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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TheRed, post: 3101572, member: 87080&quot;]As some on this forum may know, I am a fan of Seleukos I Nikator and his coins.&nbsp; I recently picked up an interesting coin that was minted in his name.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]784964[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">Seleukos I Nikator AR Tetradrachm circa 280 B.C. Pergamon mint. Struck under Philetairos, in the name of Seleukos I, types of Alexander III of Macedon. </font></p><p><font size="3">29.5mm, 17.12 g. </font></p><p><font size="3">Obv. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin. </font></p><p><font size="3">Rev: Zeus Aëtophorus seated left; in left field, helmeted head of Athena right; crescent below throne. </font></p><p><font size="3">SC 308b; HGC 9, 125a. </font></p><p><br /></p><p>What makes this tetradrachm so interesting to me is that it was struck in the city of Pergamon by Philetairos, founder of the Attalid dynasty, in the name of Seleukos I Nikator, the founder of the Seleucid Empire, shortly after his assassination by a son of Ptolemy I Soter, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty.</p><p><br /></p><p>After several years of peace, the Diadochi resumed their incessant struggle for Alexander&#039;s Empire in 308 B.C. in what became known as the 4th War of the Diadochi.&nbsp; The war came to a climactic end at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 B.C. with the death of Antigonus I Monophthalmus against a coalition of Lysimachus, Kassander, and Seleukos.&nbsp; After the battle the division of the realm of Antigonus gave western Anatolia, including Pergamon, to Lysimachus.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Lysimachus would establish a mint in Pergamon that issued an abundance of tetradrachms.&nbsp; He also entrusted the royal treasury, rumored to consist of over 9,000 talents of silver, and the city itself, to an officer and eunuch named Philetairos.&nbsp; Due to some unknown reason, Philetaeros deserted Lysimachus in 282 B.C. and offered his allegiance, the city of Pergamon, and the treasury to Seleukos I Nikator.&nbsp; Unsurprisingly, war between the two kingdoms quickly commenced and the at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 B.C. the 80 year old Lysimachus was killed.&nbsp; As a result of his victory, Seleukos I Nikator (nominally) controlled almost all of Alexander&#039;s old empire save Egypt.&nbsp; It was not to last.&nbsp; &nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Upon crossing into Thrace, Seleukos I was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos.&nbsp; Ptolemy Keraunos was the oldest son of the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, Ptolemy I Soter.&nbsp; Ptolemy I Soter had named his younger son heir apparent, and as a half brother and potential rival, Keraunos was not safe in Egypt.&nbsp; He had fled to Seleukos to solicit aid, but murdered him in an attempt to gain the crown of Macedon.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>With the death of Seleukos, Pergamon became a de facto independent kingdom, while still nominally part of the Seleucid empire.&nbsp; Under Philetaeros the city greatly expanded both economically and in size.&nbsp; New fortifications and temples were constructed for the city.&nbsp; It would go on to become a center of art, science, architecture, and literature in the Hellenistic world under Attalid rule, which lasted for almost 150 years.</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to post your coins of Pergamon, Seleukos, the Attalids, or anything else you think is relevant.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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