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Home , 160 BC, 196 BC, 212 BC, 246 BC, 281 BC, 297 BC

Timeline of and Events Historical Events and Eras Numismatic Events Archaic Period (prior to 500 BC)

2200 BC Earliest palaces of the on

1400 BC Earliest Mycenaean palaces

12th C. BC , depicted in ’s

1200-900 Destruction of Mycenean BC civilization; the Dark Ages

900-800 BC Population and agriculture begin to revive; iron used for tools and weapons

776 BC First c. 750 BC Greek city-states begin to form

750-550 BC Greek colonies form all Colonies become future sites of around the Mediterranean: diverse coinages, each with its Western , North own “tipos” or design-type , and

Late 7th C. First coins struck in , BC (Perhaps probably in (west coast of 650-625) Turkey), from Temple of at Ephesos: striations, lion’s head, cocks

By Early 6th Diverse early electrum coinages C. BC established in Minor, from (Sea of Marmara) in the north to in the south

560-546 BC Reign of King of Croesus abandons electrum in Lydia (“rich Croesus”) favor of bimetallic coinage of and , with head of lion confronting bull (siglos, double- siglos), with gold:silver ratio of 1:13 1/3.

First silver (“Turtles”) 575-550 BC minted on island of ,

Europe’s first , replacing

of obelos (iron spits) and

drax (a handful of six obelos),

from which the terms “” and

“drachma” are derived.

Silver coinages appear at (, , wheels, etc.; the “Wappenmünzen,” literally, “heraldic coins”), (Pegasus), and other island and mainland city-states

At Athens, evolution towards double-sided coins

546 BC of tells In Lydia, continue Croesus: “If you make war minting coins with lion and bull on the Persians, you will for about 30 years after Croesus’ destroy a mighty empire.” defeat Croesus attacks the Persians and his empire Electrum continues in use in the falls. Eastern coast of north, at , , Mediterranean now and Cysicus. controlled by Persians.

530 BC migrates from “Incuse” coinages appear in city- island of to states of : , . Metapontion, Kroton, Kaulonia, Poseidonia)

521-485 BC Reign of Persian King Gold “Daric” with running archer Darius I first minted by 500 BC, replacing Croesus coinage with lion and bull, circulating only in Western where coinage was well established among the and their neighbors

Last quarter Rule of , , Athens strikes its first “Owls.” of 6th C. BC or perhaps just after Double-sided with god and contrasting reverse become the basis for Greek coins and European coin-making tradition. Coinages appear throughout the Greek world, including Sicily and Cyrene in Northern Africa. The largest (after Aegina, Athens and Corinth) include , Thebes,

510 BC Kroton destroys Sybaris Sybaris’ coinage ends

508-500 BC Democracy is created in Athens, under Classical Period (C. 500 – 323 BC) 490 BC Vastly outnumbered, Athens defeats the Persians and Darius I at the

483 BC Athens discovers large Minting of Athens “Owls” silver deposits at the increases with virtually Laurion mine in . inexhaustible supply of silver Themistokles convinces from Laurion mines Athenians to build navy instead of sharing profits of mines among the citizens.

480 BC Massive Persian invasion Addition of leaves to helmet of under Xerxes. of and waning moon to Battle of the reverse, beside owl, of the (“300”) and Athens’ naval Athenian defeat of the Persians at Salamis

479 BC Greek forces, under the introduces Spartan , defeat coinage of mule-car and hare at the Persians at , and Messana (Sicily) the Greek fleet defeats the Persian navy at Mycale in .

