Celtic Eastern Europe Silver Tetradrachm as Greek Philip II Macedon Coin i54001

Item: i54001

Authentic Ancient 

Coin of:

Celtic Tribe of Eatern Europe
Making coins in style of Greek king
Philip II – King of Macedon: 359-336 B.C.
Silver Tetradrachm 24mm (13.40 grams) under unknown Celtic Tribe circa 
Early 3rd century B.C.
Reference: Lanz –; CCCBM I –; Pink –
Laureate head of Zeus right.
ΦΙΛΠΠΟΥ,
Youth on horseback right, holding palm; below belly, Λ above torch.

* Numismatic Note: The Celtic 
peoples would issue their own versions of the coins of their neighbors, such as 
the Greeks which have their own unique style to behold. Quality ancient Celtic 
coin.The Celts of Eastern Europe imitated 
ancient Greek coins of the time period, this one of Philip II. King Philip II of 
Macedonia was father of Alexander the Great and his coins referred to his 
Olympic victory. The reason they did this as they traded with the Greeks and 
their coins were popular and recognized for trade, so they struck their own. You 
can see the Cetlic style showing on this coin. 

You are bidding on the exact item pictured, 

Authenticity.

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The Celts  (pronounced

/ˈkɛlts/
or /ˈsɛlts/, see
Celticpronunciation of
) 
were a diverse group of
tribal societies
in
Iron Age
and
Roman-era

Europe
who spoke
Celtic languages
.

Diachronic distribution of Celtic peoples:
 

  core

Hallstatt territory, by the 6th century BC

  maximal Celtic expansion, by 275 BC

  Lusitanian 
area of Iberia where Celtic presence is uncertain

  the “six

Celtic nations” which retained significant numbers of Celtic 
speakers into the

Early Modern period

  areas where Celtic languages remain widely spoken today

The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather
Proto-Celtic
, was the
central European

Hallstatt culture
(c. 800-450 BC), named for 
the rich grave finds in
Hallstatt
, Austria. By the later
La Tène
period (c. 450 BC up to the Roman 
conquest), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of regions, 
whether by
diffusion
or
migration
: to the
British Isles
(Insular 
Celts), the
Iberian Peninsula
(Celtiberians,
Celtici
and
Gallaeci
), much of
Central Europe
, (Gauls) 
and following the
Gallic invasion of the Balkans
in 279 BC as far 
east as central Anatolia
(Galatians).

The earliest directly attested examples of a Celtic language are the
Lepontic
inscriptions, beginning from the 6th 
century BC.
Continental Celtic languages
are attested only 
in inscriptions and place-names.
Insular Celtic
is attested from about the 4th 
century AD in
ogham inscriptions
, although it is clearly much 
earlier. Literary tradition begins with
Old Irish
from about the 8th century. Coherent 
texts of
Early Irish literature
, such as the
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(The Cattle Raid of 
Cooley), survive in 12th-century recensions. According to the theory of
John T. Koch
and others, the
Tartessian language
may have been the earliest 
directly attested Celtic language with the Tartessian written script used in the 
inscriptions based on a version of a Phoenician script in use around 825 BC.

By mid 1st millennium AD, following the expansion of the
Roman Empire
and the
Great Migrations
(Migration 
Period) of
Germanic peoples
, Celtic culture and
Insular Celtic
had become restricted to
Ireland
and to the western and northern parts 
of Great Britain
(Wales,
Scotland
,
Cornwall
and the
Isle of Man
) and northern
France
(Brittany). 
The
Continental Celtic languages
ceased to be 
widely used by the 6th century.

Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the
Gaels
(Irish,
Scottish
and

Manx), the
Brythonic
Celts (Welsh,
Cornish
, and
Bretons
) of the medieval and modern periods. A 
modern “Celtic 
identity” was constructed in the context of the Romanticist
Celtic Revival
in Great Britain (Wales, 
Scotland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man) and Ireland. In France a similar revival 
of
Breton
is taking place in
Brittany
.

History Behind the Coin

Horse racing was an Olympic event of great prestige and intense competition. It 

was a great honor for Philip II of Macedon to gain entry to the games, since 

they were open only to Greeks. Prior to that time, the Macedonians were 

considered by other Greeks as barbarians. It was an even greater honor for 

Philip’s horses to win the prize. In 356 BC his entry won the single horse 

event, and in 348 the two horse chariot event. Both of these victories were 

proudly announced (should we say propagandized) by placing references to them on 

the reverses of his coins struck in gold, silver and bronze. Plutarch tells us 

that this was indeed his intention: “[Philip] …had victories of his chariots 

at Olympia stamped on his coins.”

