The Coin and Its Date In the year SE 165 [148/7 BC] Demetrius the Second, the son of Demetrius the First, left Crete and arrived in Syria, the land of his ancestors. When King Alexander heard about this, he was worried and returned to Antioch, the capital of Syria. -1 Maccabees 10:67-68 Seleukid Kingdom, Phoenicia, Sidon, Alexander I Balas (King, 152–145 BC), AR Tetradrachm (16.76 g, 31 mm), dated SE 165 (148/7 BC). Obv: Diademed head of Alexander I right. Rev: ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ ΕΥΕ

E. Babelon, Coinage of the Roman Republic, 1885 The Coin Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius), circa 32 to 31 BC AR denarius (3.39 g, 19 mm), legionary mint moving with the army in western Greece, probably Patrai Obv: ANT AVG III VIR R P C, praetorian galley right, a filleted scepter on the prow Rev: CHORTIS SPECVLATORVM, three standards, each hung with two wreaths and a ship's prow Ref: Crawford 544/12; Babelon, Antonia 103; Sydenham 1214 Cabinet toning, banker's mark on the obvers

The city of Elis administered the sanctuary of Olympia and the Olympic games for most of antiquity. Sulla plundered the sanctuary's treasures in 86 BC to pay his armies during his War with Mithridates of Pontus...

The Heracles Papyrus (Oxford, Sackler Library, Oxyrhynchus Pap. 2331), a fragment of 3rd century Greek manuscript of a poem about the Labors of Heracles. Public Domain Image via WikimediaCommons. Before I dive in, a confession: I like books. Old, slightly yellowed books especially. This note started with a single question: Are books dead? By the end, you won't get a simple "yes" or "no", however, you will get a tour through ancient Latin words and a few data points. A Roman