Obverse: The God Baal Enthroned Facing Left
Holding an Eagle, an Ear of Grain, and a Bunch of
Grapes
Reverse: A Lion Attacking a Bull
Cilicia is an ancient region of southeastern Asia
Minor (modern Turkey), along the Mediterranean
north of Cyprus. It included a high and barren
plateau, Cilicia Trachia, an inhospitable region
that served as shelter for pirates, and a richly
fertile plain, Cilicia Pedias, that served as a
strategic passageway throughout history. The
area was under the domination of the Assyrian
Empire before it became part of the Persian
Empire. The Greeks settled on the coast early
on, and Cilicia was Hellenized to a great extent.
Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia and one of the
most important cities in Asia Minor. Tarsus
continued to flourish even after the region
became part of the Roman Empire, reaching the
height of its prosperity and cultural
achievements, including being the birthplace of
St. Paul.
Mazaios, a Persian nobleman, had a long and
distinguished
career. He was appointed satrap of Cilicia about
361 BC, and
the region known as “Across the River” (modern
Syria,
Lebanon, and Israel) was later added to his
domain. He
fought against the Phoenicians of Sidon who
revolted with
the support of Pharaoh Nektanebo II and the
Greek
mercenary leader Mentor. Mazaios later served as
the satrap
of Mesopotamia and married Barsine, the
daughter of Darius
III. Famed historian Plutarch described him as
“the greatest
Persian after Darius.” This remarkable
complement indicates
that Mazaios might have simultaneously held the
post of the
Herzaraptis (the commanding officer of the
Spearbearer’s
Regimen) while serving as satrap. In 331 B.C., as
Alexander
the Great and his armies approached the great
city of
Babylon, Mazaios surrendered the city to him
after gaining
assurances that Babylon would not be plundered.
Alexander
rewarded Mazaios for his prudent decision by
retaining him
as governor, a position he held until his death in
328 BC.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This magnificent coin is
memorial to an ancient governor, to the ancient
glory of
Tarsus, and to the greater Persian Empire,
passed
down from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.2217a)
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