Alexander the Great - Olympic-Style Games Issue
Bronze 23mm (9.6 grams) from the region of Macedonia in Thrace under Roman
Control
during emperor Gordian III circa 238-244 A.D.
AΛЄΞANΔPOV, Head of Alexander the Great right with loose, flowing hair.
KOINON MAKEΔONΩN NEΩ, Alexander the Great on his legendary horse, Bucephalus
charging right.
* Numismatic Note: The obverse of this provincial bronze from
Macedon heralds the celebration of the Olympic-type games, honoring the memory
of Alexander the Great. The reverse honors the city's first Olympic victory in
356BC.
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The provincial coinage issued in the name of a district council (KOINON) was not
very common at the time of Augustus and the formation of provincial Roman
governments. Most cities issued coinage in their own names - either as
autonomous or as individual subjects of the emperor or a client king. In fact,
the koina never became very widespread in practice or authority. From
inscriptions on provincial coins, we know of koina in Macedon and Thessaly in
Greece - also on the islands of Lesbos, Crete and Cyprus. The remainder were
from the East.
In theory, the koinon may be likened to a federation where representatives of
each city in the district form an assembly with a democratic voice. In practice,
however, they had very limited powers. One of their main functions was the
organization of festivals and games in favor of the imperial cult. The allusion
to these games is normally seen in the legends or iconography of the coins which
they issued. Other typical images are the temple of the koinon or
personifications of the Senate
The koina should not be thought of as independent political powers. They were,
of course, under Roman control. In fact, the Roman proconsul or provincial
governor is sometimes named on these coins.
Neocorus was a Greek title which designated the individual who had charge of
the interior of a temple and looked out for the temple's needs. In Roman times,
provincial Greek cities often styled themselves as the neocori of the imperial
cult. This was an obvious form of flattery, which insinuated the godliness of
the emperor and indicated the city's devotion and loyalty. The neocorate of a
city was a great and coveted honor, and not one which was presumed arbitrarily.
The emperor allowed the bestowing of this right only to cities which had earned
the status. Consequently, cities were eager to announce this consideration and
usually did so on their coinage. The proclamation of a neocorate on coins was
often accompanied by a depiction of the temple.
Originally, it was imperial policy that only one neocorate would be allowed in a
city. This rule was later relaxed, and several cities were allowed two or more
neocorates. The subsequent awards were depicted on coins by showing two or three
temples along with an appropriate inscription. The first neocorate of a city was
usually mentioned in the inscription simply as NEΩKOPΩN. The second appeared as
B NEΩKOPΩN, the third as F NEΩKOPΩN (e.g. Pergamum).
The approval of neocorate was usually accompanied by games and festivals. The
coins struck for these events often displayed a combination of neocorate and
agonistic imagery. Like the number of temples depicted, there also seems to be a
correlation between the imagery and the award on some of the "games" issues.
Although this may be coincidental, coins bearing the single NEOKOPOC often have
a singular agonistic crown or urn, which is in the center field between the
temples. Those indicating a second or subsequent neocorate have two or more
crowns.
The iconography of neocorate and agonistic references is very complex and not
fully understood by most numismatists. It is, however, a wonderful area for
study, research and discovery. You may learn more about the interrelationships
between these aspects of religion, civic administration and public events, and
then we will undoubtedly be able to unravel some of the underlying symbology.
The immense issues of coinage made in the name of Alexander
the Great for a topic which could occupy the pages of a large volume. Obviously
it is not possible, in a work of this scope, to do justice to such a subject. As
in the case of Philip II, coinage in the name of Alexander continued long after
the king's death. No doubt this was largely due to the lack of an effective
successor to the imperial throne. Almost two decades were to elapse before
Alexander's generals, his true successors, felt sufficiently secure to take the
title of 'king' and to issue coinage in their own names. Although he began his
career as King of Macedon, Alexander spent only the first two years of his reign
in his native kingdom, and by the time of his death, at the age of thirty three,
he ruled a vast empire stretching from Greece to India. Consequently, his
coinage was on an imperial scale, unlike those of his predecessors, and was
struck at a multitude of mints in many lands, often replacing an existing
autonomous series. nevertheless, the macedonian mint of Amphipolis remained one
of the principal sources of currency. In later ages (3rd-2nd century B.C.) the
types of Alexander's silver coinage were revived by various cities as they
regained a measure of autonomy from the declining Hellenistic Monarchies.
Alexander III of Macedon, popularly known to history
as Alexander the Great, ("Mégas Aléxandros",
Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας or
Μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος,[1])
was an
Ancient Greeki[›]
king (basileus)
of
Macedon. Born in 356 BC, Alexander succeeded his father
Philip II of Macedon to the throne in 336 BC, and died in
Bablyon in 323 BC at the age of 32.
Alexander was one of the most successful military commanders
of all time and it is presumed that he was undefeated in battle. By the time of
his death, he had conquered the
Achaemenid Persian Empire, adding it to Macedon's European territories;
according to some modern writers, this was much of the world then known to the
ancient Greeks (the 'Ecumene').[2][3]ii[›]
His father, Philip, had unified most of the
city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian
hegemony in
the
League of Corinth. As well as inheriting hegemony over the Greeks, Alexander
also inherited the Greeks' long-running feud with the
Achaemenid Empire of
Persia. After reconfirming Macedonian rule by quashing a rebellion of
southern Greek city-states, Alexander launched a short but successful campaign
against Macedon's northern neighbours. He was then able to turn his attention
towards the east and the Persians. In a
series of campaigns lasting 10 years, Alexander's armies repeatedly defeated
the Persians in battle, in the process conquering the entirety of the Empire. He
then, following his desire to reach the 'ends of the world and the Great Outer
Sea', invaded India, but was eventually forced to turn back by the near-mutiny
of his troops.
Alexander died after twelve years of constant military
campaigning, possibly a result of
malaria,
poisoning,
typhoid fever, viral
encephalitis or the consequences of alcoholism. His legacy and conquests
lived on long after him and ushered in centuries of Greek settlement and
cultural influence over distant areas. This period is known as the
Hellenistic period, which featured a combination of
Greek,
Middle
Eastern and
Indian culture. Alexander himself featured prominently in the history and
myth of both Greek and non-Greek cultures. His exploits inspired a literary
tradition in which he appeared as a legendary
hero in the
tradition of
Achilles.
Alexander fighting Persian king Darius III. From Alexander
Mosaic, from Pompeii, Naples, Naples National
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