In 133 BCE, King Attalos III of Pergamum died without an heir and bequeathed his entire kingdom to Rome. Aristonikos, who claimed to be an illegitimate son of Attalos’ father King Eumenes II, rose to challenge Rome’s takeover. Aristonikos took the dynastic name Eumenes III, presenting himself as the rightful king and rallying support for his cause.

The Queen of Sheba: according to the biblical narrative (2 Chronicles 9:1-12; 1 Kings 10:1-13), the Queen of Sheba learns of King Solomon...

Kroton (aka Croton, which today is modern Crotone in Calabria, Italy) was founded around 710 BC by Achaean Greek settlers, according ...

Today's note is all about the pomegranate and more than 300 years of coins from Side (Σίδη), Pamphylia (Παμφυλία). For those who would...

Cilicia was a Persian military base in the 4th century BC and after Alexander defeated Achaemennid King Darius III at Issos it was...

2024 has had ups and downs - it seems that every year I start with same thought. This has been an unusual year with and earth quake,...

A nice glass of red wine would go well with today's post. There is evidence of wine making in Thrace from 4300 BC. The coins of interest are silver and copper coins of "free and independent" cities of Thrace after the end of the Third Macedonian War. The Black Corinth Grape (Vitis vinifera cv.). Colored etching by W. Clark, c. 1835 . Public domain with thanks to the Wellcome Collection. Thrace. Maroneia. (398-385 BC). AR Triobol. (3.01g/ 12mm). Horse forepart, left/ Grape bun

Today's coin of interest was minted by Mazaeus who served as Satrap of Cilicia for Darius III of Persia and for Alexander III who...

The site of Kebren is located in the central area of the Troad, on the slopes of Çal Dağ, which translates to "mountain of shrubs", a weste

When is a coin ancient? and when medieval? and when modern? In my notes, I am often crossing these categories, although Roman Republic...

The curious type of the Hydria is taken from the παράσημον (insignia) of the City of Crannon. It was customary in the time of drought ...

"Better one sparrow in thy hand than a thousand on the wing" - Proverbs of Ahikar the Wise, 6th Century Assyria, #51

Humans have been making images of cattle for many millennia - this painting from Lascaux caves depicts aurochs (wild ancestors of domesticated cattle), horses and deer. The Magdalénien people of the Upper Paleolithic in western Europe that produced these paintings are estimated to have lived 12,000-17,000 years ago. Image from Prof. Saxx of a Lascaux cave painting, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons My latest ancient coin has a beautiful image of a bull facing on the obver

Where did the people of ancient Rome originate? How do we connect the varied myths of Rome's founding from Virgil's Aeneid to the...

Phorcys and Ceto were the father and mother of the Gorgons (Phorycides), three sisters, Sthenno, Euryale, and Medusa. When Perseus killed...

There are multiple versions of the story of Pandora. Hesiod, who is thought to have lived between 750 and 650 BC, describes the creation...

The Bronze head of Seuthes III from the Golyamata Kosmatka Tomb Today's coin is from an obscure King, from Odrysia a part of Thrace. Comparing the portrait on the coin with the bronze head of Seuthes III - there is little question about the resemblance of these two portraits. The reverse reads ΣΕΥΘΟΥ (Seuthes in the genitive - belonging to Seuthes). Greek Coins, Kings of Thrace (Odrysian), Seuthes III (circa 330/25-295 BC), AE (5.05g, 22mm), mint: Seuthopolis Obv: Bearded por

Demos (the people), Boule (the city council), and Gerousia (the council of elders) can be found as personifications of municipal...

In antiquity, the city-state of Lacedaemon (Λακεδαίμων) with Sparta as its main settlement on the banks of the Eurotas River was located ...

The Capitolia were games (held every 4 years) established by Domitian in 86 AD in Rome. "In 86 AD, emperor Domitian organized the first...