Philip II of Macedon, (Greek:

Φίλιππος Β’ ο Μακεδών — φίλος 

= friend + ίππος =

horse
 

— transliterated 

Philippos 382 – 336 BC, was an ancient

Greek
 

king (basileus) 

of

Macedon

from 359 BC until his assassination in 336. He was the father of

Alexander the Great

and

Philip III

.

Born in

Pella
, Philip was 

the youngest son of the king

Amyntas III

and

Eurydice I

. In his youth, (c. 368–365 BC) Philip was held as a hostage in

Thebes

, which was the leading city of

Greece
during 

the

Theban hegemony

. While a captive there, Philip received a military and 

diplomatic education from

Epaminondas

, became

eromenos
of

Pelopidas
, 

and lived with

Pammenes

, who was an enthusiastic advocate of the

Sacred Band of Thebes

. In 364 BC, Philip returned to Macedon. The deaths of 

Philip’s elder brothers,

King Alexander II

and

Perdiccas III

, allowed him to take the throne in 359 BC. Originally 

appointed regent
 

for his infant nephew

Amyntas IV

, who was the son of Perdiccas III, Philip managed to take the 

kingdom for himself that same year.

Philip’s military skills and expansionist vision of 

Macedonian greatness brought him early success. He had however first to 

re-establish a situation which had been greatly worsened by the defeat against 

the Illyrians
 

in which King Perdiccas himself had died. The

Paionians

and the

Thracians
 

had sacked and invaded the eastern regions of the country, while the

Athenians
had 

landed, at

Methoni

on the coast, a contingent under a Macedonian pretender called

Argeus
. Using 

diplomacy, Philip pushed back Paionians and Thracians promising tributes, and 

crushed the 3,000 Athenian

hoplites
 

(359). Momentarily free from his opponents, he concentrated on strengthening his 

internal position and, above all, his army. His most important innovation was 

doubtless the introduction of the

phalanx

infantry corps, armed with the famous

sarissa
, an 

exceedingly long spear, at the time the most important army corps in Macedonia.

Philip had married

Audata
, 

great-granddaughter of the Illyrian king of

Dardania

, Bardyllis

. However, this did not prevent him from marching against them in 

358 and crushing them in a ferocious battle in which some 7,000 Illyrians died 

(357). By this move, Philip established his authority inland as far as

Lake Ohrid
 

and the favour of the

Epirotes

.

He also used the

Social War

as an opportunity for expansion. He agreed with the Athenians, 

who had been so far unable to conquer

Amphipolis
, 

which commanded the

gold 

mines
of

Mount Pangaion

, to lease it to them after its conquest, in exchange for

Pydna
(lost by 

Macedon in 363). However, after conquering Amphipolis, he kept both the cities 

(357). As Athens declared war against him, he allied with the

Chalkidian League

of

Olynthus
. 

He subsequently conquered

Potidaea
, 

this time keeping his word and ceding it to the League in 356. One year before 

Philip had married the

Epirote

princess

Olympias
, 

who was the daughter of the king of the

Molossians
.

In 356 BC, Philip also conquered the town of

Crenides
 

and changed its name to

Philippi
: 

he established a powerful garrison there to control its mines, which granted him 

much of the gold later used for his campaigns. In the meantime, his general

Parmenion
 

defeated the Illyrians again. Also in 356

Alexander

was born, and Philip’s race horse won in the

Olympic Games

. In 355–354 he besieged

Methone

, the last city on the

Thermaic Gulf

controlled by Athens. During the siege, Philip lost an eye. 

Despite the arrival of two Athenians fleets, the city fell in 354. Philip also 

attacked

Abdera

and Maronea, on the

Thracian
 

seaboard (354–353).

Involved in the 

Third Sacred War

which had broken out in Greece, in the summer of 353 he 

invaded Thessaly

, defeating 7,000

Phocians
under 

the brother of Onomarchus. The latter however defeated Philip in the two 

succeeding battles. Philip returned to Thessaly the next summer, this time with 

an army of 20,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry including all Thessalian troops. In 

the

Battle of Crocus Field

6,000 Phocians fell, while 3,000 were taken as 

prisoners and later drowned. This battle granted Philip an immense prestige, as 

well the free acquisition of

Pherae
. Philip 

was also tagus of Thessaly, and he claimed as his own

Magnesia
, 

with the important harbour of

Pagasae
. 

Philip did not attempt to advance into

Central Greece

because the Athenians, unable to arrive in time to defend 

Pagasae, had occupied

Thermopylae

.

Hostilities with Athens did not yet take place, but Athens 

was threatened by the Macedonian party which Philip’s gold created in

Euboea
. From 

352 to 346 BC, Philip did not again come south. He was active in completing the 

subjugation of the

Balkan
 

hill-country to the west and north, and in reducing the Greek cities of the 

coast as far as the

Hebrus
. To 

the chief of these coastal cities, Olynthus, Philip continued to profess 

friendship until its neighboring cities were in his hands.

