Kingdoms carved from Alexander the Great's empire

[kirispupis]

Hello everyone,

Out of interest, I've been putting together a list of kingdoms that meet the following arbitrary requirements:

• Must have been founded after the death of Alexander the Great
• Must occur primarily within territory he controlled
• Must have been ruled primarily by a king or queen (rules out Greek city states)
• Must have issued coins before 1 CE (needed some end date)

The following is what I have so far. Can you think of any others? (Edited: I'll make bold the ones posted. Let's see if we can post them all!)

1. Antigonid
2. Armenia
3. Attalid
4. Baktrian
5. Bithynia
6. Cappadocia (OK, Alexander didn't control this, but it was occupied shortly afterwards by Perdikkas)
7. Characene
8. Cilicia
9. Sophene
10. Galatia
11. Elymais
12. Hyrcania
13. Judea
14. Lagid/Ptolemaic
15. Lysimachid
16. Paphlagonia
17. Parthian
18. Persis
19. Pontic
20. Seleukid
21. Thrace - again a technically, but arguably re-formed under Seuthes III
22. Commagene

The following are kingdoms I felt didn't meet my arbitrary rules:

1. Epeiros, since Alexander never controlled it. His mother Olympias was from there and they allied with Macedon, but AFAIK were never under direct rule.
2. Paeonia (for similar reasons)
3. Bosporus Kingdom (Alexander never ruled that territory, nor did any of the Diadochi)

Adding my Arsames I coin (Sophene)

Edited August 25, 2022 by kirispupis

[kirispupis]

No takers? Feel free to post your own coins from these kingdoms. Maybe we can get them all.

I've thought about this some more and feel that Commagene and Sophene should be separate, so that makes 21 (edited post).

I debated the Mauryan Empire, but that wasn't founded in territory Alexander controlled, though it eventually occupied some of his former empire.

One debate I have is Hyrcania. Andragoras ruled the satrapy of Parthia and Hyrcania and declared his independence from the Seleukids. He was eventually overrun by the Arsacids. Should "Parthia and Hyrcania" be a separate entity, or should I just label it Hyrcania to separate it from Parthia - which is best represented by the Arsacids.

Here's a coin that was probably minted by Andragoras.

[Broucheion]

Hi @kirispupis & All,

My contribution for Ptolemy I Soter.

• From Wikipedia: "When Alexander died in 323 BC, Ptolemy is said to have instigated the settlement of the empire made at Babylon. Through the Partition of Babylon, he was appointed satrap of Egypt, under the nominal kings Philip III and the infant Alexander IV; the former satrap, the Greek Cleomenes, stayed on as his deputy. Ptolemy quickly moved, without authorization, to subjugate Cyrenaica."

 

PTOLEMY I SOTER (SATRAP: 323-305/4 BCE), EGYPT, MEMPHIS, ca 322/321 BCE
Au STATER (TETRADRACHM)
Size: 12x17 mm
Weight: 8.56 g
Die Axis: 0

Obv: Athena head in Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled snake, facing right. Plain border.
Rev: Nike standing facing left, outstreached right hand holds up victor's crown wreath, left downward arm cradles stylis. To right: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ. In left field: Rose above ΔΙ (under wing). Plain border.
Refs: Lorber CPE-15; Svoronos-Unlisted; SNG Copenhagen-6var (Different symbol & monogram); Price 3969; Zervos (1974), Issue 76 [10 recorded, from 3 obverse dies]. This type know with obverse die links to CPE 14 & CPE 16.

- Broucheion

[kapphnwn]

Okay I will bite. Ar Drachm Kingdom of Cappadocia  Ariarathes V Eusebia-Mazaca 130 BC Obv head right diademed Rv  Athena standing left holding Nike. Simonetta 15 4.18 grms 18 mm Phot by W. Hansen

This individual was active in the politics of the region but generally had a pro Roman bias. Non the less he was a strong philhellene  and was honored with Athenian citizenship. 

