Tetradrachm (Silver, 26 mm, 17.08 g, 8 h)
Susa, circa 296/5-281.
Laureate head of Zeus to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΣEΛEΥKOΥ Athena, brandishing spear overhead in her right hand and holding shield in her left, standing right in quadriga of elephants moving to right; above to right, spearhead; before elephants, monogram of MΩ. SC 177.2.
This coin I nickname my “time machine.” Why do I call it so? Because unlike most of my other coins, which depict deities doing deity-like things or weapons or boars, this one depicts something one may have actually witnessed back in the day.
Sure, a visitor would have been unlikely to see Athena driving an elephant biga. However, replace Athena with your everyday mahout, and the scene was similar enough. You can almost feel the elephants popping out of the scene. When I noticed this coin type, I had to have one, despite its rarity. For some time it was the top target on my list, and I failed several times before I eventually pulled this one in at auction.
Seleukos I Nikator, of course, was a major player in the Era of the Diadochi. While he did fight under Alexander the Great, he was of relatively low rank, but managed to claw his way up the thrones until he possessed the single largest territory of any of the Diadochi.
After Alexander‘s death, he started by supporting Perdikkas. This made sense, since Perdikkas had received Alexander‘s signet ring. Unfortunately, Perdikkas turned out to be a moron. So, when he failed spectacularly in an attack on Ptolemy I Soter, during which war elephants dug up silt in the Nile and roughly two thousand soldiers were eaten by crocodiles, Seleukos was one of the group who killed him.
Seleukos next chose sides against the kings, when he sided with Antigonos I Monophthalmos over Eumenes and Olympias. This time he chose the winning side, but unfortunate to him, Antigonos knew well what Seleukos’ aims were. Luckily for Seleukos, he knew Antigonos knew his aims, so he fled to Ptolemy in Egypt.
There, he played Scrabble with his friend Ptolemy until everyone started to notice how powerful Antigonos was becoming. So, Seleukos sided with Ptolemy, Lysimachos, and Kassander in taking him down. After defeating Antigonos‘ son Demetrios I Poliorketes in the Battle of Gaza, Seleukos headed back to Babylon and regained his satrapy. After defeating the nearby satraps, he was a major player again.
As Seleukos expanded, he ran up against Chandragupta Maurya, who had occupied much of India that was subjugated previously by Alexander. Seleukos and Chandragupta fought a war that didn’t really go Seleukos’ way, but with the aim of taking on the far more dangerous Antigonos, Seleukos agreed to a peace treaty where he gave Chandragupta Maurya most of Afghanistan (which was then just as peaceful as it is now) and Chandragupta gave Seleukos a large number of war elephants.
Seleukos used these war elephants to great effect to terrorize his Greek enemies, including Antigonos. In 301 BCE, he defeated and killed Antigonos in the Battle of Ipsus, and in 281 BCE he took down Lysimachos. At that point, Seleukos was the most powerful ruler on the planet. Nothing could stop him, except for a dagger in the back from Ptolemy Keraunos during prayer.
Yes, one of the biggest, baddest players out there was taken out by a cheap shot. This unexpected fate of Seleukos cost networks over half their viewership of the Era of the Diadochi, and is why the series is mostly unknown today.
Seleukos I Nikator is born in Macedon.
May
Alexander the Great defeats Poros at the Battle of the Hydaspes. His horse Bucephalus dies at its conclusion. Antigenes and Seleukos command hypaspists (special infantry) who cross the Hydaspes with Alexander.
Antiochos I Soter is born in Babylon to Seleukos and Apama.
Seleukos I Nikator heads the Companion Cavalry under Perdikkas.
June 30
Partition of Babylon. Abydos and Adramytteion come under control of Leonnatos. Egypt with Alexandria and Gaza are under Ptolemy. Baktria comes under Seleukos I Nikator. Asandros obtains Caria. Laomedon receives Koele-Syria.
