Lycian League, Rhodiapolis
Drachm Circa 167-100 BCE
AR 2.82g 14mm
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right; bow and quiver over shoulder.
Rev: ΛYKIΩN / P – O. Kithara; symbol to lower left; all within incuse square.
Troxell 40; SNG Copenhagen 132.
Ex Emporium Hamburg 2019
Today, the ruins of Rhodiapolis are located at Kumluca, Turkey. The city was compact and located on a hill. Its theater, the sole remaining building from hellenistic times, remains well-preserved and the terraces, formed by cisterns, are still visible. Thermal baths from the 4th century CE are also still extant.
By ancient accounts, the city was founded by settlers from Rhodes, hence its name. It was a small city that was a minor member of the Lycian league, but was large enough to mint its own coins, which are rare. Many of its buildings were financed by a wealthy patron named Opramoas, who is identified in lengthy inscriptions found on the site. He helped significantly after the city was heavily damaged by an earthquake that hit between 140 and 143. The philosopher Heraclitus also lived there.