Movers, Shakers and Stabilizers
PHARNABAZUS
Persia: Time of Darius II
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Coin Details
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) CILICIA, TARSUS Pharnabazus c380-374/3 BC |
| Item Description: |
AR Stater Cilicia, Tarsus rv Ares(?) helmeted obv Ba'al of Tarsus std. |
| Full Grade: |
NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 3/5 |
| Owner: |
karl49 |
Owner Comments:
Pharnabazus II was a Persian soldier and statesman and one of the first living persons to be depicted on a coin (possibly, although the image is often attributed to that of the god Ares). He was satrap of Phrygia in the Hellespont He and Tissaphernes of Caria, another one of Persian King Darius II's satraps, entered in to the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) nominally on the side of Sparta in that city's long war with Athens. The two satraps were rivals, each probably trying to impress Darius with his success. When Tissaphernes appeared less than upright in his promises of Persian-Phoenician support to Sparta, the Spartans turned to Pharnabazus who was the more upright of the two, as it happened.