.20g
Turreted female head right. Monogram
Ref CNG 143, 84
Pnytagoras ruled as King of Salamis, then the richest city in Cyprus, between Evagoras II and his son Nikokreon. Recognizing that the citizens of Salamis were tired of being ruled by Persia, he overthrew Evagoras II in 351 BCE.
He then went a step further and supported a rebellion in Sidon against the persians, but this time his bet didn’t work. Sidon was crushed and Pnytagoras was forced to surrender. For some reason, though, Ataxerxes III chose not to kill him, but instead allowed Pnytagoras to keep his rule under the Persians.
Things were all rosy in Cyprus when a guy named Alexander the Great decided to take on the Persians himself. Since Pnytagoras had a good feeling about this guy, he immediately offered his forces, which Alexander made to great use in the Siege of Tyre.
Unfortunately, during an attempt by Azemilkos of Tyre to break the siege of Phoenician and Cypriot ships that blockaded them, a skirmish occurred where Pnytagoras lost his flagship. In repayment for this loss, Alexander took territory away from Tarmassos, who had provided no help during the siege, and gave it to Pnytagoras.
We don’t know, however, whether Alexander gave it to Pnytagoras or to his son Nikokreon. Did Pnytagoras perish on his own flagship? We really don’t know, except by 325 BCE his son was firmly in control.