400 – 350 BCE
AR Obol 10mm 0.66g
Helmeted head of Athena right /
ΣΟ; grape cluster with tendril, star right.
SNG Levante 47 var. (reverse), SNG BN 184-187 var. (reverse)
Soloi was extremely important during ancient times due to its proximity to the Cilician Gates. Pretty much every conqueror in history who wanted to get to or from Syria needed to get through them. This included Alexander the Great. To top it off, Soloi had an important harbor.
During Xenophon’s time, the area was ruled by Tiribazos. By Alexander the Great’s time, it was ruled by Balakros, who was against him in the Battle of Issos but later went over to him and became one of his most trusted satraps.
However, the city itself supported the Persians when Alexander arrived, so he imposed a hefty fine on it. After his death, the city came under the control of Ptolemy I Soter, though Demetrios I Poliorketes tried unsuccessfully to take it. After that, it moved between different diadochi – usually between the Ptolemies and the Seleukids. Being such a key location, no ruler could leave it alone.