Alexander the Great was the legendary king of the Hellenistic Kingdom of Macedon. Born in 356 BC, he succeeded his father, Philip II, when he was just 20 years old. In just 10 years from his ascension to the throne, he built one of the largest empires of the Ancient World, as his kingdom stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River. He died in Babylon, which he intended to make the capital of his empire, in 323 BC, at just 33 years of age. After his untimely death, Alexander’s empire was divided amongst his successors, usually his generals or close family, who continued to mint Alexander coins. Gold staters, together with silver tetradrachms, were the principle denominations under Alexander the Great. However, unlike the tetradrachms, which depicted to the reverse and obverse two powerful male gods, Herakles and Zeus, the gold staters hold the depictions of the goddesses Athena and Nike.
Philip III Arrhidaeus was the elder half-brother of Alexander the Great, born in 357 BC to Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) and Philinna of Larissa. Although he was the elder, Arrhidaeus was not a rival to Alexander the Great’s succession, due to his parentage, with Queen Olympias (Alexander’s mother) being Philip II’s lawful wife and queen, and a potential learning disability. His location during Alexander the Great’s reign is unclear from extant sources, with some suggesting that he was taken on campaign with his brother and others suggesting that he had stayed in Macedon. Regardless, upon Alexander’s death, Arrhidaeus was in Babylon and a succession crisis ensued. Although he was proclaimed king and co-ruler with Alexander IV, the newborn son of Alexander the Great, he did not rule – instead Perdiccas, the leader of the cavalry, was appointed as regent, ruling with Arrhidaeus and Alexander IV as figureheads. Arrhidaeus was executed in 317 BC, by Alexander the Great’s mother, Olympias. As a way of cementing Philip’s legitimacy, as Alexander’s heir, his coins were minted using the obverse and reverse previously favoured by Alexander the Great.
To learn more about the coins of Alexander The Great, please visit our relevant blog post: An Introduction to the Coins of Alexander The Great.
