon Rome:

RR Julius Caesar AR Denarius 49 BCE Traveling Mint Elephant-Pontificates Sear 1399 Craw 443-1

 

That was a great write-up @Roman Collector I enjoyed the read. I also really like your Antiochus III AE. Seleucid Coins with an elephant would make for a great collecting theme. I have yet to get any coins of Antiochus III, so ill contribute a few of the dynastic founder Seleukos I Nikator that I don't think I've posted before.

Seleukos I Nikator AR Tetradrachm,
16.898g, 25.5mm,
Babylon mint, 311 - 305 B.C.
Obv: head of Herakles right, clad in Nemean Lion scalp headdress tied at neck; Rev: BASILEWS ALEXANDROU, Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, right leg drawn back, MI over ladle right, monogram within wreath under throne;
SC I 82(3)k.

Seleukos I Nikator AR Tetradrachm,
17.108g, 27.2mm
Seleukeia on the Tigris mint, 300 - 281 B.C.
Obv: head of Herakles right, clad in lion-skin headdress;
Rev: BASILEWS SELEUKOU, Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, eagle extended in right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, monogram left, DImonogram under throne.
SC I 117.1C

 

Great post.

 

Got to love the elephant types.

Antiochus III 24mm


Father - Seleucus II


Brother - Seleucus III


Antiochus I
Mint: Antioch
AE 14
281 to 261 BC
Obvs: Macedonian shield with Seleukid anchor in central boss.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY, Horned elephant walking right. ME monogram and club above, jawbone in exergue.
18x19mm, 6.37g
Ref: SC 339.4; HGC 10, 148(S)
Note: Counter mark above elephant

 

Elephants are great—I thought I had more of them.

 

I've got my Antiochus VI bottle cap:

 

Guys very nice examples are posted here I generally appreciate the art of seleukid coinage a lot they have one of most beautiful coinage and bust types even better than Romans for me. Here are few more rulers of seleukid I have.

1. Demetrius I


2. Demetrius II (e CNG, Technically last seleukid rules on Persian domain) He has 2 bust types some with beard and some without I forgot which one but I guess without beard for his first reign , bearded one for second reign.



3. Seleukos I Babylon Mint (ex CNG)




4. Seleukos I Ekbatana Mint (ex CNG with his name as seleukou)



5. Antiochus II Theos with Test cut but a beautiful and sharp portrait



6. Antiochus I Ekbatana mint (Rare)



7. Alexander Balas (Usurper)





8. Antiochus VII

 

I particularly like the Antiochus II Theos. Many portraits show him with a very concerned and intense look on his face.

 

Elephants? Did someone say elephants?


Titus
AR Denarius, 3.18g
Rome mint, 80 AD
RIC 116 (C). BMC 47. RSC 304.
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M •; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P; Elephant, stg. l.
Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.

 

I agree @Deacon Ray he has such a remarkable portrait on his tets. Both he and his father had tough reigns, they couldn't keep the empire together. Here is my tet.

Antiochus II Theos AR Tetradracm 261-246 BC Seleucia on the Tigris mint. 29mm 17.05g Obv: diademed head of Antiochus right. Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTI−OXOY, Apollo seated left on omphalos, examining arrow with right, resting left hand on grounded bow, monogram outer left, monogram outer right.

 

@Deacon Ray and @TheRed you guys are totally right! My mom is psychologist and when i showed her my Antiochus I and II coins the first thing she said was who is this schizophrenic guy? Haha I told her she recognized their mental health issues from centuries of ages! It seems these guys were so worried and concerned as you guys also mentioned!

 

@David Atherton I LOVE your titus coin! Please let me know if one day you decided to sell it

 

Nice score @Roman Collector ! Who doesn't like a cool elephant coin?

My only Selecuid elephant is this horse/elephant combo from Demetrious I....