| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 187 | Silver | Auction date: 10 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 10 Price realized: 70 EUR (Approx. 75 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Kings of Macedon. Aigai. Alexander I 498-454 BC. Hemiobol AR 8 mm, 0,28 g Spear head / Quadripartite incuse square. Very Fine Klein 119; SNG ANS 1003; SNG Copenhagen 464. Ex Hirsch Auction 240, Lot 124. Alexander, son of Amyntas I, was said to have married his sister to Persian general Bubares to conceal his involvement in a Persian embassy murder, as per Herodotus. However, this story is likely fictional, possibly invented by Herodotus during his time in Macedonia. It's more plausible that the marriage was arranged by Amyntas around 510 BC or managed by Alexander after his father's death. During Alexander's reign, Macedonia was initially a vassal to the Achaemenid Empire, a status continuing from his father's time. In 492 BC, it became fully subordinate to the Persian Empire after Mardonius' campaign. Alexander, serving as a representative of Persian governor Mardonius, participated in peace negotiations after the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. Despite this role, he aided Greek city-states, providing supplies and advice, warning them of Persian plans before the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. Herodotus referred to Alexander as a hyparchos (viceroy) after Mardonius' conquest of Macedon. Despite cooperating with Persia, Alexander played a key role in regaining Macedonian independence after the Persian Wars. He informed the Greeks about Persian movements, advising them to evacuate Tempe before Xerxes' troops arrived and revealing an alternate route to Thessaly through upper Macedonia. Claiming descent from Argive Greeks and Heracles, Alexander underwent scrutiny by Elean hellanodikai, confirming his lineage and granting him the right to participate in the Olympic Games, reserved for Greeks. He modeled his court after Athens, patronizing poets like Pindar and Bacchylides, earning the epithet "philhellene" for his love of Greek culture and identity. Starting price: 50 EUR |  |
