Alexandria Troas — refounded by Antigonus and later by Lysimachus before Augustus formalized its colonial status — maintained an unusually persistent civic coinage into the third century, long after many Asian Greek cities had abandoned bronze issues. The Marsyas type belongs to this late colonial phase, struck during the reign of Gallienus when the empire was hemorrhaging territory to Postumus in the west and Odaenathus was consolidating power in the east.
The Marsyas figure held specific civic meaning for Roman colonies, referencing the statue type displayed in Roman fora as a symbol of colonial freedom. SNG Copenhagen 103 documents this issue among a cluster of related Troas bronzes sharing obverse die characteristics.
Alexandria Troas — refounded by Antigonus and later by Lysimachus before Augustus formalized its colonial status — maintained an unusually persistent civic coinage into the third century, long after many Asian Greek cities had abandoned bronze issues. The Marsyas type belongs to this late colonial phase, struck during the reign of Gallienus when the empire was hemorrhaging territory to Postumus in the west and Odaenathus was consolidating power in the east.
The Marsyas figure held specific civic meaning for Roman colonies, referencing the statue type displayed in Roman fora as a symbol of colonial freedom. SNG Copenhagen 103 documents this issue among a cluster of related Troas bronzes sharing obverse die characteristics.