Tetradrachm Silver, 27 mm, 17.11 g, 12 h
Salamis, struck under Menelaus, circa 315-306
Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; to left, monogram and rudder; below throne, monogram of ΠE.
Price 3165. Light marks and with traces of overstriking
It’s good to be the brother of the king. Such was the case with Menelaus, the brother of Ptolemy I. We don’t know much about him growing up, as he wasn’t mentioned in the adventures of Alexander.
However, in 315 BCE, Menelaus was given the job of subjugating Cyprus, which at that time was ten separate little kingdoms. This he did in turn, killing Pumiathon and ending the monarchies of all other kingdoms, save a puppet state in Salamis.
Things were going quite well in Cyprus when Demetrios Poliorketes stopped by. His name means “Besieger of Cities” and every time he noticed a fortified city he couldn’t help himself. Menelaus, fearing for his life, got behind the walls and barely head on.
Lucky for him, his brother Ptolemy arrived with the entire Egyptian fleet. Now Demetrios had something to fear. Unfortunately for them, Demetrios also happened to be a pretty good naval commander, and in a stunning upset that he depicted on his coins for years to come, he destroyed the entire Egyptian fleet.
Menelaus was captured, but Demetrios wasn’t that bad of a guy. He shipped Menelaus back to Egypt with some party gifts, then took possession of Cyprus.
Ptolemy I Soter gives Seleukos I Nikator a small fleet, which he uses to force Asandros to ally with Ptolemy. He also takes Erythrai and besieges Kition along with Menelaos.
Demetrios Poliorketes captures Cyprus from Ptolemy I Soter and Menelaus – including Salamis, Kourion, Soloi, Paphos, and Amathos.