In 349 BC, Philip started the siege of Olynthus, which, apart 

from its strategic position, housed his relatives

Arrhidaeus

and Menelaus, pretenders to the Macedonian throne. Olynthus had 

at first allied itself with Philip, but later shifted its allegiance to Athens. 

The latter, however, did nothing to help the city, its expeditions held back by 

a revolt in Euboea (probably paid by Philip’s gold). The

Macedonian

king finally took Olynthus in 348 BC and razed the city to the 

ground. The same fate was inflicted on other cities of the Chalcidian peninsula. 

Macedon and the regions adjoining it having now been securely consolidated, 

Philip celebrated his

Olympic Games

at

Dium

. In 347 BC, Philip advanced to the conquest of the eastern districts 

about Hebrus, and compelled the submission of the

Thracian

prince

Cersobleptes

. In 346 BC, he intervened effectively in the war between Thebes 

and the Phocians, but his wars with Athens continued intermittently. However, 

Athens had made overtures for peace, and when Philip again moved south, peace 

was sworn in Thessaly. With key Greek city-states in submission, Philip turned 

to Sparta
; he 

sent them a message, “You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I 

bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and 

raze your city.” Their

laconic

reply: “If”. Philip and Alexander would both leave them alone. 

Later, the Macedonian arms were carried across Epirus to the

Adriatic Sea

. In 342 BC, Philip led a great military expedition north 

against the Scythians

, conquering the Thracian fortified settlement Eumolpia to give it 

his name, Philippopolis (modern

Plovdiv
).

In 340 BC, Philip started the siege of

Perinthus

. Philip began another siege in 339 of the city of

Byzantium
. 

After unsuccessful sieges of both cities, Philip’s influence all over Greece was 

compromised. However, he successfully reasserted his authority in the

Aegean
 

by defeating an alliance of Thebans and Athenians at the

Battle of Chaeronea

in 338 BC, while in the same year, Philip destroyed

Amfissa
 

because the residents had illegally cultivated part of the Crisaian plain which 

belonged to Delphi
. 

Philip created and led the

League of Corinth

in 337 BC. Members of the League agreed never to wage war 

against each other, unless it was to suppress

revolution
. 

Philip was elected as leader (hegemon) 

of the army of invasion against the

Persian Empire

. In 336 BC, when the invasion of Persia was in its very early 

stage, Philip was assassinated, and was succeeded on the throne of Macedon by 

his son

Alexander III

.

 Assassination

The murder occurred during October of 336 BC, at

Aegae
, the 

ancient capital of the kingdom of Macedon. The court had gathered there for the 

celebration of the marriage between

Alexander I of Epirus

and Philip’s daughter, by his fourth wife

Olympias
,

Cleopatra

. While the king was entering unprotected into the town’s theater 

(highlighting his approachability to the Greek diplomats present), he was killed 

by

Pausanias of Orestis

, one of his seven bodyguards. The assassin immediately 

tried to escape and reach his associates who were waiting for him with horses at 

the entrance of Aegae. He was pursued by three of Philip’s bodyguards and died 

by their hands.

The reasons for Pausanias’ assassination of Phillip are 

difficult to fully expound, since there was controversy already among ancient 

historians. The only contemporary account in our possession is that of

Aristotle
, 

who states rather tersely that Philip was killed because Pausanias had been 

offended by the followers of

Attalus

, the king’s father-in-law.

Fifty years later, the historian

Cleitarchus

expanded and embellished the story. Centuries later, this 

version was to be narrated by

Diodorus Siculus

and all the historians who used Cleitarchus. In the 

sixteenth book of Diodorus’ history, Pausanias had been a lover of Philip, but 

became jealous when Philip turned his attention to a younger man, also called 

Pausanias. His taunting of the new lover caused the youth to throw away his 

life, which turned his friend, Attalus, against Pausanias. Attalus took his 

revenge by inviting Pausanias to dinner, getting him drunk, then subjecting him 

to sexual assault.

When Pausanias complained to Philip the king felt unable to 

chastise Attalus, as he was about to send him to Asia with Parmenion, to 

establish a bridgehead for his planned invasion. He also married Attalus’s 

niece, or daughter,

Eurydice

. Rather than offend Attalus, Phillip attempted to mollify Pausanius 

by elevating him within the bodyguard. Pausanias’ desire for revenge seems to 

have turned towards the man who had failed to avenge his damaged honour; so he 

planned to kill Philip, and some time after the alleged rape, while Attalus was 

already in Asia fighting the Persians, put his plan in action. Other historians 

(e.g.,

Justin

9.7) suggested that Alexander and/or his mother

Olympias
 

were at least privy to the intrigue, if not themselves instigators. The latter 

seems to have been anything but discreet in manifesting her gratitude to 

Pausanias, if we accept Justin’s report: he tells us that the same night of her 

return from exile she placed a crown on the assassin’s corpse and erected a 

tumulus to his memory, ordering annual sacrifices to the memory of Pausanias.

