Posts tagged 'Greek'

Tetradrachm Celebrates Naval Victory by Doson

Antigonus III Doson was the king of Macedon from 229 to 221 BCE, 94 years after the death of Alexander the Great. His predecessor, Demetrius II, died in battle when his heir, Philip V, was only nine years old. Because of the volatile political situation, the Macedonian army couldn’t wait for Philip V to mature enough to assume command, so they appointed Doson regent of the kingdom, and he ruled until his death in 221 BCE.

Antigonus III was a very successful leader, a master of tactical diplomacy and military strategy, fortifying the borders of Macedon and forming important alliances. His rule marked a golden age for the Kingdom of Macedon. He was called “Doson”, which means “the man who will give”, referring to his dedication to the kingdom in its time of need.

This very large tetradrachm celebrates the significant naval victory led by Doson over Ptolemy III Euergete’s fleet and his Carian allies in 227 BCE near the island Andros in the Aegean Sea.

The history of Kamarina, a port city on the southern coast of Sicily, is among the most tumultuous of Ancient Greece. It was founded in 599 BCE by settlers from Syracuse and its location allowed it to grow quickly and amass substantial wealth through trade.

However, within 40 years of its founding, Syracuse began to perceive it as a threat because of its success. The city was destroyed by Syracuse in 553 BCE and then re-founded by colonists from Gela, only to be destroyed again by Syracuse and re-founded for a third time by Gela in 461 BCE.

Even with Gela’s support, Kamarina was still weak, leading it to look for stronger allies to defend against future attacks from Syracuse. It sought out the support of Leontinoi until that city was destroyed by Syracuse in 422 BCE. It finally reached some semblance of stability through the protection of Athens, but Kamarina approached this alliance cautiously while waiting to see if Athens was indeed stronger than Syracuse.