SELEUKOS I NIKATOR (312-281 BC)

SELEUKID KINGS OF SYRIA

Seleucus I Nicator – Diadoch of Alexander the Great and Founder of the Seleucid Empire

Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ – Seleucus I the Victor (born ca. 358, died 281 BCE) – one of the diadochi (Gr. diadochos – successor) of Alexander the Great, played a crucial role in shaping the Hellenistic world after Alexander's death in 323 BCE.

In the Service of Alexander the Great

Both Seleucus and his father belonged to the military aristocracy that contributed to the rise of Macedonian power under Philip II and Alexander the Great, though they were not as close to the kings as figures like Ptolemy and Lysimachus.

During Alexander's eastern campaigns, Seleucus was entrusted with the command of the prestigious argyraspides regiment ("Silver Shields"). Arrian, in Anabasis Alexandri, mentions Seleucus’s participation in campaigns in Asia, though he provides few details about his individual exploits.

Seleucus distinguished himself in 326 BCE during the Battle of the Hydaspes River, where Alexander's forces defeated the Indian king Porus. He was among the commanders responsible for organizing the newly conquered territories.

Participation in the Wars of the Diadochi

Shortly after Alexander’s death in 323 BCE, Seleucus was appointed chiliarch (vizier) by the Macedonian general Perdiccas. The latter claimed the right to rule the empire until Alexander's pregnant widow bore an heir. Perdiccas also believed he had the authority to allocate administrative regions (satrapies) of the empire to deserving generals. Jealous of Perdiccas's power and alarmed by his inability to control many governors (satraps), Seleucus led a group of officers in assassinating him in 321 BCE.

Seleucus was appointed satrap of Babylonia during a conference of generals in Syria. At the same meeting, Antigonus the One-Eyed was granted special powers to hunt down and destroy Eumenes of Cardia, a Greek supporter of Perdiccas who opposed the division of the empire among the generals. After Eumenes’s removal, Antigonus’s ambitions turned imperialist as he sought to restore Alexander’s fractured empire under his own rule. Antigonus threatened Seleucus in 315 BCE, forcing the satrap to flee Babylon and join Ptolemy’s court in Egypt, where he became nauarch (naval commander) responsible for harassing Antigonid coastal positions.

In 312 BCE, Seleucus helped Ptolemy achieve victory over Antigonus’s son, Demetrius Poliorcetes, at the Battle of Gaza. Exploiting the confusion following the battle, he secretly returned to Babylon and reestablished himself there. Although Antigonus and Demetrius made several attempts to oust Seleucus between 311 and 308 BCE, he managed to retain control with the support of loyal Babylonians.

Independent King

In subsequent years, Seleucus expanded his territories, conquering significant portions of Asia Minor, Media, Syria, Persia, and Mesopotamia. In 305 BCE, he declared himself king (basileus), on par with other diadochi.

As king, Seleucus founded numerous cities, including Antioch on the Orontes and Seleucia on the Tigris, which became important administrative and cultural centers. His policy of blending Eastern and Western cultures contributed to the stabilization and development of his realm.

Taking advantage of the struggles between the Antigonids and other diadochi, Seleucus expanded his dominion in the East, annexing Susiana, Persia, and Bactria. He then followed Alexander’s footsteps toward India against Chandragupta of the Maurya dynasty. The conflict with the Indian ruler (304–303 BCE) ended with an agreement in which Seleucus ceded territories of Paropamisus, Gedrosia, Arachosia, and Punjab in exchange for a substantial contingent of war elephants (500), which played a crucial role in later battles.
In 301 BCE, Seleucus played a decisive role in the Battle of Ipsus, where his forces, allied with Lysimachus, Cassander, and Ptolemy, defeated Antigonus I the One-Eyed. This victory enabled him to take control of Syria and other territories.

Toward the end of his life, Seleucus engaged in conflict with Lysimachus, whom he defeated at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BCE. Seleucus consolidated his power in Asia Minor and moved to seize Lysimachus’s territory in Macedonia. That year, Seleucus was on the verge of claiming Alexander's entire empire for himself, but fate intervened.

At the pinnacle of his career, Seleucus was struck down by an assassin’s blade. Ptolemy Ceraunus, a refugee from Ptolemy's court to whom Seleucus had given asylum, murdered his benefactor on the shores of Thrace and briefly usurped the diadem in Macedonia. Asia Minor and the East passed to Seleucus’s son and heir, Antiochus I Soter.

