DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49262#0116
96 GREEK AND ROMAN COINS [bk. i
the dynasts who owned allegiance to him. From one point
of view (de facto) the coinage of these last was simply the
outcome of a privilege granted to subjects (from whom it could
hardly be withheld); from another (de jure), the right of
coinage may be looked upon as delegated to them by the
Great King. The coinage of the satraps and generals, on
the other hand, is a purely delegated coinage without any
of the character of autonomy. In Paphlagonia, Ionia, and
Cilicia the satrapal coinage is especially important. In the
northern province, the mint of Sinope was used by Datames,
by his son Abd Susin(?)’, and by Ariarathes ; the last-named
struck coins also at Gaziura in Pontus. The legends on all
these coins, except those of Datames, are in Aramaic. Besides
the satraps themselves, however, it is possible to recover from
these coins the names of a certain number of their subordinates,
such as those which M. Six has read on coins of the series
of Datames2.
As satrap of Dascylium, Pharnabazus issued staters bearing
a fine portrait of himself (Pl. V. 6), perhaps from the mint
of Cyzicus, on the occasion of the loss of that city by the
Athenians3 4. These coins bear the satrap’s name in Greek
letters. More than thirty years later, when he was preparing
his expedition against Egypt (b. c. 378-372), it is probable that
Pharnabazus issued from Tarsus coins bearing in Aramaic
characters his name and the supplementary legend Idle or
KI Al KI ON, showing that the coinage was meant to defray
the expense of his military preparations in Cilicia. These
satrapal coins, therefore, were probably nothing but a military
issue \
1 EVwm. Cftr. 1894, p. 302. In the pseudo-Aristotelian second book of the
Oeconomics (c. 24) is an interesting story of Datames and the plundering
of a temple for plate which he carried to Amisus and converted into
money to pay his troops.
2 Vararanes, Tir Orontobates (perhaps identical with the last
dynast of Caria').
3 b. c. 410. Wroth, Num. Chr. 1893, pp. n-13.
4 1 C’est comme generaux places a la tete d’armees en campagne et non
comme satrapes, exerjant les pouvoirs reguliers de cette charge, que les
personnages en question les ont fabriquees et y ont inscrit leurs noms ’
(Lenormant). Probably also the representation of the satrap’s own features
which we find at Cyzicus would not have been peimitted in the province
of Cilicia, which was nearer home.
the dynasts who owned allegiance to him. From one point
of view (de facto) the coinage of these last was simply the
outcome of a privilege granted to subjects (from whom it could
hardly be withheld); from another (de jure), the right of
coinage may be looked upon as delegated to them by the
Great King. The coinage of the satraps and generals, on
the other hand, is a purely delegated coinage without any
of the character of autonomy. In Paphlagonia, Ionia, and
Cilicia the satrapal coinage is especially important. In the
northern province, the mint of Sinope was used by Datames,
by his son Abd Susin(?)’, and by Ariarathes ; the last-named
struck coins also at Gaziura in Pontus. The legends on all
these coins, except those of Datames, are in Aramaic. Besides
the satraps themselves, however, it is possible to recover from
these coins the names of a certain number of their subordinates,
such as those which M. Six has read on coins of the series
of Datames2.
As satrap of Dascylium, Pharnabazus issued staters bearing
a fine portrait of himself (Pl. V. 6), perhaps from the mint
of Cyzicus, on the occasion of the loss of that city by the
Athenians3 4. These coins bear the satrap’s name in Greek
letters. More than thirty years later, when he was preparing
his expedition against Egypt (b. c. 378-372), it is probable that
Pharnabazus issued from Tarsus coins bearing in Aramaic
characters his name and the supplementary legend Idle or
KI Al KI ON, showing that the coinage was meant to defray
the expense of his military preparations in Cilicia. These
satrapal coins, therefore, were probably nothing but a military
issue \
1 EVwm. Cftr. 1894, p. 302. In the pseudo-Aristotelian second book of the
Oeconomics (c. 24) is an interesting story of Datames and the plundering
of a temple for plate which he carried to Amisus and converted into
money to pay his troops.
2 Vararanes, Tir Orontobates (perhaps identical with the last
dynast of Caria').
3 b. c. 410. Wroth, Num. Chr. 1893, pp. n-13.
4 1 C’est comme generaux places a la tete d’armees en campagne et non
comme satrapes, exerjant les pouvoirs reguliers de cette charge, que les
personnages en question les ont fabriquees et y ont inscrit leurs noms ’
(Lenormant). Probably also the representation of the satrap’s own features
which we find at Cyzicus would not have been peimitted in the province
of Cilicia, which was nearer home.