Nomos 8

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Antiochos IX Eusebes Philopator (called Kyzikenos). 114/3-95 BC. Drachm (Silver, 16mm, 3.84 g 12), Tarsos, 96/95 BC. Diademed head of Antiochos IX to right. Rev. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ Sandan, wearing a polos and robes and with a bow and quiver over his shoulder, holding a double ax in his left hand and with his right raised, standing right on the back of a horned and winged lion; to left, two monograms. SC 2356. Rare in this condition. Very attractively toned. Nearly extremely fine.

From a northern European collection.

Sandan was a local god of Tarsos; his worship goes back to at least Hittite times: his appearance, standing on the back of a lion-monster, is characteristically Hittite in nature. In his cult his image was placed on a special altar, a ‘pyre’, and burnt once a year to ensure fertility. He was later assimilated with Herakles - his appearance on coins provides us with one of the few non-Hellenic deities to appear on ancient Greek coinage.