Ancient Coin Stories

Amisos founded by settlers from Miletos.

The Lelantine War between Chalkis and Eretria results in a Chalkis victory and Eretria’s loss of Andros, Tenos, and Koressos, Ioulis, and Karthaia on Kea. Miletos joined the side of Eretria and Samos and Thessaly on the side of Chalkis.

Abydos founded by settlers from Miletos.

Abdera begun as a colony of Klazomenai.

Ephesos is burned by Kimmerians.

Eresos, Kyme, Mytiliene, Methymna, Pitane, Eliaia, Larissa, Neonteichos, Aigai, Antandros, Temnos, Gryneion, and Smyrna become members of the Aeolian League, an association of Greek city-states in the region.

Carthage wins a significant victory against the Greek city of Phokaia near Corsica, marking the beginning of its rivalry with Greek settlements in the western Mediterranean.

King Croesus of the Lydians conquers Ephesos.

King Croesus of Lydia is defeated by the Persian general Harpagos. As a result, Ephesos comes under Persian rule.

Aspendos and Chios come under Persian domination.

Abdera settled by Ionians from Teos, who were escaping Persian subjugation.

Athens, Eretria, and the Ionian cities are defeated by the Persians at the Battle of Ephesos.

Histaios of Miletos founds the city of Myrkinos, on the site of what later would be Amphipolis. Aristagoras, also of Miletos, would later occupy the city and perish in the siege of a nearby town.

The Battle of Lade is fought between the Ionians under Dionysos of Phokaia and the Persians. Chios has the largest contingent, followed by Miletos, Lesbos (probably Mytilene), Samos, Teos, Priene, Erythrai, Myos, and Phokaia. Most fled during the battle, but the Chians put up a bold resistance before defeat.

The Persians are defeated at the Battle of Mykale. An alliance of Athens, Sparta, and Corinth. As a result, Chios and Ephesos are liberated from Persian rule.

Delian League founded by Athens, with its regular meeting place at Delos. Ephesos, Gargara, and Eresos are members.

First mention of Airai in tribute records to Athens.

Erythrai secedes from the Delian League before Athens installs a garrison and they rejoin.

Peace of Kallias, an agreement between Athens and Persia after a series of conflicts between them. In Cyprus, Amathos and Salamis remain under Persian control but maintains its local autonomy. Ephesos, Miletos, Priene, Klazomenai, and Phokaia also obtain some autonomy.

Samos revolts from Athens. Sparta considers war in their support, but the matter is put to a vote and Corinth disagrees. Peace between Sparta and Athens continues and Athens squashes the revolt.

Chios, Erythrai, and Klazomenai revolt against Athens and is besieged until relieved by Sparta.

Abydos convinced to defect from Delian league by Sparta. The Chians also convince Lebedos and Airai to defect.

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

Sparta defeats the Athenian fleet based in Samos.

During a battle between Deryklidas of Sparta and Pharnabazos with Tissaphernes, men from Priene and Achilleion fighting with the Spartans fled. Hamaxitos thus receives its freedom again.

Theopompos, a historian credited with the most complete history of Philip II, is born on Chios.

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.

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.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesos is burned down by a lunatic who did so to become famous for burning it down.

The Persians are driven out of Assos and Ephesos by Alexander the Great.

Erythrai submits to Alexander the Great, who plans to create a canal on the peninsula to connect Teos to Smyrna.

Amathos under Androkles, Salamis, and Soloi in Cyprus submit to Alexander the Great after his victory over the Persian Empire at the Battle of Issos. Chios also comes under Macedon.

Memnon of Rhodes uses a Persian fleet to secure Chios, then Antissa, Eresos, Mytilene, and Pyrrha.

Alexander the Great returns to Memphis and is informed that the oracles at Didama and Erythrai proclaimed him a son of Zeus.

Ephesos comes under Lysimachos, who forces everyone to move to a new settlement that he names after his wife Arsinoe.

Lysimachos executes his son Agathokles for treason, and Ephesos revolts as a result.

Lysimachos defeated at the Battle of Coropedion. Adramytteion, Ainos, and Abydos come under control of the Seleukid Empire. Ephesos returns to its original name.

Abydos and Ephesos conquered by Ptolemy III of Egypt.

Abydos and Ephesos seized by Antiochos III of the Seleukid Empire.

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

Antiochos III, desiring to meet Rome in battle, is detained by the cities of Alexandria Troas, Smyrna, and Lampsakos, which refused entreaties.

Antiochos III is defeated by Scipio Asiaticus at the Battle of Magnesia. Through treaty, Ephesos comes under the Attalids.

Adramytteion, Attalaia, Erythrai, Ephesos, and Assos come under Roman control after Attalos III, the last Attalid king, leaves it to Rome in his will.

The Kingdom of Pergamon is fully incorporated into the Roman Empire, bringing Aigai, Pergamon, Ephesos, Smyrna, Thyateira, Sardis, Magnesia, Kyzikos, Miletos, and Kolophon under its domain.

Manius Aquillius is governor of Asia and rebuilds the road from Adramytteion to Smyrna.

Adramytteion, Ephesos, Pergamon, Magnesia, Tralles, Apamea, Kolophon, Smyrna, and Sardis occupied by Mithridates VI as part of the Mithridatic Wars against Rome.

Ephesos returns to Roman rule and is taxed harshly by Sulla.

Sulla defeats Mithridates VI and ends the Mithridatic Wars with the Treaty of Dardanos. Adramytteion, Ephesos, Pergamon, Smyrna, Sardis, Tralles, Kolophon, Apamea, and Magnesia return to Roman control.

King Ptolemy XII Auletes retires to Ephesos when the Roman Senate refuses to reinstate him to the throne.

Octavian defeats Sextus Pompey, the son of Pompey the Great, in the naval Battle of Naulochos, solidifying his control over Rome’s grain supply.

Ephesos serves as a naval base for Marc Antony and Kleopatra.

Augustus makes Ephesos the capital of Asia over the previous Pergamon.

Herod I of Judea funds a stoa on Chios.

Adramytteion, Aigai, Apollonis, Smyrna, Sardis and Magnesia are severely damaged by an earthquake. Tiberius provides financial support.

Chios suffers a destructive earthquake but is rebuilt with aid from the Roman Empire.

Adramytteion, Ephesos, Smyrna, Magnesia, Pergamon, Nikaia, and Kyzikos suffer damage during an invasion of the Goths.