EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



207 



other varieties, some having a head of Ju- 

 piter for obverse, like those of Philip II. of 

 Macedon. The coin engraved (Fig. 1) is a 

 silver tetradrachm, or piece of four drachmae. 

 Seleucus Nicanor was assassinated, after a 

 long reign, by his brother-in-law Ceraunius, 

 in 282 B.C. 



His successor, Antiochus I., was surnamed 

 Soter, or Saviour, in consequence of his vic- 

 tory over several hordes of Celts, who threat- 

 ened to overrun the whole of Asia Minor. 

 This prince was the first of this dynasty who 

 caused his own portrait to be placed, unideal- 

 ized and unaccompanied by any sacred sym- 

 bols, on the public coinage of the newly- 

 established empire. On the reverse the de- 

 vice is generally the figure of Apollo, as on 

 the coins of Antiochus the Great, engraved 



tions as those of his father ; but may be dis- 

 tinguished by the youthful character of the 

 portrait, as he was assassinated at the early 

 age of 20. 



Antiochus III., surnamed the Great, was 

 the brother of the preceding, and reigned 

 from 223 to 187, B.C. The coins of this 

 prince, the antagonist of the Romans in the 

 East, and the protector of Hannibal, who took 

 refuge at his court, are perhaps more nume- 

 rous than those of any of his predecessors or 

 successors. A very interesting collection 

 might indeed be formed of the coins of his 

 reign alone. The series exhibits the features 

 of the prince, from early youth to advanced 

 age, in a fine series of portraits, which are 

 remarkable as mere works of art ; while 

 the series of the reverses are very various. 



hero (Fig. 2). The legend is 

 ANTiOKOoT. He died in 261 b.c. 



Antiochus II. was surnamed Theos (the 

 god), on account of his delivering the Mile- 

 sians from their tyrant Timarchus. He died 

 by poison in 247 B.C. His coins were distin- 

 guished from the preceding by the device 

 of the reverse, which is generally a finely- 

 executed figure of Hercules, seated, and lean- 

 ing on his club. These coins are very fine. 



Seleucus II. reigned from 247 to 227 s.c. 

 His coins have a portrait on the obverse, and 

 a fine figure of Apollo leaning on a tripod on 

 the reverse, with the inscription BASIAEXIS 

 SEAEYKoT. 



Seleucus III. reigned from 227 to 223 B.C. 

 His coins have the same devices and inscrip- 



that engraved above being the most common. 

 It represents Antiochus in the early years 

 of his reign, and is a silver tetradrachm. 

 The gold coins of this reign are large and 

 fine, but it is on the copper and small silver 

 that are exhibited the greatest number of 

 devices. 



Seleucus IV. reigned from 187 to 176 B.C. 

 There are no good coins of this reign. The 

 small copper have the prow of a vessel for 

 reverse, with the name and title as usual. 



Antiochus TV. (from 176 to 164 B.C.) 

 The coins of this prince are remarkable as 

 being the first which bear the surnames of 

 the prince. They run as follows : — BASIAEnS 

 ANTIOKOT 0EOT Eni*ANOT5, " The king An- 

 tiochus, the god, the illustrious." Some of 



