ALEXANDER I as Mythical Hercules w/ APOLLO, Arrow, & Bow, 18-19mm Greek Coin For Sale

ANCIENT GREEK COIN

Seleucid Empire

The Seleucid Empire at its greatest stretched from Northern Greece toIndia and included almost all of Alexander the Great's conquests, except Egypt.Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals, became king of Babylonia in 321 BC. This kingdom was a major center of Hellenisticculture for two hundred years. It began to decline in 190 BC after a firstdefeat by the Romans and lasted until 64 BC when the last Seleucid king,Antiochus XIII, was murdered by Pompey.

ALEXANDER I – Seleucid King 150-146 B.C.

Alexander I Balas (Ἀλέξανδρoς Bάλας), came to the Seleucidthrone after defeating Demetrius Sotor in 150 B.C. He married Cleopatra Thea, a daughter of thePtolemaic Dynasty in Egypt. Having thePtolemies as allies was helpful during his short rule; however, he was defeatedin the Battle of Antioch by Demetrius’ son.

This coin depicts the mythical Greek hero, Hercules, on theobverse wearing his lionskin headdress. The reverse depicts his club, bow andcase, all symbols of his hunting abilities.Hercules' attributes includedstrength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess. His myth tells thestory of hisfather, Zeus, King of the Gods, having an illicit affair withHercules’ mortal mother. The queen of the gods, Hera, was so angered thatshe unsuccessfully tried to prevent his birth. Hercules grew up toperform the famous "Twelve Labors of Hercules".

The Nemean lion was a vicious mythical monster who lived a Nemea. It could not be killed with the weapons ofmortals because its fur was impervious to attack. Its claws were sharper than any of mortals’swords and could cut through any armor. It was eventually killed by Hercules inhis “1st labor”.

APOLLO

Apollo was a major Greek god recognized at various times inancient Greek times as the god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy;healing; plague; music; and poetry. Inmythology, he was the son of Zeus.Apollo was adopted by the Romans as they often did with other cultures’religious and cultural icons. Hepersonified harmony, order and reason and was associated in one way or anotherwith a long list of subjects: music, poetry, plague, oracles, sun, medicine,light and knowledge. He is often depictedwearing nothing and holding a bow, arrows, lyre, laurel wreath, and/or palmbranch. The ancients built many templesdedicated to Apollo, the most famous is the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. He is often depicted on coins with or at analtar.

Here are this coin's attributes:

ALEXANDER I AE (18-19mm, 6.28 gm)OBV:Head of Alexander (as Hercules) right, wearing lionskin headdress.REV:BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEXANΔΡOY, Apollo standing left, holding arrow and bow; upright palm branch in left field, monogram in right field
Seleucidmint SNG Israel 1449 150-145 B.C.E.

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