| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 220 | Silver | Auction date: 30 June 2024 |
| Lot number: 113 Price realized: 550 EUR (Approx. 589 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 Armenia. Tigranocerta. Tigranes II "the Great" 95-56 BC. Tetradrachm AR 25 mm, 15,58 g Draped bust of Tigranes II to right, wearing five-pointed tiara decorated with comet star between two eagles / BAΣIΛEΩΣ - TIΓPANOY, The Tyche of Tigranokerta, turreted and veiled, seated right on rock, holding long palm frond in her right hand; below, river-god Araxes swimming right; on rock, monogram; in field to right, monogram of AP; all within wreath. Nearly Extremely Fine Kovacs 74.1. Tigranes II, known as Tigranes the Great, was a significant king of Armenia from 95 BC to 55 BC during the Hellenistic period. A member of the Artaxiad dynasty, he expanded Armenia's borders significantly, earning the titles of "Great King" and "King of Kings." Tigranes allied with Mithridates VI of Pontus, marrying his daughter Cleopatra. His empire reached from the Pontic Alps to Mesopotamia and from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean, making it the most powerful state east of the Roman Republic for a brief period. Tigranes' imperial ambitions brought him into direct conflict with Rome. In 69 BC, he suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Roman general Lucullus in the Battle of Tigranocerta. Subsequent battles against the Romans led by Pompey resulted in Tigranes' surrender in 66 BC. Pompey allowed him to retain a diminished Armenia as a Roman buffer state. Tigranes ruled as a Roman ally until his death in 55 BC. Known for his diverse imperial ideology, Tigranes blended Achaemenid, Parthian, and Greek influences in his court. He was a follower of Zoroastrianism and adopted the title of Philhellene. Tigranes left a legacy, founding cities including the capital Tigranocerta. His empire, though short-lived, is a source of pride for modern Armenian nationalists, symbolized by the expression "sea to sea Armenia," reflecting the vast extent of his kingdom from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
