Object Description
Antioch, Ca. 168-164 BC
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Ar. tetradrachm, Antioch. Diademed head of Antiochus IV right, diadem ends adorned with stars Rev. BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXΟΥ ΘEOY EΠIΦANOYΣ NIKHΦOPOY; Zeus seated on high-backed throne left, holding Nike on outstretched right hand and sceptre in left. E in outer left field. SC 1400e.
Antiochus IV was the son of Antiochus the Great, ascending the throne in 175 BC following a stint in captivity in Rome. Notable events from his reign include his near conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt that was curtailed by the Roman senate (Polyb. 29.27.4) and his sacrilegious treatment of the shrines in Judea during the Maccabean Revolt.
The later Seleucid kings evolved a more youthful, idealising royal image on the obverses of their coins, featuring wild, curling hair and more charismatic features. As the dynasty lost power to Rome following the Peace of Apamea (188 BC), portrait styles such Antiochus IV’s must have been utilised to shore up the more ideal qualities of the monarchy.
For additional information see:
Thonemann, P., 2016. The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources. Cambridge.
Size: D: 30mm ; 16.54g