Category: Seleucid Empire

Timarchus ruled in the twilight era of the Hellenistic period in Iran. He styled himself Great King, the traditional title of Persian kings, perhaps in an effort to curry favor with the local Iranian nobility in his province. His coins, including this piece, thus bear the legend “Basileus Megas.” Certainly orienting to the east, his…

Hierax seized the moment and asserted control over Seleucid lands in Asia Minor, where he made friends with local kings and tribes, forging power bases in the mountains and forests. He survived for fifteen years, meandering with a small army and ruling an amorphous territory until his assassination in 226 BC.