DEMETRIOS I Poliorketes 294BC Aplustre Ancient Greek Coin Galley Ship i41640

$425.00 $382.50

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Item: i41640

 

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Greek Ruler of
Macedonian Kingdom

Demetrios I, Poliorketes – King: 294-288 B.C.

Bronze 11mm (1.67 grams) Struck 294-288 B.C.
Reference: Sear 6775 var.; Newell Coins of Demetrios Poliorketes 40
Head of Demetrius right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet ornamented with
bull’s horn.
Prow of galley right; BA above, AI X below; aplustre in field to left.

Son of Antigonos the One-eyed, Demetrios Poliorketes (the ‘Besiger’) was a
romantic chracter who pursued a most colorful career spanning more than three
decades. In his earlier years he assisted his father, whose power was centered
in Asia Minor, and in 306 he achieved a great naval victory over Ptolemy of
Egypt, in the batte f Salamis, off the coast of Cyprus. After many vicissituedes
he seized the Macedonian throne in 294, although he reigned for only six years
the dyansty which he founded lasted unil the end of the Macedonian Kingdom. He
died as a captive in Syria in 283 B.C.

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of

Authenticity.

 

Apluster (alternate spelling aplustre), an ornamental appendage of wood at the
ship’s stern, usually spreading like a fan and curved like a bird’s feather. The
apluster is used on ancient coins to symbolize maritime power.
 



A
galley  is a type of

ship
propelled by
rowers
that originated in the eastern
Mediterranean Sea
and was used for
warfare
,
trade
and
piracy
from the first millennium BC. Galleys
dominated
naval warfare
in the Mediterranean from the 8th
century BC until development of advanced sailing warships in the 17th century.
Galleys fought in the wars of
Assyria
, ancient
Phoenicia
,
Greece
,
Carthage
and
Rome
until the 4th century AD. After the fall
of the
Western Roman Empire
galleys formed the
mainstay of the
Byzantine navy
and other navies of successors
of the Roman Empire, as well as new
Muslim
navies. Medieval Mediterranean states,
notably the Italian maritime republics, including
Venice
,
Pisa
,
Genoa
and the
Ottoman Empire
relied on them as the primary
warships of their fleets until the 17th century, when they were gradually
replaced by sailing warships. Galleys continued to be applied in minor roles in
the Mediterranean and the
Baltic Sea
even after the introduction of
steam propelled
ships in the early 19th
century.

The galley engagements at
Actium
and
Lepanto
are among the greatest
naval battles
in history.


Demetrius I (Greek:

Δημήτριος Α`, 337-283 BC), called Poliorcetes (Greek:

Πολιορκητής – “The Besieger”), son of

Antigonus I Monophthalmus

and

Stratonice

, was a king of

Macedon

(294–288 BC). He belonged to the

Antigonid dynasty

.

Biography

At the age of twenty-two he was left by his father to defend

Syria
against

Ptolemy

the son of

Lagus
; he was

totally defeated in

Battle of Gaza

, but soon partially repaired his loss by a victory in the

neighbourhood of Myus
.

In the spring of 310, he was soundly defeated when he tried to expel

Seleucus I Nicator

from

Babylon
; his

father was defeated in the autumn. As a result of this

Babylonian War

, Antigonus lost almost two thirds of his empire: all eastern

satrapies became Seleucus’.

After several campaigns against Ptolemy on the coasts of

Cilicia
and

Cyprus
,

Demetrius sailed with a fleet of 250 ships to

Athens
. He

freed the city from the power of

Cassander

and Ptolemy, expelled the garrison which had been stationed there under

Demetrius of Phalerum

, and besieged and took

Munychia

(307 BC). After these victories he was worshipped by the Athenians

as a

tutelary

deity under the title of Soter (σωτήρ) (“Preserver”).

In the campaign of 306 BC against Ptolemy he defeated

Menelaus

, Ptolemy’s brother, in the naval

Battle of Salamis

, completely destroying the naval power of

Egypt
. In 305 BC,

now bearing the title of king bestowed upon him by his father, he endeavoured to

punish the Rhodians

for having deserted his cause; his ingenuity in devising new

siege engines

in his unsuccessful attempt to reduce the capital gained him

the title of Poliorcetes. Among his creations were a

battering ram

180 feet (55 m) long, requiring 1000 men to operate it; and a

wheeled siege tower

named “Helepolis

(or “Taker of Cities”) which stood 125 feet (38 m) tall and 60 feet (18 m) wide,

weighing 360,000 pounds.

In 302 BC he returned a second time to Greece as liberator, and reinstated

the

Corinthian League

. But his licentiousness and extravagance made the

Athenians long for the government of Cassander. Among his outrages was his

courtship of a young boy named Democles the Handsome. The youth kept on refusing

his attention but one day found himself cornered at the baths. Having no way out

and being unable to physically resist his suitor, he took the lid off the hot

water cauldron and jumped in. His death is seen as a mark of honor for himself

and his country. In another instance, he waived a fine of 50 talents imposed on

a citizen in exchange for the favors of Cleaenetus, that man’s son.[1]

He also sought the attention of Lamia, a Greek courtesan. She demanded a price

of 250 talents. He put a tax on soap to raise the money.[2]

He also roused the jealousy of

Alexander

‘s Diadochi

;

Seleucus

, Cassander and

Lysimachus

united to destroy him and his father. The hostile armies met at the

Ipsus

in Phrygia

(301 BC). Antigonus was killed, and Demetrius, after sustaining

severe losses, retired to

Ephesus
. This

reversal of fortune stirred up many enemies against him—the Athenians refused

even to admit him into their city. But he soon afterwards ravaged the territory

of Lysimachus

and effected a reconciliation with Seleucus, to whom he gave his

daughter

Stratonice

in marriage. Athens was at this time oppressed by the tyranny of

Lachares

– a popular leader who made himself supreme in Athens in 296 BC –

but Demetrius, after a protracted blockade, gained possession of the city (294

BC) and pardoned the inhabitants for their misconduct in 301.

In the same year he established himself on the throne of Macedonia by

murdering

Alexander V

, the son of Cassander. In 291 BC he married

Lanassa

, the former wife of

Pyrrhus

. But his new position as ruler of Macedonia was continually

threatened by Pyrrhus, who took advantage of his occasional absence to ravage

the defenceless part of his kingdom (Plutarch,

Pyrrhus, 7 if.); at length, the combined forces of Pyrrhus, Ptolemy and

Lysimachus, assisted by the disaffected among his own subjects, obliged him to

leave Macedonia in 288 BC.

He passed into Asia and attacked some of the provinces of Lysimachus with

varying success. Famine and pestilence destroyed the greater part of his army,

and he solicited Seleucus’ support and assistance. But before he reached Syria

hostilities broke out, and after he had gained some advantages over his

son-in-law, Demetrius was totally forsaken by his troops on the field of battle

and surrendered to Seleucus.

His son

Antigonus

offered all his possessions, and even his own person, in order to

procure his father’s liberty. But all proved unavailing, and Demetrius died

after a confinement of three years (283 BC). His remains were given to Antigonus

and honoured with a splendid funeral at

Corinth

.

His descendants remained in possession of the Macedonian throne till the time

of

Perseus

, when Macedon was conquered by the

Romans

in 168 BC.

Literary references

Demetrius appears (under the Greek form of his name, Demetrios) in

L. Sprague de Camp

‘s historical novel,

The Bronze God of Rhodes

, which largely concerns itself with his siege

of Rhodes.

Alfred Duggan’s novel Elephants and Castles provides a lively

fictionalised account of his life.


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