Alexander the Great
Tetradrachm AR 24 mm, 16.80 g, 7 h
Susa, struck under Koinos, circa 324-323 BCE.
Price 3829
Susa is another city that can receive an entire book, and I will have to add to this entry over time. In terms of this site, by far the most spectacular thing that happened here were the Susa Weddings in 324 BCE, which were an attempt by Alexander the Great to marry East and West, literally.
Over 10,000 of his soldiers were ordered to take Asian wives. To make things more worthwhile, he also offered generous dowries to each. To his most trusted officers, he gave them members of the Persian royal family.
Alexander himself married two daughters of Darius and Ataxerxes, likely to further legitimize his throne.
Most of the weddings didn’t last long. The Macedonians quickly got rid of their Persian wives. However, there were exceptions. Seleukos I Nikator married Apama, with whom he remained until his death and who mothered the future king Antiochos I Soter.
This coin was minted around the time of the Susa weddings, and may have been held by one of the grooms.
Seleukos I Nikator
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.
During Archaemenid times, there was a river next to Susa called the Choaspes, and was the only water the king drank (per Athenaios).
Alexander III ‘the Great’ AR Tetradrachm.
Susa, circa 322-320 BCE
Minted by Antigenes
Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated to left, holding sceptre; [BAΣIΛEΩΣ] below, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right, monogram to left, ΛA below throne. Price 3846. 17.04g, 24mm, 6h.
Kings of Macedon. Alexander III ‘the Great’
Obol Silver, 8.5 mm, 0.73 g, 1 h
Susa, struck under Aspesias, satrap of Susiana, circa 316-311 BCE
Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. AΛEΞANΔPO[Y] 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, wreath; below throne, K above monogram of ΠΡ.
Price 3860
Foundation of a settlement at Susa.
Susa fights a battle with Kish.
Old Elamite period begins at Susa.
Susa is incorporated into the Akkadian Empire by Sargon the Great.
The governor of Susa, Kutik-Inshushinak, rebels against the Akkadians and creates an independent state.
Ur collapses under pressure from the Elamites and Susa becomes an Elamite city again.
The Middle Elamite period begins in Susa.
The Igihalkid dynasty controls Susa.
The Elamite king Untash-Napirisha constructs the Ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil near Susa.
Elamites under Shutruk-Nahhunte take the original Code of Hammurabi and bring it to Susa.
Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon plunders Susa.
The Elamite language begins to be used at Susa.
The Neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal levels Susa.
The Medes capture Susa.
Susa is captured by Cyrus the Great.
The Persians is performed by Aeschylus in Athens. Its setting is Susa.
Peace of Antalkidas, arranged by Artaxerxes II, is signed in Susa, ending the Corinthian War. Abydos, Aigai, Kalchedon, Kaunos, Klazomenai, Kyzikos, Parion, Samos, and Adramytteion become part of the Persian Empire.
Amastris married to Krateros by Alexander the Great at the Susa Weddings.
Perdikkas marries Atropates, the daughter of the Persian satrap of Medea, at Susa.
Seleukos I Nikator marries Apama at the Susa weddings.
Alexander the Great meets his admiral Nearchos at Susa.
Koinos given rule of Susa.
Ptolemy I Soter marries the Persian Artakama at Susa as ordered by Alexander III.
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.
Antigenes conveys treasure from Susa to Kyinda.
Antigenes accompanies Eumenes to Susa.
Seleukos I Nikator joins Antigonos Monophthalmos on his way to Susa.
Susa breaks free from the Seleukid Empire.
Susa is taken by the Parthians.
Susa is destroyed by the Sassanid Ardashir I.