Benefactor kirispupis Posted March 5 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted March 5 Not long ago, I read Xenophon's Anabasis and was greatly impressed with the world's first (first hand) adventure story. Although I had my hands full with Philip II, Alexander III, and a bevy of Diadochi, I decided to put together a small collection that would help retell that story. After a few recent pickups, I now have enough to temporarily call it complete. I say "temporarily" because there are a few others I wouldn't mind adding, but they're very rare and I'm not sure when/if I'll be able to take a stab at acquiring them. Also note that I've gathered here a rather arbitrary group of coins. Certainly arguments can be made for other ones, but I didn't want it to grow anywhere near the size of my Philip+Alexander+Diadochi collection, which is now targeted at over 400 coins. So, here's my collection. Please post your own coins from the 10,000! We start in Athens, where Xenophon was born. ATTICA, Athens AR Tetradrachm 22.5mm, 17.18g, 1h Circa 454-404 BCE Kroll 8; HGC 4, 1597 Ex CNG inventory June 2004 Ex CNG January 2021 Next, we move to Ataxerxes II, who may have minted this coin. I've attempted to find coinage of Cyrus the Younger, but I haven't found any definitive coins of his. There is some speculation that Persian Siglos with an Aramaic 'm' are his, but that seems a bit arbitrary since it was common for coins to be marked back then for a variety of reasons. I've also read that there exist some coins of his that show the king without a beard, but I've yet to see even a photo of one, let alone one for sale (which I presumably wouldn't be able to afford). Achaemenid Kings of Persia AR-Siglos 5.6 gm, 15mm Sardis. c. 375-340 BCE Obv: King r., dagger and bow. Rev: Incuse rectangle Carradice Type IV C (pl.14, 49); BMC Arabia pl. 27, 19 Ex Akropolis Coins (PeteB) Tissaphernes was probably the Greek's main adversary - especially in the beginning. MYSIA. Astyra. Tissaphernes, Satrap of Mysia circa 400-395 BCE Bronze, 10.5 mm, 0.96 g, 5 h Helmeted head of Athena to right. Rev. ΤΙΣΣΑ Satrap, holding spear in upraised right hand, on horseback right. Klein 255. SNG BN -. Winzer 6.3 Ex J. Metzger Collection Ex Nomos Pharnabazos also arrayed against them at times, though he wasn't super-chummy with Tissaphernes. Cilicia, Tarsos: Pharnabazos 379-374 BCE AR stater, 24mm, 10.3 g Female head facing Bearded and helmeted head left, test cut and two countermarks, one of "bull crossing (with crescent?)" and one of "wolf leaping with crescent at rear" (Callatay countermarks B and C) SNG Cop. 266 Ex Marc Breitsprecher Ex Wayne G Sayles Tiribazos hounded the 10,000 as they crossed his territory, though they didn't fight any direct battles. Cilicia, Soloi Tiribazos, satrap. AR Stater 9.92g, 21mm, 6h Circa 385-380 BCE Bearded head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin around neck Bearded head of satrap to right, wearing bashlyk; ΣΟΛEΩ[N] around SNG BnF 159; Traité II, 566; SNG Levante - Ex Roma Orontas was another adversary, though he had a much longer history quarreling with Tiribazos. Mysia. Adramyttion. Satrap Orontas 4th Century BCE 10.94mm 1.80g Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right Reverse: Protome of Pegasos right Traité Plate CLXX, No. 14. Collection Small 247 Ex Marc Breitsprecher Syennesis tried to play things neutral between Cyrus the Younger and Ataxerxes II, so as to keep his satrapy regardless of the winner. Cilicia, Tarsos AR Stater 10.62g, 20mm, 9h. Circa 440-400 BCE Horseman (Syennesis?) riding to left, wearing kyrbasia, holding lotus flower in right hand and reins in left, bow in bowcase on saddle; key symbol below horse, eagle(?) standing to left behind / Archer in kneeling-running stance to right, quiver over shoulder, drawing bow; key symbol behind, 'trz' in Aramaic on the lower right; all within dotted border within incuse square BMC -; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG Levante -; SNG BnF -, cf. 213 for types = Casabonne Type D2, pl. 2, 10 = MIMAA pl. V, 6 = Traité II, 523 Ex Roma Metokos is an interesting one. This is the name that Xenophon used for the King of the Odrysae. The Greeks contend with his subordinate Seuthes I while in Thrace. My Landmark Xenophon's Anabasis identifies him as Amatokos I. However, it's my understanding that Amatokos came later, and the period for this coin from Metokos is right when Xenophon would have been there, so I believe this is the correct one and that Amatokos I issues (fat issues with grapes) are from a later period. Metokos coins are quite rare, so it's possible the author wasn't aware of them. Kings of Odrysian Thrace, Metokos Circa 407-386 BCE AR Diobol 1.07g, 11mm, 4h Bare head to right MHTOKO, labrys; all within shallow circular incuse. Peykov B0180; Topalov I 3; HGC 3.2, 1685 (trihemiobol). Ex Roma Okay, I admit this one's a stretch. We don't know who this satrap was, but the 10,000 crossed right through the area, so presumably they would have had to deal with him. Troas, Kebren/Satrap 8.68mm, 0.42g 412-399 BCE Obverse: Head of Satrap left, wearing tiara Reverse: KE monogram SNG Copenhagen 261; SNG von Aulock 1547 Ex Marc Breitsprecher This one's only a bit less of a stretch. Here, we know the name of the satrap, but he's not mentioned anywhere in the Anabasis. Still, they were in his vicinity, so they would have had to deal with him. Satraps of Lydia, Gamerses AE 13mm 1.23g Head of a male youth right with long braid hanging down. Zeus standing right, star to left Klein 563 Ex Aegean Numismatics Now we're onto the allies. Gongylos helped Xenophon escape after a botched kidnapping attempt. The only thing is there were three Gongylos' and we're not exactly sure which one minted this coin Mysia, Pergamon 450-400 BCE 1.51g Laureate head of Apollo right Bearded head right, wearing a Persian tiara within an incuse square. ""ΠΕΡΓA"" SNG BN 1546-8 Ex Aegean Numismatics Prokles also helped them to escape, and was himself a descendant of the Spartan king Damaratos. Mysia. Teuthrania. Prokles, Satrap of Teuthrania and Halisarna Circa 400 BCE Ae 10.57mm 0.86g Obverse: Teuthrania. Prokles, Satrap of Teuthrania and Halisarna Reverse: Head of Prokles right. SNG Copenhagen 549; Traité II 42 Ex Savoca Ex Lodge Antiquities 14 1 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted March 5 · Supporter Share Posted March 5 (edited) What an incredible read it is! You feel like you were there as the story unfolds. You can feel the tension as the lie unravels, the Greek pride in their pyrrhic victory and the fear of the unknown as they travel home. As you know "The a travel up country" is what inspired Philip ll and Alexander in conquering Persia! Here are some coins of the time and areas... Edited March 5 by Ryro 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted March 6 · Supporter Share Posted March 6 (edited) I still haven't quite recovered from the part where he describes some tribe in Pontus using dolphin blubber instead of olive oil. But here is a coin of Pharnabazos. Tarsos AR Stater. Then followed by a Zanklean dolphin! Edited March 6 by Deinomenid Typo 13 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panzerman Posted March 9 · Member Share Posted March 9 Nice coins/ great topic! I only have a coin from Artaxerxes II/ Xerxes II 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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