ca 1st century BCE
Æ 18,3mm, 4.6g
Turreted bust of Tyche r.
R/ Hermes standing left, holding phiale and caduceus
SNG Levante Suppl. 222 . cf. SNG France 1153
Elaiussa Sebaste’s name derives from Elaion, which is the Greek word for “olive” and indeed the ancient city was famed for its olives. By ancient standards, it was a relatively young city, having been founded in the 2nd century BCE.
During Augustan times, the Cappadocian king Archelaos lived here, which moved the city to better times that reached their apex when the Romans rid Cilicia of pirates. The city waned in the 6th century CE, but its ruins are now well preserved and include an aqueduct and theater.