Ancient Greek gold coinage.
Hellenistic Kings and Queens ruled an area from Greece in the west till India in the east.
From left to right:
1) King Asandros, Kingdom of Bosporos/Pontos (Black Sea region), 36 BC
2) King Demetrius I Poliorketes, Kingdom of Macedonia, 3rd BC
3) Seleukos II, Seleucid Empire, 3rd BC
4) Antiochos III o Megas (the Great), Seleucid Empire, 3rd-2nd BC
5) King Ptolemaios II, Kingdom of Egypt, 3rd BC
6) King Alexandros IV (the young Prince/Son of Alexander the Great), Kingdom of Macedonia, 323-315 BC
7) King Achaios (usurpator), Seleucid Empire, 220-213 BC
8) King Menander I Soter, Kingdom of Indo-Greeks (appr. modern Afghanistan -parts of India), 165-130 BC
9) Queen Arsinoe II, Kingdom of Egypt, 283-246 BC.
The coin is of Ptolemy II, but the portrait is of his father, PtolemyI Soter, companion of Alexander. Ptolemy was indeed a badass.
ReplyDeletePtolemaios definitely has that frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command, which tell that the sculptor well those passions read, which yet survive, stamped on this lifeless thing.
ReplyDelete