Ancient Coin Stories

Let coins tell their stories…

Apollo | Krater
Praxippos of Lapethos
circa 330-312 BCE
Æ 15mm, 2,38g
Head of Apollo left; [ΠΡ behind] /
Krater; [BA] to right
Tziambazis 49; BMC pl. XX, 2; Sear 5749; Traité II 1364, pl. CXXXVI

Lapethos was one of the ancient kingdoms of Cyprus. Its last independent king was Praxippos. Nonnus, in his long-winded Dionysiaca, mentioned that it was founded by an eponymous Lapethos, who was a follower of Dionysos.

The kingdom was destroyed by Ptolemy I when Lapethos sided against him by supporting Antigonos. Thereafter the name Lapethos became synonymous with stupidity.

709 BCE

Cyprus, including Salamis, Amathos, Paphos, Soloi, Lapethos, Kourion, and Kition, liberates itself from the domination of Tyre.

569 BCE

Cyprus, including Kourion, Amathos, Paphos, Lapethos, Salamis, Soloi, and Kition, comes under Egyptian administration.

545 BCE

All of Cyprus, including Kourion, Amathos, Paphos, Lapethos, Salamis, Soloi, and Kition,comes under Persian control.

312 BCE

Menelaus, brother to Ptolemy I, conquers the city states of Cyprus – Salamis, Kition, Kourion, Amathos, Lapethos, Paphos, and Soloi. He kills Pumiathon, king of Kition and arrests Praxippos of Lapethos, and destroys Marion with Stasioikos, then transports its citizens to Paphos.

58 BCE

Cyprus, including Amathos, Soloi, Salamis, Kition, Paphos, Lapethos, and Kourion, is annexed by Rome after Publius Clodius Pulcher, a Roman tribune, convinces the Roman Senate to declare Cyprus a Roman province.

47 BCE

Cyprus, including Kourion, Amathos, Paphos, Lapethos, Salamis, Soloi, and Kition, goes to Marc Antony and Kleopatra VII.

31 BCE

All of Cyprus, including Kourion, Amathos, Paphos, Lapethos, Salamis, Soloi, and Kition, returns to Roman rule.

22 BCE

Cyprus, including Kourion, Amathos, Paphos, Lapethos, Salamis, Soloi, and Kition, is separated from Cilicia into its own province.