Tetradrachm of Seleucus I with Zeus

The obverse of the coin depicts Zeus, emphasizing divine support for Seleucus’s authority. The symbolism of Zeus may reference the connection with Alexander the Great, who also claimed to be the son of Zeus-Ammon. A similar obverse design appeared on coins of Philip II. The reverse features Athena Promachos – the Leader in Battle – driving a quadriga of elephants, symbolizing both wisdom and the military might of the ruler, whose forces were bolstered by an immense "army" of Indian war elephants.

The Anchor as a Seleucid Symbol

During the Seleucid dynasty, the anchor became more than just an essential piece of nautical equipment; it evolved into a significant symbol of Seleucus I Nicator, the dynasty’s founder, and later, an emblem of the Seleucid royal house. Several myths about this symbol survive in literary sources.

In one tale, it is said that Apollo, the alleged true father of Seleucus, gave his son a ring engraved with an anchor. This ring revealed Seleucus’s divine lineage and offered a glimpse of the great destiny that awaited him. Another story provides a less supernatural explanation. Seleucus was believed to have been born with a birthmark in the shape of an anchor on his thigh. Indeed, all legitimate kings of the Seleucid line were said to bear this mark as a seal of their legitimacy.

The Seleucid anchor first appeared as an auxiliary symbol on Alexandrian coins from Arados during Seleucus’s tenure as nauarch under Ptolemy I Soter (315–313 BCE). For this reason, some believe the anchor was adopted by Seleucus as a badge of his naval office rather than as a hereditary emblem. Supporting this view is another myth in which Seleucus and Ptolemy were walking through the desert. Seleucus stumbled over a stone, which turned out to be an old anchor. This incident was interpreted as an omen of the great stability of power that Seleucus would achieve.

Regardless of its origin, the anchor became a symbol of the Seleucid dynasty. It appeared on coins almost until the end of their reign in 68 BCE. The anchor could also be found on royal seals and countermarks, guaranteeing the authenticity of both documents and money. 

Seleucia on the Tigris

Seleucia (Gr. Σελεύκεια, "Place of Seleucus") was named after Seleucus I Nicator, who expanded a small settlement near Babylon and made it the capital of his empire around 305 BCE. To transform his capital into a metropolis, Seleucus forced nearly all the inhabitants of Babylon, except for the local temple priests, to leave the city and resettle in Seleucia. A tablet dated to 275 BCE states that the people of Babylon were transported to Seleucia, where a palace and a temple (Esagila) were constructed.

Situated at the confluence of the Tigris River and the main channel of the Euphrates, Seleucia could facilitate trade and movement along both major waterways. The city was built following the urban planning standards of the time, featuring a grid layout with streets intersecting at right angles, creating large areas for construction. Additionally, a canal was dug along the city's main axis. In the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, Seleucia was one of the great Hellenistic cities, comparable to Alexandria in Egypt and larger than Syrian Antioch. Excavations indicate that the city's walls enclosed an area of at least 550 hectares (1,400 acres), equivalent to a square with sides approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) long. Based on this size, the population is initially estimated at over 100,000 people, likely growing even larger over time. The surrounding region could sustain up to half a million inhabitants.

In the mid-2nd century BCE, Seleucia was captured by the Parthian ruler Mithridates I and served as the capital of the Parthian Empire until the construction of Ctesiphon. However, it retained autonomy and its Hellenistic character. In 117 CE, Seleucia was burned by the Roman Emperor Trajan during his conquest of Mesopotamia, but the city was returned to the Parthians by Trajan’s successor, Hadrian, and subsequently rebuilt in the Parthian style. Seleucia was completely destroyed by the Roman general Avidius Cassius in 165 CE.

Denomination: Tetradrachm, Ag

Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus to right

Reverse:  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, anchor right; above elephant, Θ in exergue, monogram, BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣEΛEΥKOΥ

Mint:  Seleukeia on the Tigris II, 296/5 B.C.

Weight: 16,70 g

Diameter: 24mm

Provenance: Kölner Münzkabinett, ex Dr. Victor Wishnevsky Collection, ex erworben 2007 von Schenk-Behrens, Essen (Sammlernotiz)

Riferimento : 08.2 SC 130.39

Collezione : ALEXANDER THE GREAT and HIS SUCCESSORS