011ac Seleucid Kingdom Seleukos I

SELEUKID KINGDOM. Seleukos I Nikator (312-281 BC).

Tetradrachm.

Mint: Seleukeia on the Tigris II, circa 296/5-281 BC. 

Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right.

Reverse: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΣΕΛΕΥΚΟΥ; Athena, holding spear and shield, driving quadriga of elephants right; anchor above, Θ in exergue.

Reference: Cf. SC 130.22; HGC 9, 18a.

Weight: 16.67 g.
Diameter: 26 mm.

Note: Well struck, centered and with great details. Rare in such a great condition!

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.

The elephant quadriga tetradrachms of Seleukos I were produced in the East. This unusual form of a quadriga served as a reminder of the 500 war elephants Seleukos received in settlement with Chandragupta in the Peace of 303; but it was probably immediately inspired by the well-nigh contemporary gold staters of Ptolemy I, which show the deified Alexander III riding in a quadriga of elephants moving slowly to the left.

Combat elephants, the "tanks" of ancient warfare, were introduced to the Hellenistic world by the northern Indian king Porus at the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. Although the Macedonians won the battle, the gigantic Indian elephants, carrying fighting towers manned by spearmen and bowmen, made an enormous impression on the Greeks, and elephants became an important element in the armies of Alexander's successors. Seleucus I Nicator gained an advantage in this ancient arms race by concluding a treaty with the northern Indian ruler Chandragupta, by which he secured 500 trained war elephants for the Seleucid army. The treaty is celebrated on this impressive series of tetradrachms, which depicts a militant Athena be pulled by four elephants equipped with horned headdresses. As awe-inspiring as these animals must have been, their actual performance in battle was frequently underwhelming.

The most prolific issue of the quadriga type was produced by Seleucia on the Tigris, to which Oliver Hoover, in The Handbook of Greek Coins, assigns a rarity rating of Common to Scarce. There were a total of 43 different reverse varieties used at this mint according to Houghton and Lorber (SC 130), meaning the output was quite significant. The only mint to produce the reverse type with a biga of elephants, however, was Susa (SC 177 and HGC 9, 18c), which had only six emissions, suggesting the output was less than 15% that of Seleucia. 

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

Collezione : 17 Greek Tetradrachms and staters