[Marsyas Mike]

Great idea for a thread @kirispupis - I'd like to tap in with the Characene Kingdom.  I'm very fond of the countermarked tetradrachms, which are not very pretty, but kinda lovable nonetheless.  Attambelos IV issued a bunch of coins around the time of Nero, but the countermarks were applied years later, around the time the kingdom was disrupted by Trajan's eastern expansion (Characene seems to have yielded to the Romans without a fight, though the area wasn't annexed, I think).  Everything I know about these comes from Ed Dobbins here:  https://www.academia.edu/4435446/Countermarked_Characene_Tetradrachms_of_Attambelos_IV.

The one on the left has three countermarks, the one on the right only two- note the "diadem" countermark is always redundantly placed on the bust's diadem - which is kind of cool if you are a countermark geek: 

Kingdom of Characene  Æ Tet. Attambelos IV  SE 375 (63-64 A.D.) See note. Charax-Spasinu Mint Diademed, bearded head right / [BAC...] ATTAM[...], Herakles seated left on rock, holding club; monogram 13 above, symbol ? above knee; [(date) in exergue]. cf. BMC 7;  DCA 490. (14.54 grams / 23 x 22 mm) eBay June 2022  Note:  Reverse monogram 13 for SE 375 only (63-64 A.D.) Countermark Dobbins 1:  Monogram in 4 x 4 mm square.  (c. 113-142 A.D.)  Countermark Dobbins 5: Anchor 4 x 6 mm outlined. (c. 64-103 A.D.) Countermark Dobbins 6:  "Tied diadem" 3 x 5 mm (c. 64-103 A.D.) Ed Dobbins, AJN 1995-1996.

Kingdom of Characene  Æ Tet. Attambelos IV  SE 375 (63-64 A.D.) See note. Charax-Spasinu Mint Diademed, bearded head right / [BAC...] ATTA[M...], Herakles seated left on rock, holding club; monogram 13 above, [symbol above knee]; [(date) in exergue]. cf. BMC 7;  DCA 490. (13.40 grams / 24 x 21 mm) eBay June 2022  Note:  Reverse monogram 13 for SE 375 only (63-64 A.D.) Countermark Dobbins 1:  Monogram in 4 x 4 mm square. (c. 113-142 A.D.)  Countermark Dobbins 6: "Tied diadem" 3 x 5 mm (c. 64-103 A.D.) "Countermarked Characene Tetradrachms of Attambelos IV" by Ed Dobbins, AJN 1995-1996.

 

[kirispupis]

@kapphnwnthat Ariarathes V is stunning!

@Marsyas MikeCharacene is one of those I don't have, so good add.

Thought I'd add Bithynia. Nikomedes I is one of the few where I have two coins.

[John Conduitt]

I'm not entirely sure what the rules are, but Seleucid is in the list...

Antiochos II Theos Æ18, 261-246BCSardis. Bronze, 18mm, 3.96g. Laureate head of Apollo right. Tripod of Delphi; to left, monogram of HAP; to right, ΜIΛ; in exergue, anchor; (Β)ΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ (Α)ΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ (SC 522.1).

[John Conduitt]

Parthia too...

Phraates II Chalkous, 132-127BCEkbatana, Parthian Kingdom. Bronze, 15mm, 1.68g. Diademed, short-bearded bust left, no symbols, circular border of pellets. Elephant advancing right on exergual line; no border; legends to left and right, four-line Greek inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ (Of Great King Arsaces, of Divine Descent) (Sellwood 16.29).

[John Conduitt]

This is pushing it, but for 3 years it was the 'last Kingdom of Israel'...

Simon Bar Kokhba Revolt, 132-133Judaea. Bronze, 17.5mm, 5.92g. Grape bunch on tendril with branch and small vine leaf; שנת אחת לגאלת ישראל (year one of the redemption of Zion). Seven-branched palm tree with two bunches of dates; כ ה זנ רה א לע (ELAZAR HaKOHEN, Eleazar the Priest) (Meshorer 224).

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Did the rulers of Media issue coins?

[Edessa]

Kings of Persis. Ardaxšir (Artaxerxes) II. Circa 1st century BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.66g, 3h). Obv: Diademed bust left, wearing mural crown. Rev: Ardaxšir (Artaxerxes) II standing left, holding scepter and sacrificing before altar. Ref: Alram 572; Tyler Smith 74-77; Sunrise 596. Very Fine, toned.