PHILADELPHIA in LYDIA 2-1stCenBC Macedonia Shield Thunderbolt Greek Coin i51981

Item: i51981

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Greek city of Philadelphia in
Lydia

Bronze 15mm (5.59 grams) Struck 2nd-1st Century B.C.

Reference: Sear 4723; B.M.C.22.187,1; SNG Copenhagen 345 var. (monogram).

Circular Macedonian shield with star on boss.

ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛ / ΦEΩΝ above and
beneath thunderbolt, monogram in upper field; all within olive-wreath.

Founded by Attalos II Philadelphos, King of Pergamon 159-138

B.C., Philadelpheia was situated
south-east of Sardes and commanded the

important valley of Kogamis.

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

Authenticity.

Alaşehir (Greek:

Philadélphia (Φιλαδέλφεια)) is a

town and district of

Manisa Province

in the

Aegean

region of

Turkey
. It is

situated in the valley of the Kuzuçay (Cogamus

in antiquity), at the foot of the Bozdağ (Mount

Tmolus
in

antiquity). The city is connected to

İzmir
by a 105 km

(65 mi) railway.

It stands on elevated ground commanding the extensive and

fertile plain of the

Gediz

River
, (Hermus

in antiquity) presents at a distance an imposing appearance. It has several

mosques
and

Christian

churches

. There are small industries and a fair trade. From one of the

mineral springs

comes a heavily charged water popular around Turkey.

Within Turkey, the city’s name is synonymous with the dried

Sultana

raisins

, although cultivation for the fresh fruit market, less labour-intensive

than the dried fruit, gained prominence in the last decades. Named

Philadelphia

in antiquity, Alaşehir was a highly important center in the

early-Christian

and

Byzantine

periods, and remained a

titular

see
of the

Roman Catholic Church

.

//

 Ancient

Philadelphia

Alaşehir began as perhaps one of the first ancient cities

with the name

Philadelphia

. It was established in 189 BC by King

Eumenes II

of Pergamon

(197-160 BC).

Eumenes II

named the city for the love of his brother, who would be his successor,

Attalus II

(159-138 BC), whose loyalty earned him the nickname, “Philadelphos”,

literally meaning “one who loves his brother”. The city is perhaps best-known as

the site of one of the

seven churches of Asia

in the

Book of Revelation

.

Lacking an heir,

Attalus

III Philometer
, the last of the

Attalid kings of Pergamum

, bequeathed his kingdom, including Philadelphia,

to his Roman

allies when he died in 133 BC. Rome established the province of

Asia

in 129 BC by combining

Ionia
and the

former Kingdom of

Pergamum

.

 Roman

Philadelphia

Philadelphia was in the administrative district of Sardis

(Pliny NH 5.111). In AD 17, the city suffered badly in an earthquake, and the

emperor Tiberius relieved it of having to pay taxes (Tacitus Annales 2.47, cf.

Strabo 12.8.18, 13.4.10, John Lydus de mensibus 4.115). in response, the city

granted honors to Tiberius. Evidence from coinage reveals that Caligula helped

the city; under Vespasian, Philadelphia received his cognomen, Flavia. Under

Caracalla, Philadelphia housed an imperial cult; its coins bore the word

Neokoron (literally, “temple-sweeper”–caretaker of the temple). A small

theater located at the northern edge of Toptepe Hill is all that remains of

Roman Philadelphia.

 Philadelphia

in the Book of Revelation

Although several ancient cities bore the name of

Philadelphia, this is definitely the one listed among the

seven churches

by

John

in the

Book of Revelation

. Philadelphia is the sixth church of the seven.(Revelation

1:11). A letter specifically addressed to the Philadelphian church is

recorded in (Revelation

3:7-13). According to this letter, the Philadelphian Christians were

suffering persecution at the hands of the local Jews, whom Revelation

calls “the synagogue of Satan” (Revelation

3:9). The city’s history of earthquakes may lie behind the reference to

making her church a temple pillar (Revelation

3:12). Permanency would have been important to the city’s residents.

 Byzantine

Philadelphia

Philadelphia was a prosperous Byzantine city, called the

“little Athens
”

in the 6th c AD because of its festivals and temples. Presumably this indicates

that the city wasn’t entirely converted to

Christianity

. Ammia, the

Montanist

prophetess, was from Philadelphia, however. In about the year 600

the domed Basilica of St. John was built, remains of which are the main

archaeological attraction in the modern city. The Byzantine walls that once

surrounded the city have all but crumbled away. A few remnants are still visible

at the northeast edge of town, near the bus stand. The city was taken by the

Seljuk Turks in 1074 and 1093-94. In 1098, during the

First

Crusade
, it was recovered by

Byzantine Emperor

Alexios I

. In the 11th to 15th centuries AD, it was the seat of the doux

(governor) and

(military commander) of the

Thrakesion

theme.

It was the center of several revolts against ruling Byzantine

emperors- in 1182, led by

John Komnenos Vatatzes

, and 1188-1205 or 1206, led by

Theodore Mangaphas

, a local Philadelphian, against

Isaac II Angelos

. In the 14th century, Philadelphia was made the metropolis

of Lydia by the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, a status it still

holds. It was granted this honor because the city did not capitulate to the

Ottomans. The city was prosperous especially in the 13th and 14th centuries;

there was a Genoese trading colony and the city was an important producer of

leather goods and red-dyed silk (whence, perhaps, its Turkish name, which

probably means “red city”).

By the 14th century, the city was surrounded by Turkish emirates but maintained

nominal allegiance to the Byzantine emperor. The town remained prosperous

through trade and its strategic location.

Philadelphia was an independent, neutral city under the

influence of the Latin

Knights of Rhodes

, when taken in 1390 by

Sultan Bayezid I

and an auxiliary

Christian

force under the

Byzantine

emperor

Manuel II

after a prolonged resistance, by which time all the other cities

of Asia Minor had surrendered to the Ottomans. Manuel had been forced by Bayezid

to participate in subjugating Philadelphia to Turkish rule, a bitter irony given

its long resistance. Twelve years later it was captured by

Timur
, who built

a wall with the corpses of his prisoners. A fragment of the ghastly structure is

in the library of

Lincoln Cathedral

.

Philadelphia was the last Byzantine stronghold in inner Asia

Minor. Its Greek inhabitants fled the town during

World War

I
and created

Nea Filadelfeia

in Greece.

 Turkish

history

 Greek

occupation in Alaşehir (1920-1922)

The English traveler r

Richard Chandler

, visiting in the late 18th century, mentions that the town

is of considerable size, with a Greek Orthodox population of about 300 families,

none of whom apparently spoke Greek. He says further that the city is on an

important road to Smyrna and was frequented by merchants, especially Armenians.