Heinrich Kiepert, Paphlagonia, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons A search of CT for "Pylaemenes" found nothing, so I tried a few more spellings "Pylaemanes", "Pylaimenes". This King of Paphlagonia appears to have not made an appearance yet on CT. Paphlagonia was in northern Anatolia and was bordered by Bythnia to the west, Pontus to the east, and Galatia to the south. "In the Homeric catalogue we find Pylæmenes leading the Paphlagonians as allies of the Trojans; from this Pylæmenes the later princes of Paphlagonia claimed their descent, and the country was sometimes from them called Pylæmenia." -Pliny, Natural History, 6.2.2 King Pylaemenes of the Trojan war dies at the hands of Menelaus in the Iliad 5.576. He is also famous for coming back to life in the Iliad 13.643-559 after his son is killed: "Him (son of Pylaemenes) the great-hearted Paphlagonians tended, and setting him in a chariot they bare him to sacred Ilios, sorrowing the while, and with them went his father, shedding tears; but there was no blood-price gotten for his dead son." About a thousand years later, Mithridates VI Eupator made a deal with Nicomedes III of Bythnia to invade and split up Paphlagonia in 108/107 BC. There was a pretense as well that Pylaemenes had bequeathed his Kingdom to Mithridates V. Between 107 and 101 BC, Nicomedes then invaded Cappadocia only to be subsequently conquered by Mithridates VI, expanding his position as the dominant force in Asia minor and rival to Rome. For more on Mithridates use of his family members (and disposal of his family members) to control Cappadocia, see my note on "A Father's Support". A few years later when Tigranes, king of Armenia, with support from Mithridates VI, chased the Roman installed king Ariobarzanes out of Cappadocia, Sulla was sent to restore him to power circa 94 BC. Most of this had not yet transpired when this coin was minted, although the dates that I have for this coin do overlap a bit with the invasion of Paphlagonia which I cannot explain : Kings of Paphlagonia, Pylaemenes II/III Euergetes (Circa 133-103 BC), AE20 4.98g Obv: Bust of Pylaemenes right, as Herakles, with club over shoulder and lion skin around neck Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΠΥΛΑΙΜΕΝΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ, Nike standing left, holding wreath and palm frond Ref: SNG BM Black Sea 1550; HGC 7, 440 Post your coins of Paphlagonia, or anything else that you find interesting or entertaining. Reference: Glew, D. (1987). The Cappadocian expedition of Nicomedes III Eurgeter, King of Bythnia. Museum Notes (American Numismatic Society), 32, 23-55. Pliny, Natural History Smith, William Ed. (1854), Dictionary of Greek and Roman geography, Paphlagonia
He does look formidable in this portrait, but clearly didn't last long against his neighbors Mithridates & Nicomedes...
Wonderful coin and writeup @Sulla80! I would like to have a coin of that king as well. I think coins of those obscure, more 'insignificant' kings that started to appear in the late Hellenistic period are actually really interesting and nice to have. Especially when their portrait is visible. Here a coin of such a king as well: Tarkondimotos, king of Eastern Cilicia. AE coin. Anazarbos mint, circa 39-31 B.C. Obverse: Diademed head of Tarkondimotos I to right. Reverse: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΤΑΡΚΟΝΔΙΜΟ/ΤΟΥ ΦΙΛΑΝΤΩΝΙΟΥ. Zeus seated left, holding Nike in his right hand and scepter with his left. Reference: SNG Paris 1913-1916. Wright, New 1. 8.05g; 22mm He was so 'independent' and 'strong' that he had to put on his coin that he is a friend of Mark Antony
I agree - here's another client king - King of Pontus with Nero - with a portrait on the reverse - as an alternative to text and an unambiguous declaration of ΦΙΛΝΕΡΩΝΟY. Interesting to note this King of Pontus was Mark Antony's great grandson, the only descendant to have his name "Marcus Antonius Polemon Pythodoros" and known as Polemon II: Kings of Pontus, Polemon II, with Nero, AD 38-64, AR Drachm, Dated RY 19 (AD 56/7) Obv: BACIΛЄωC ΠOΛЄMωNOC, diademed head of Polemo right Rev: Laureate head of Nero right; ΙΘ (date) downward to left, ETOYC upward to right Ref: RPC II 3831
Here's a little bronze attributed to Pylaimenes II/III Euergetes that features a boukranion - a cow head decoration seen in classical architecture. They were often carved but originated from the neolithic practice of displaying sacrificial cattle heads on the walls of temples. Kings of Paphlagonia, Pylaimenes II/III Euergetes Æ 17mm Circa 133-103 BC Obverse: Facing boukranion. Reverse: [Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΥΛΑΙΜΕΝΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ, winged caduceus. References: SNG BM Black Sea 1555; SNG von Aulock 150 17mm; 3.63g
A nice coin @jb_depew - reviving this thread as a few have shown up recently and I was happy to add one to my collection. Frieze with festoons and bucrania, in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum (Selçuk, Turkey) CC BY-SA 3.0 A bucranium in "Regola delli cinqve ordini d'architettvra" by Vignola, 1507-1573 published in 1602. Public Domain via Archive.org.
