Ancient Coin Stories

The city of Kabyle is established.

Byzantion is founded by Byzas of Megara.

Abdera led by Timesios of Klazomenai.

Abdera begun as a colony of Klazomenai.

Neapolis is founded by settlers from Thasos.

Apollonia Pontika is founded by settlers from Miletos.

Approximate founding of Kallatis by settlers from Herakleia Pontika.

Sestos is colonized by settlers from Lesbos.

Perinthos founded by settlers from Samos.

Approximate foundation of Odessos by settlers from Miletos.

Rough year when Mesembria is colonized by settlers from Megara.

Abdera settled by Ionians from Teos, who were escaping Persian subjugation.

Maroneia is founded by settlers from Chios.

Abdera conquered by Persia.

Darius I destroyed Abydos and takes Byzantion and Sestos as part of his Scythian campaign, in which troops from Parion take part.

Otanes, satrap of Phrygia, captures Antandros, Lamponeia, Imbros, Kalchedon, and Hephaistia and Myrina on Lemnos.

Samothrace is occupied by Persia.

Histaios besieges Thasos, but is unsuccessful.

Abdera conquered again by the Persians after the Ionian revolt, under their general Mardonius.

Xerxes’ army marches out of Sardis and passes through Atarneos, Thebe, Adramytteion, Antandros, Ilion, Gergis, and Abydos on its way to Greece. Its temporary headquarters is at Elaios.

Xerxes I bridges the Hellespont near Sestos.

The Persian satrap Artayctes desecrates the grove of Protesilaos at Elaios. He is later crucified for the offense by the Athenian general Xanthippos.

The Athenian commander Xanthippos, acting for angry citizens of Elaia, nails the despot Artayctes to a board in Madytos and lets his opponents stone him.

Sestos is besieged by Athens under Xanthippus. They surrender due to starvation.

Approximate time when Sestos is retaken by Kimon of Athens.

A large meteorite lands near Aigiospotamoi. At the same time, a comet is reported, which may be the first European mention of Halley’s Comet.

Thasos rebels against Athenian rule and is besieged.

The property of citizens of Neapolis in Thasos is confiscated by the oligarchs there.

Thasos is finally taken by Athens and are forced to tear down their walls.

Abdera taxed 10 to 15 talents as part of the First Athenian League.

Athens founds a colony on Imbros.

Agathopolis first colonized by Greek settlers.

The Battle of Sphacteria between Athens and Sparta is fought at the entrance to the Bay of Pylos, resulting in an Athenian victory. Ainos, Imbros, and the cities of Lemnos (Myrina, Hephaistia) provide support.

Mesembria joins the Delian League.

Byzantion and Kalchedon wage war against Bithynia and plunder it.

The Sicilian expedition of Athens against Syracuse departs. Ainos, Argos, Mantineia, and Elis provide support. Akragas remains neutral.

Sparta takes Byzantion in an effort to force Athens into submission.

The Athenian general Thrasyllos barely escapes with his fleet from Sestos to Elaios.

Madytos and Parion serve as bases for the Athenian navy.

Thasos defects from the Delian League, but Neapolis remains loyal to Athens.

Neapolis is besieged by Thasos, causing Athens to besiege Thasos and praise Neapolis.

Abdera subjugated under Athens by their general Thrasybulus.

Thasos expels its Spartan contingent and admits Athens under Thrasyboulos.

Lysander destroys the Athenian fleet at the mouth of the Aigiospotamoi. Just before, the Athenian triremes arrive at Elaios to discover that Lysander is in control of Lampsakos.

Thasos falls to Sparta under Lysander.

Sestos is occupied by the Spartans under Lysander.

Sestos is occupied by Athenian soldiers under Konon.

Eresos, Byzantion, Chios,Mytilene, Methymna, Rhodes, Thebes, Korkyra, Eretria, Kios, Samos, Naxos, Andros, Myrina (Lembos), Hephaistia, Imbros, and Thasos join the Second Athenian League, reaffirming its alliance with Athens in response to the growing threat of Persian interference and internal Greek conflicts.

Abdera destroyed by an invasion of Thracian Triballi tribe.

Kotys I supports the Triballi in an attack on Abdera.

Autophradates lay siege to Ariobarzanes in Assos. In exchange for Athenian support, Ariobarzanes gifts them Sestos.

Athenians under Timotheios conquer Sestos and Krithote.

Kotys I besieges Sestos.

Philippi founded by settlers from Thasos and named Thasian Epeiros.

Chios, Paros, Rhodes, Kos, and Byzantion revolt against Athens in the Social War. Myrina and Hephaistia on Lemnos and Imbros (Athenian allies) are ravaged and Samos is besieged. After bungling by the Athenian general Chares, Persia demands Athens leave and Athens, running out of money, complies.

Philip II attacks Abdera and Maroneia.

Athens sends Chares against the breakaway Sestos. He takes the city, massacres the men, and sells the women and children as slaves.

Abdera and Akanthos conquered by Philip II of Macedon.

Kabyle conquered by Philip II.

Chares is sent by Athens to aid Byzantion against Philip II. However, Byzantion refuses to open their gates to him and he accomplishes nothing.

A stele from this year puts Elaios in charge of Chares of Athens and provides privileges to its inhabitants.

Philip II besieges Perinthos. It is believed this is the battle where Antigonos Monophthalmos loses an eye.

Samothrace is incorporated into Macedon by Philip II.

Memnon of Rhodes aids Byzantion in withholding a siege by Philip II.

Kallatis taken by Macedonia under Philip II.

Philip II unsuccessfully besieges Odessos.

Alexander is dispatched by Philip II to quell revolts in southern Thrace. The two then campaign together and Alexander by some accounts saves his father’s life in Perinthos.

Sestos joins the Philip II led League of Corinth.