Partition of Triparadisos. Abydos is given to Arrhidaios. Susa goes to Antigenes. Antipater is left in charge of Macedonia and is entrusted with Alexander IV and Philip III. Asandros is confirmed with Caria. Kleitos the White receives Lydia, replacing Menander. Laomedon is confirmed as satrap of Koele-Syria. Peithon is confirmed in Kophen. Seleukos receives Babylon.
July
Seleukos I Nikator joins Antigonos Monophthalmos on his way to Susa.
Lysimachos, Seleukos, Ptolemy, and Kassander join against Antigonos Monophthalmos and Demetrios Poliorketes.
Peithon is appointed by Antigonos Monophthalmos as satrap of Babylon in place of Seleukos.
Antigonos Monophthalmos is received by Seleukos I Nikator in Babylon. When Antigonos demands income from the province, Seleukos flees to Ptolemy I Soter in Egypt.
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.
Seleukos I Nikator gains control of Babylon, founding the Seleukid Empire and beginning Babylon’s decline as a center of power as Seleukos establishes Seleukeia on the Tigris.
Antigonos‘s son, Demetrios I suffers a major defeat at the Battle of Gaza against Ptolemy I and Seleukos I. Peithon is killed.
Demetrios Poliorketes defeated at the Battle of Gaza by Ptolemy I Soter and Seleukos I Nikator.
The peace treaty for the Third Diadoch War, agreed to by Ptolemy, Kassander, Lysimachos, and Antigonos, recognizes the rights of Alexander IV and states he will succeed Kassander in Macedon when he is of age. Antigonos Monophthalmos is now free to take on Seleukos I Nikator directly.
Demetrios Poliorketes attempts to take Babylon from Seleukos I Nikator, but is defeated.
Seleukos I Nikator constructs Seleukeia on the Tigris.
Seleukos I Nikator proclaims himself king along with the other Diadochi, thus founding the Seleukid Kingdom.
War erupts between Chandragupta Maurya and the forces of Seleukos I Nikator.
Chandragupta Maurya and Seleukos I Nikator reach a peace agreement. The Hindu Kush, Punjab, and parts of Afghanistan go to Chandragupta. Seleukos receives 500 war elephants, which he uses to terrify his European enemies. There is also a marriage alliance.
Antigonos Monophthalmos is defeated and killed at the Battle of Ipsus by the combined forces of Seleukos I and Lysimachos.
The Battle of Ipsos. Demetrios Poliorketes and Antigonos Monophthalmos are defeated by Seleukos I Nikator, Kassander (commanded by Pleistarchos), and Lysimachos. Antigonos is killed. Demetrios continues the Antigonid dynasty.
Seleukos I Nikator founds the city of Charax Spasinu (near modern-day Basra, Iraq) as a port city to facilitate trade between Mesopotamia and Arabia.
Demetrios Poliorketes and Seleukos I Nikator reach a peace and Seleukos marries Demetrios’ daughter Stratonike.
Seleukeia Piera is founded by Seleukos I Nikator.
Antiochos I Soter marries his stepmother Stratonike, after Seleukos divorces her for that purpose.
Seleukos I Nikator takes Cilicia from Demetrios Poliorketes.
Seleukos I Nikator declares his son Antiochos I Soter co-ruler.
Demetrios Poliorketes invades Cilicia in a bid to take it back from Seleukos I Nikator.
Demetrios Poliorketes surrenders to Seleukos and is taken prisoner. Pyrrhos and Lysimachos divide Macedonia, leaving Antigonos II without a kingdom.
Demetrios Poliorketes dies while imprisoned by Seleukos I Nikator. Antigonos II Gonatas continues the Antigonid dynasty.
Philetairos deserts Lysimachos and offers Pergamon to Seleukos I Nikator. This begins the Kingdom of Pergamon.
Seleukos I Nikator besieges Sardis without success.
The ashes of Seleukos I Nikator are burned by Antiochos I Soter at Seleukeia Piera.
March
When news of the death of Lysimachos reaches Herakleia Pontika, they seize the tyrant Herakleides, appoint Phokritos as governor, and make overtures to Seleukos.
September
Seleukos I Nikator is murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos while praying. Antiochos I Soter becomes king of the Seleukid Empire.