Ancient Coin Stories

Let coins tell their stories…

Philip III Arrhidaios
AR Tetradrachm 319/318 BCE
16.95g, 26mm, 12h
Struck under Laomedon, in the types of Alexander III. Sidon, dated RY 15 of Abdalonymos = 319/8 BC. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated to left, holding sceptre; ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ to right, O (date) in left field, ΣI below throne.
Price P175; Newell, Dated 45; DCA 878

Sidon is likely among the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet. Even by the time Alexander the Great arrived and the city was surrendered to him without a fight, it had a long and rich history. It was among the most important of the Phoenician cities and was mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts.

A number of different civilizations possessed Sidon, and it was generally the city’s (and Phoenicians’) strategy to bow to whatever empire came along while retaining the right to trade. Before Alexander, the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Persians all controlled the city.

Besides trade, Sidon made a good income from the production of glass.

When Alexander took over, the people of Sidon asked him to choose a king. He chose Abdalonymos, who was related to the Sidon monarchy but had chosen the quiet life of a gardener.

After Alexander the Great’s death, Sidon was first claimed by Perdikkas and then taken by Ptolemy. It remained under Lagid control until Roman times.

Phoenicia, Sidon AR 1/16 Shekel
`Abd`aštart (Straton) I
dated RY 6 = 337/6 BCE 0.86g, 9mm, 12h.
Phoenician galley to left; IIIIII above, waves below / Persian king or hero, holding dagger and standing to right, fighting lion standing to left; [‘B] (in Phoenician) between; all within incuse square.
E&E-S Group IV.5.4.c; DCA 866; HGC 10, 263
Ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung 2012
Ex Roma 2021
1200 BCE

Arados, Byblos, and Sidon are pillaged by “sea peoples”.

876 BCE

Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria makes Arados, Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos tributaries.

701 BCE

Byblos, along with Tyre, Sidon, and Arados, become vassal states to the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib.

586 BCE

Byblos, Tyre, Arados, and Sidon are under Neo-Babylonian control after the fall of the Assyrian Empire, becomes part of Nebuchadnezzar II’s territories.

539 BCE

Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, establishing Persian control over the former Babylonian Empire, which includes the Phoenician cities of Arados, Byblos, Tyre, Edom, and Sidon.

525 BCE

Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, uses Phoenician naval support, including ships from Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos, for his conquest of Egypt.

490 BCE

Arados, Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon continue to contribute ships and resources to the Persian navy under Darius I, playing a key role in the Persian military preparations for the Greco-Persian Wars.

480 BCE
September 26

Aegina plays a significant role in the Greek naval victory against the Persian Empire in the Battle of Salamis. Byblos, Arados, Tyre, and Sidon support Darius. Chalkis supports the Greek effort. Alexander I serves as a peace negotiator on behalf of the Persians.

411 BCE

Arados and Byblos face internal unrest as various local rulers assert their influence under the overall control of Persia. Tyre and Sidon maintain loyalty to Persian rule during this period, continuing their contributions to the Persian navy.

365 BCE

Sidon rises in rebellion against Persian rule under Artaxerxes II. The rebellion is initially successful, but Artaxerxes III eventually suppresses it after Sidon is besieged and captured. The city’s destruction and subsequent punishment mark a decline in Sidon’s prominence.

360 BCE

Approximate date of the founding of Caesaria Maritima by Straton I of Sidon. The original name is Straton’s Tower.

351 BCE

Another major rebellion erupts in Sidon against Persian control, led by Tennes (Tabnit), the king of Sidon, who initially receives support from Egypt and Cyprus. However, Artaxerxes III besieges Sidon and defeats the rebels. The Persians destroy Sidon in retaliation, leading to a massacre where thousands of Sidonians die.

332 BCE

Sidon, Byblos, and Arados submit to Alexander the Great as he travels through Phoenicia.

305 BCE

Byblos, Tyre, Sidon, and Arados become part of the Ptolemaic Empire following the division of Alexander’s empire, aligning with Egypt.

241 BCE

The Ptolemaic Kingdom takes vast territories as a result of the Third Syrian War against the Seleukids. Tyre, Byblos, Sidon, Mallos, Soloi, Tarsos, and Aigai come under Ptolemaic control.

200 BCE

Byblos, Arados, Tyre, and Sidon fall under Seleukid control after the Battle of Panium, as the Seleukids gain dominance in the region.

64 BCE

Pompey incorporates Byblos, Arados, Sidon, Yehud, Edom, and Tyre into the Roman Republic as part of the province of Syria following Rome’s annexation of the eastern Mediterranean.

14 CE

Byblos, Arados, Sidon, and Tyre are formally incorporated into the Roman Empire upon Augustus’ consolidation of the region, gaining status as a Romanized city.