Odessos surrenders to Alexander III.

Alexander the Great visits the temple to Protesilaos at Elaios.

Alexander the Great crosses from Sestos to Abydos. He then visits Troy and returns to Abydos. On his way, he sacrifices at the tomb of Achilles at Achilleion.

Antigonos Monophthalmos destroys the fleet of Polyperchon near Byzantion.

Kleitos the White, commanding the fleet of Polyperchon, decisively defeats Nikanor near Byzantion, then lands ashore to celebrate and is attacked by Antigonos Monophthalmos. The remnants of his fleet are destroyed by Nikanor. Kleitor the White escapes ashore where he is killed by men of Lysimachos.

Lysimachos besieges and occupies Kallatis.

Seuthes III supports the revolt of Kallatis against Lysimachos but is defeated.

Odessos rebels against Lysimachos.

Lysimachos subdues Kallatis and reaches a peace with Seuthes III.

Lysimachos obtains control over parts of Thrace, including Abdera. He destroys Kardia to provide inhabitants for Lysimachia.

Kassander travels to Apollonia Pontika to enlarge his territories.

Lysimacheia constructed by Lysimachos.

Antigonos Monophthalmos gives Athens grain and timber and removes his garrison from Imbros, giving the island back to Athens.

Lysimachia severely damaged by an earthquake.

Lysimachos defeated at the Battle of Coropedion. Adramytteion, Ainos, and Abydos come under control of the Seleukid Empire. Ephesos returns to its original name.

Arsinoe II escapes from Ptolemy Keraunos and exiles herself to Samothrace.

The Gauls besiege Byzantion.

Antigonos II defeats the Gauls at the Battle of Lysimacheia.

Possible beginning of reign of Kavaros whose capital was Odessos.

Istros and its ally Kallatis are defeated by Byzantion.

Antiochos III besieges Kypsela until the locals join his army.

Pergamon, Kyzikos, and Byzantion join the Cretan War on the side of Rhodes.

Philip V persuades Kalchedon and Lysimachia to break from the Aetolian League.

Philip V tricks Thasos into subjugation, promising to not install a garrison and then enslaving the entire city.

Abydos besieged by Philip V of Macedon. Ainos, Sestos, and Maroneia are taken. Elaios surrenders to him peacefully.

Lysimachia is destroyed by Thracians.

Romans declare Abdera and Sestos free cities.

Antiochos III rebuilds Lysimachia.

Abydos, Madytos, and Ephesos seized by Antiochos III of the Seleukid Empire.

Philip V is forced to remove his garrisons from Iasos, Euromos, Pedasa, Bargylia, Abydos, Thasos, Myrina, and Perinthos.

Sestos surrenders to Antiochos III.

Antiochos III refortifies Sestos in preparation for a Roman attack.

Aspendos surrenders to the Romans. The general Verres plunders its art treasures. Elaios also offers their city.

Antiochos III orders the inhabitants of Lysimachia to abandon their city.

Sestos surrenders to Gaius Livius Salinator.

Treaty of Apamea. Euromos, Laodikeia ad Lykon, Sestos, and Abydos returned to the Kingdom of Pergamon.

Ainos is declared a free city by the Romans.

Armies of Eumenes II and the Romans sack Abdera.

Philip of Macedon, after being defeated at the Battle of Pydna, stops briefly at Galepsos before heading to Samothrace.

Adramytteion, Smyrna, Sestos, Synnada, Laodikeia ad Lykon, Attalaia, Erythrai, Ephesos, Perge, and Assos come under Roman control after Attalos III, the last Attalid king, leaves it to Rome in his will.

Odessos places itself under Mithridates VI.

Sulla uses Kypsela as a base while Mithridates uses Pergamon, and between these places they meet.

The sanctuary at Samothrace is pillaged by corsairs.

The Roman general Lucullus sacks Apollonia Pontika and takes Kallatis.

Romans under Lucullus occupy Istros and Kabyle.

Brutus and Cassius march through Maroneia, Lysimachia, and Kardia to the Gulf of Melas.

Odessos is annexed to the province of Moesia.

Thrace is annexed by the Roman Empire, bringing Agathopolis, Aigiospotamoi, Kabyle, Deultum, and Perinthos under its rule.

Samothrace is absorbed into the Roman Empire by Vespasian.

The people of Deultum petition the powerful senator Titus Avidius Quietus to become a patron the city.

Hadrian visits Samothrace.

Deultum begins to suffer from barbarian attacks.

Byzantion sides with Pescennius Niger over Septimius Severus, Roman forces besiege the city and cause considerable damage.

A severe earthquake damages Samothrace.

Possible end of reign of Kavaros, whose capital was Odessos.

Philip I travels through Deultum.

Diocletian travels through Deultum on his way to Nicomedia.

Maximinus Daza takes Constantinople from Licinius.

The fleet of Constantine I takes moorage at Elaios against Licinius.

Constantine I refounds Byzantion as an imperial residence named Nova Roma.

The city of Nova Roma, formerly known as Byzantion, is renamed to Constantinople by Constantine the Great.

Constans elevated to Caesar at Constantinople by Constantine I

Julian II enters Constantinople as the sole Emperor.

A Roman army is defeated by the Goths at the Battle of Deultum.

Theodosius moves his court to Constantinople.

Theodosius leaves Constantinople to fight the Arbogastes and Eugenius and leaves Arcadius nominally in charge.

Aelia Eudoxia and John Chrysostom’s dispute reaches its peak. John Chrysostom is deposed and exiled by Arcadius, largely due to Eudoxia’s influence. She erects a silver statue of herself in the Forum of Constantinople, which John condemned in his sermons.

The author of this page visits Istanbul and sees some ruins from Byzantion, but does not photograph them because the shot isn’t great.