Many modern historians have observed that all the accounts 

are improbable. In the case of Pausanias, the stated motive of the crime hardly 

seems adequate. On the other hand, the implication of Alexander and Olympias 

seems specious: to act as they did would have required brazen effrontery in the 

face of a military machine personally loyal to Philip. What appears to be 

recorded in this are the natural suspicions that fell on the chief beneficiaries 

of the murder; their actions after the murder, however sympathetic they might 

appear (if actual), cannot prove their guilt in the deed itself. Further 

convoluting the case is the possible role of propaganda in the surviving 

accounts: Attalus was executed in Alexander’s consolidation of power after the 

murder; one might wonder if his enrollment among the conspirators was not for 

the effect of introducing political expediency in an otherwise messy purge 

(Attalus had publicly declared his hope that Alexander would not succeed Philip, 

but rather that a son of his own niece Eurydice, recently married to Philip and 

brutally murdered by Olympias after Philip’s death, would gain the throne of 

Macedon).

 Marriages

The dates of Philip’s multiple marriages and the names of 

some of his wives are contested. Below is the order of marriages offered by 

Athenaeus, 13.557b-e:

• Audata
  , the 

  daughter of

  Illyrian
   

  King Bardyllis

  . Mother of

  Cynane
  .

• Phila, the sister of

  Derdas
  and 

  Machatas of

  Elimiotis
  .

• Nicesipolis

  of

  Pherae
  ,

  Thessaly
  , 

  mother of

  Thessalonica

  .

• Olympias
   

  of

  Epirus

  , mother of

  Alexander the Great

  and

  Cleopatra

• Philinna of

  Larissa
  , 

  mother of Arrhidaeus later called

  Philip III of Macedon

  .

• Meda of Odessa

  , daughter of the king Cothelas, of

  Thrace
  .

• Cleopatra, daughter of Hippostratus and niece of general

  Attalus of Macedonia

  . Philip renamed her

  Cleopatra Eurydice of Macedon

  .

 Archaeological 

findings

On November 8, 1977, Greek archaeologist

Manolis Andronikos

found, among other royal tombs, an unopened tomb at

Vergina
in 

the Greek prefecture of

Imathia

. The finds from this tomb were later included in the traveling 

exhibit The Search for Alexander displayed at four cities in the

United States

from 1980 to 1982. Initially identified as belonging to Philip 

II, Eugene Borza and others have suggested that the tomb actually belonged to 

Philip’s son,

Philip Arrhidaeus

. Disputations often relied on contradictions between “the 

body” or “skeleton” of Philip II and reliable historical accounts of his life 

(and injuries).

The initial ‘proof’ that the tomb may belong to Philip II was 

indicated by the greeves (leg armor to protect the tibia (‘shin’) bone), one of 

which indicated that the owner had a leg injury which distorted the natural 

alignment of the tibia (Philip II was recorded as having broken his tibia).

What is now viewed as final proof that the tomb indeed did 

belong to Philip II and that the surviving bone fragments are in fact the body 

of Philip II comes from forensic reconstruction of the scull of Philip II by the 

wax casting and reconstruction of the scull which shows the damage to the right 

eye caused by the penetration of an object (historically recorded to be an 

arrow). See John Prag and Richard Neave’s report in Making Faces: Using Forensic 

and Archaeological Evidence, published for the Trustees of the British Museum by 

the British Museum Press, London: 1997.

 Cult

The

heroon
at

Vergina
in 

Greek Macedonia (the ancient city of Aigai – Αἶγαι), is thought to have been 

dedicated to the worship of the family of Alexander the Great and may have 

housed the cult statue of Philip. It is probable that he was regarded as a hero 

or deified on his death. Though the Macedonians did not consider Philip a god, 

he did receive other forms of recognition by the Greeks, such as at

Eresos
(altar 

to Zeus Philippeios),

Ephesos

(his statue was placed in the

temple of Artemis

), and at Olympia, where the

Philippeion

was built. Moreover, Isocrates wrote to Philip that if he 

defeated Persia, there was nothing left for him to do to but become a god 

while Demades
 

proposed that Philip be regarded as the thirteenth god. However, there is no 

clear evidence that Philip was raised to divine status like that of his son

Alexander

.