477 BC Athens takes leadership of , alliance of Greek city-states in , Aegean Classical realism replaces archaic , and Anatolia on coinages throughout Greek against Persia; tributes world from League members and spoils from Persian outposts enrich Athens. Meanwhile, leads independent city states of

Peloponnese in

450s BC supports aggressive policy against Sparta; hostilities between

Athens and Sparta

458 BC ’ tragic trilogy (Agamemnon, Libation

Bearers, Eumenides) produced at Athens

447-432 BC Construction of on the of Athens

Coinage of begins 441 BC makes for new colony of Athenians and others at Thurii, near site of Sybaris in Southern Italy c. 441 BC ’ Antigone at Athens

431 BC ’ tragedy Medea at Athens; between Athens and Sparta begins

c. 425 BC Athens impose its coinage Cessation of silver coinages at of Owls on other city-states many Greek city-states under via the Coinage Decree Athen’s domination

415 BC Athens’ ill-fated expedition against Syracuse

411 BC anti-war comedy The produced at Athens

410-400 BC Carthaginian invasions of Sicily; and destroyed in 409 BC, Akagras and in 406-

405 BC Apex of numismatic art in Syracuse, with dies signed by Kimon and other artists; end of coinages in conquered city-states of Sicily

407 BC Three cities of island of Prolific Rhodian coinage with form federal sun-god Helios / begins. city of Rhodes Athens strikes emergency gold 406 BC coinage from statues of in the Parthenon in effort to build new fleet

Revival of in many parts 404 BC Athens surrenders to of the Aegean after fall of Athens under general and removal of its restrictive policies

399 BC Trial and execution of at Athens

359-336 BC Reign of II of Macedonian coins rival Athens Macedon; defeats alliance for dominance in Greek world; of Greek city-states at gold “Philipi” staters on Attic Chaeronea in 338 BC; weight system, silver on assassinated in 336 BC local Macedonian standard; begins to strike coins modeled on Macedonian coinage to pay in Sicily

Coinage begins in Carthage

361-334 BC Persian Mazaios reign in Tarsos

Mazaios stater with Ba’altars on throne to become model for the Great’s coinage

348 BC Philip II captures and destroys Olynthos

336-323 BC Reign of Alexander III (“The Great”), son of Olynthos coinage ends Philip II

Alexander the Great introduces uniform coinage of silver and gold staters, both on Attic system, throughout his empire, converting mints in conquered territories and using gold and silver bouillon from captured Persian treasuries

Hellenistic Period (Death of Alexander III in 323 BC to Roman Conquest) 323 BC Alexander dies suddenly in Diadochi continue Alexander’s ; his former empire coinage divided among the “diadochi” (inheritors), but two decades of conflict (the “”) follow

318-315 BC I mints tetradrachm with diademed head of Alexander wearing elephant’s headdress; apparently first example of head on coin

305 BC Seleucus gives part of to Indian king Chandragupta, gets war elephants in return

301 BC Battle of ; Antigonus Poliorcetes, son of defeated; Alexander’s Antigonus, begins issuing his own former kingdom ends up tetradrachms with Nike on ship’s divided among: Ptolemy I prow / “Soter” (Savior; ); Seleucus I “Nicator” (Victor; and points East); (); (Macedonia); and a few minor kingdoms (Crete, Rhodes, in the Western Pelopponese).

300 BC Ptolemy I issues a new tetradrachm with his own head / eagle on thunderbolt. Apparently first example of living ruler’s on a coin; first in long series of Ptolemic portrait coins

297 BC Lysimachus introduces coinage with head of deified Alexander and ram’s horn / Athena with shield

295 BC Seleucus I moves capital from Babylon to Seleucia Seleucus begins minting own (Syria) coinage with / of elephants

281 BC Battle at Corupedion in I, son of Seleucus, Lydia ends wars of the strikes coin with his own portrait / diadochi; descendents of seated on omphalos, first Ptolemy, Seleucus and in long line of Seleucid portrait Antigonus chief claimants coins to power in Hellenistic Age

261-246 BC Bactrian kingdom breaks away from

212 BC Sicily falls to Coinage of Syracuse ends

200-160 BC Apex of Bactrian portrait coins

196 BC Roman conquerer After brief issue of Macedonian Flamininus defeats Philip coins under Roman rule, Roman V at Kynoskephalai, coinage takes over proclaims freedom of Greeks at Corinth

162 BC Seleucid portrait coinage in Syria 30 BC Egypt is last Hellenistic comes to end kingdom to be absorbed by Rome Roman coins replace Greek ones throughout the Mediterranean