Circa 168-30 BCE
Æ 0.79g, 10mm, 1h
Laureate head of Apollo to right /
[ΠΑΤΑ]ΡΕΩΝ, head of Artemis to left, wearing stephane
BMC 5-8; SNG von Aulock 8492; SNG Copenhagen 114; Weber 7289
Patara was the birthplace of Saint Nicholas in 270 CE, long before he became Santa.
There are a number of ruins at the site, though it is currently threatened by illegal developers.
Myth has the city founded by Pataros, who was a son of Apollo and had an oracle to the god that was considered second only to that of Delphi. Supposedly, the oracle only worked during the six winter months.
315 BCE
Patara occupied and used as a naval base by Antigonos Monophthalmos.
304 BCE
Patara is used as a naval base by Demetrios Poliorketes during his siege of Rhodes.
196 BCE
Antiochos III captures Patara and makes it the capital of Lycia.
167 BCE
Patara is occupied by Rhodes.
88 BCE
Patara is besieged by Mithridates VI.
43 CE
Patara is annxed by the Roman Empire and made part of Pamphylia.