Alkidemos

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Alkidemos, meaning “defender of the people”, was used by Livy to describe the version of Athena worshipped primarily in Macedonia. She was usually depicted with a thunderbolt and aegis.

The passage was (42.51):

This council was held at Pella, the capital of Macedonia. “Let us then,” said Perseus, “wage war with the help of the gods, since thus you decide.” Written orders were despatched to all his generals and he assembled the whole of his forces at Citium, a town in Macedonia. After sacrificing in regal style one hundred victims to Minerva, whom they call Alcidemos, he set out for Citium, accompanied by a number of court nobles and his bodyguard.


Alkidemos | Athena | Helmet | Lagobolon | Pan | Shield | Tetradrachm | Thunderbolt
Kings of Macedon, Antigonos II Gonatas (277/6-239 BCE)
Amphipolis, c. 274/1-260/55 BCE
AR Tetradrachm 31mm, 16.85g, 3h
Horned head of Pan l., lagobolon over shoulder, in the centre of a Macedonian shield
R/ Athena Alkidemos advancing l., preparing to cast thunderbolt; crested Macedonian helmet to inner l., monogram to inner r.
HGC 3, 1042; Panagopoulou 2000 Period I, Group I, #7 (O3, R07) (this coin)
Ex L. de Nicola, Rome Sep 1974

Alexander the Great | Alkidemos | Drapery | Eagle | Elephant | Helmet | Lionskin | Portrait | Ptolemy | Spear | Tetradrachm
Ptolemy I
311-305 BCE
Alexandria
27.5 mm 14.6g 1h
Avers : Buste cornu et diadémé d’Alexandre le Grand sous les traits de Zeus-Ammon à droite, coiffé de la dépouille d’éléphant avec l’égide.
Revers : Athéna Promachos ou Alkidemos marchant à droite, brandissant une javeline de la main droite et tenant un bouclier de la gauche ; dans le champ à gauche, un casque corinthien, un monogramme et un aigle sur un foudre tourné à droite.
Sv.162 (37 ex) – Cop.29 – GC.7750 var. – BMC.- – MP.6
Ex Robert J. Myers Auction 12, lot 291 (December 4, 1975)