Ancient Coin Stories

The Persians under commander Harpagos conquer the area around Idyma.

The historian Herodotus is born in Halikarnassos.

The tyrant Lygdamis II puts to death the poet Panyasis, which causes the historian Herodotus to leave Halikarnassos.

The famed Athenian playwright Sophocles is named general against the Anaians.

Athenians, needing money for a siege of Mytilene, attempt to take it from Carian cities but are attacked and defeated by soldiers of Anaia.

Euromos is among the Carian cities that revolt against Athens during the Peloponnesian War.

Chios sends ten vessels to Anaia in order to gain intelligence of Miletos and convince them to revolt.

Iasos is governed by Amorges, a Persian who had achieved independence from Persia. Iasos is attacked by Spartans, who deliver Amorges to Tissaphernes and plunder the city.

Sparta sets sail from Knidos and arrives at Kamiros with 94 ships. The inhabitants are at first terrified, but then the Spartans convince all of Rhodes to secede from Athens.

New city of Rhodes created from the main cities of the island, including Kamiros, Ialysos, and Lindos.

The Spartan Lysander takes Iasos, kills all men of fighting age, sells the women and children into slavery, and levels the city.

Hekatomnos becomes king of Caria, then including Halikarnassos, under the Persian Empire.

Euromos participates in the rebellion of the Persian satrap Cyrus the Younger against his brother, King Artaxerxes II.

Eresos, Byzantion, Chios,Mytilene, Methymna, Rhodes, Thebes, Korkyra, Eretria, Kios, Samos, Naxos, Andros, Myrina (Lembos), Hephaistia, Imbros, and Thasos join the Second Athenian League, reaffirming its alliance with Athens in response to the growing threat of Persian interference and internal Greek conflicts.

Mausolos moves the capital of the Hekatomnid Satrapy from Mylasa to Halikarnassos.

Chios, Rhodes, Kos, and Byzantion revolt against Athens in the Social War. Myrina and Hephaistia on Lemnos and Imbros (Athenian allies) are ravaged and Samos is besieged. After bungling by the Athenian general Chares, Persia demands Athens leave and Athens, running out of money, complies.

Construction of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Death of Mausolos at Halikarnassos and reign of his sister Artemisia II.

Death of Artemisia II at Halikarnassos and reign of her brother Idreios.

Death of Idreios at Halikarnassos and reign of his wife and sister Ada.

Ada is usurped by her brother Pixodaros in Halikarnassos.

Alexander the Great besieges and eventually takes Halikarnassos, which is strongly defended by Memnon of Rhodes.

A food crisis erupts in the Greek world that was likely caused by Alexander the Great’s campaigns in the East, which disrupted traditional trade routes. Kyrene sends grain to many cities including Athens, Sparta, Rhodes, Thebes, Argos, and Atrax.

An earthquake destroys Kamiros.

The Lyttian War is fought between an alliance led by Knossos and one led by Polyrhenion. On the side of Knossos were Rhodes, the Aetolian League, and Kydonia. On the side of Polyrhenion were Lyttos, Macedon, and the Achaian League.

Eleutherna triggers the Lyttian War by accusing Rhodes of murdering their leader Timarchos.

Philip V of Macedon winters his fleet at Bargylia while blockaded by the fleets of Pergamon and Rhodes.

During the Second Macedonian War between Rome and Philip V of Macedon, Aegira, the Aetolian League, Corinth, Sikyon, Patrai, Athens, Pergamon, and Rhodes support Rome.

Andros captured by a fleet of Rome, Pergamon, and Rhodes. It becomes part of the Attalid Kingdom.

Philip V is forced to remove his garrisons from Iasos, Euromos, Pedasa, Bargylia, Abydos, Thasos, Myrina, and Perinthos.

Treaty of Apamea. Euromos, and Abydos returned to the Kingdom of Pergamon.

Construction of the Temple of Zeus Lepsinos begins in Euromos.

The Temple of Zeus Lepsinos in Euromos is completed during the reign of Emperor Domitian.

A major earthquake destroys Rhodes. Funds for is rebuilding are given by Antoninus Pius.

Kamiros destroyed for the second time by an earthquake.