Ancient Coin Stories

Kyrene founded by settlers from Thera, with help from navigators at Itanos. Battos I becomes its first king.

Death of Battos I of Kyrene. His son Arkesilaos I becomes king and accomplishes nothing that we remember.

Death of Arkesilaos I of Kyrene. His son Battos II takes power who keeps the sovereignty of Kyrene over Egypt.

The indigenous Libyans ask Pharaoh Apries for help against the Greeks in Kyrene. He is defeated at the Battle of Irasa.

Foundation of Barke according to Herodotus

Death of Battos II of Kyrene. His son Arkesilaos II takes power and oversees the decline of the dynasty.

Arkesilaos II of Kyrene is deated by exiles from Kyrene and Barke, then strangled by his advisor Learchos, who is then killed when he returns to the city to become king. Battos III becomes king.

Battos III of Kyrene makes a pact with Pharaoh Amasis II. Amasis marries his daughter Ladike.

Death of Battos III of Kyrene, who with Demonax of Mantineia had reformed Kyrene’s constitution. Arkesilaos III becomes king.

Euhesperides founded by settlers most likely from Kyrene.

Arkesilaos III of Kyrene makes a pact with Cambyses II of Persia.

Arkesilaos III of Kyrene wishes to revert the laws setup by Demonax of Mantineia. This leads to armed conflict where he is defeated and flees to Samos.

Arkesilaos III returns to Kyrene from Samos and is able to take the city. Fearing a backlash, he leaves to his father-in-law in Barka, where he is recognized by exiles and killed. His mother Pheretima takes over Kyrene.

Aryandes, the satrap of Egypt, besieges Barke

Death of Pheretima, ruler of Kyrene. Battos IV, son of Arkesilaos III, takes over.

Death of Battos IV, king of Kyrene, which became a client kingdom of Persia during his reign. Leadership falls to his son, Arkesilaos IV.

Arcesilaos IV achieves victory in the chariot race at the Pythian games, and uses the victory to encourage settlers to Euhesperides.

Arkesilaos IV, king of Kyrene, wins a chariot race at the Pythian Games in Delphi.

Kyrene gives refuge to Athenian soldiers who had been defeated by the Persians in Egypt.

The unpopular Arkesilaos IV and his son are killed and beheaded by citizens of Kyrene, which ends the Battiad dynasty.

Euhesperides is besieged by Libyan forces under Nasamones.

Spartan forces travelling to Sicily are taken by winds to Kyrene, who gives them ships to return.

Approximate year that Ariston takes control over Kyrene and kills 500 prominent citizens.

Messenians sent away from Naupaktos travel to Kyrene and join in the effort against Ariston, but most are killed.

Kyrene sends offers of friendship to Alexander the Great in Egypt, but do not come under Macedonian control.

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.

The Sparta mercenary Thibron gathers exiles from Kyrene and Barke in Cretea and takes the city. However, one of his officers defects to the other side and he is ousted. Euhesperides supports him.

Thibron returns to Kyrene and Barke and takes them again.

Ophellas is sent by Ptolemy I to occupy Kyrene and succeeds.

Kyrene is considered part of the territory of Ptolemy I at the Treaty of Triparidisos.

The people of Kyrene attempt to oust the Macedonian garrison of Ptolemy I under Ophellas, but fail.

Agathokles persuades Ophellas of Kyrene to join him as an ally against Carthage. Agathokles at first receives him warmly, then attacks his camp unexpectedly, kills Ophellas, and claims his troops.

Marriage of Demetrios Poliorketes to Eurydike, an Athenian noblewoman and the widow of Ophellas of Kyrene.

Kyrene ousts the garrison of Ptolemy I.

Magas reestablishes the control of Ptolemy I at Kyrene.

Magas refuses to submit to Ptolemy II Philadelphos and declares himself king of Kyrene.

Death of Magas, king of Kyrene. His wife Apama takes over.

Euhesperides is relocated and renamed to Berenike.

Berenike II marries Ptolemy III, bringing control of Kyrene back to the Ptolemies.

Kyrene is established as a separate kingdom by Ptolemy VIII after he is banished.

Kyrene becomes part of the Roman Empire.

Kyrene receives its first Roman governor, Publius Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus.

The Roman Senate chooses Gortyna over Knossos as the capital of the new province Crete and Kyrene.

A massive Jewish revolt breaks out in Kyrene. Nearly all of the city’s buildings are destroyed.

Hadrian visits Kyrene.

Much of Kyrene is destroyed by an earthquake.

An earthquake destroys Aptera, Gortyna, Eleutherna, and Knossos on Crete. Alexandria is devastated by a tsunami, and Kyrene is also affected by the same tsunami. Kydonia is also damaged. In the Peloponnese, Messene is affected.