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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Herodotus, post: 4738129, member: 111387&quot;]I&#039;m wanting to do a proper write-up on this coin, but having been busy recently, I haven&#039;t the time yet.&nbsp; Some sourced references are copied below.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1158830[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>KINGS of CAPPADOCIA. Ariarathes I. </b>333-322 BC. AR Drachm. Gaziura mint.</p><p><b>O: </b>Baal of Gaziura seated left, torso facing, holding grapes, grain ear, and eagle in extended right hand, lotus-tipped scepter in left; B’L GZYR (in Aramaic) to right</p><p><b>R:</b> Griffin left attacking stag kneeling left</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Ariarathes I minted campaign coinage at Gaziura inscribed with legends in Aramaic, the imperial language of the Achaemenids. On the reverse of one of Ariarathes&#039;s Gaziura coins, a griffin is depicted attacking a kneeling stag with Ariarathes&#039;s name is inscribed as &#039;rywrt. The obverse of the same coin depicts a Zeus-like impression of the God Baal with wreath and sceptre in his left hand. In his right hand, on which an eagle is perched, the seated figure holds ears of corn and a vine-branch with grapes. The obverse features the inscription b&#039;lgzyr (&quot;Ba&#039;al Gazir&quot;, i.e. &quot;Lord of Gaziura&quot;). Stylistically, this particular issue of coinage by Ariarathes resembles the coins issued by Achaemenid satrap Mazaeus at Tarsos in Cilicia. The Iranologist Mary Boyce and the historian Frantz Grenet note that the Zeus-like depiction of a seated Baal could actually be portraying the Zoroastrian Ahura Mazda or Mithra.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><i>The <b>Kingdom of Cappadocia</b> was a Hellenistic-era kingdom centered in the historical region of Cappadocia in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). It developed from the former Achaemenid satrapy of Cappadocia, and it was founded by its last satrap, Ariarathes (later Ariarathes I). Throughout its history, it was ruled by three families in succession; the House of Ariarathes (331-96 BC), the House of Ariobarzanes (96 BC-36 BC), and lastly that of Archelaus (38 BC-17 AD)[<i>contradictory</i>]. In 17 AD, following the death of Archelaus, during the reign of Roman emperor Tiberius (14-37), the kingdom was incorporated as a Roman province.</i></p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p><i><i><b>Origins and history</b></i></i></p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p><i><i>Ariarathes I had been satrap of Cappadocia for 19 years and a loyal supporter of the Achaemenid kings. By blood, he was related to the ruling Achaemenid house (&quot;Cyrus and Darius&#039; Seven&quot;) as well as other satraps. When Alexander of Macedon invaded the area as part of his conquest, he appointed two temporary governors. Following Alexander&#039;s death, Ariarathes I managed to assume power in Cappadocia, and become the first king of the newly established Kingdom of Cappadocia. Ariarathes&#039;s line would provide the first ten kings of the kingdom. After a period of Seleucid overlordship, the Cappadocian Kingdom gained its independence during the reign of Ariarathes III (c. 255-220). The Ariarathid dynasty was abolished by the early course of the 1st century BC by the ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus, the infamous Mithridates VI (<i>Eupator</i>), this in an attempt to fully subdue the Cappadocian Kingdom. However, in &quot;conflict&quot; with the interests of the Roman Republic, the latter supported the Cappadocians to choose a new king; this came to be another Iranian nobleman, namely, Ariobarzanes I. Following the civil war in Rome, the latter would now interfere more directly in Cappadocian affairs; in 36 BC, Marcus Antonius appointed Archelaus, a local noble, to the Cappadocian throne. When, at an old age, Tiberius summoned him to Rome, he died there of natural causes; Cappadocia was subsequently incorporated as a fully functioning Roman province. Due to the kingdom&#039;s perilous location amongst powerful neighbors, the kings were often involved in beneficial marriage alliances, such as with the Mithridatic dynasty as well as the Seleucid dynasty.</i></i></p><p><i><i><br /></i></i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>NEXT: </i></b>A coin featuring one of Ariarathes I progeny[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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