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Tetradrachm - Ptolemy IV Philopator Alexandreia, Battle of Raphia
| Issuer | Ptolemaic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 217 BC - 210 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 14.0 g |
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| Reverse description | An eagle with closed wings stands left atop a thunderbolt, its head turned to gaze right, a composition firmly rooted in Ptolemaic dynastic iconography. The bird supports a double cornucopiae bound with a royal diadem over its shoulder, symbolising royal abundance and divine favour. The Greek legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ is disposed in the field, identifying the issuing monarch. The reverse design follows the standard Ptolemaic type established under Ptolemy I and continued with dynastic modifications through subsequent reigns. The rendering is characteristic of the Alexandreia mint's accomplished die-cutting style of the late third century BC. |
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| Mint | Alexandreia (Alexandria) mint |
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| Additional information |
Ptolemy IV came to power with a reputation for indolence — ancient sources, particularly Polybius, are withering on the subject — yet his reign produced one of the Hellenistic world's most consequential military engagements. The Battle of Raphia in 217 BC, fought against Antiochus III near the Gaza coast, was the largest pitched battle between the death of Alexander and the Roman imperial period. Ptolemy's forces won decisively, in no small part due to the deployment of African war elephants against Seleucid Indian ones.
Production of this type at Alexandria continued into the 210s, spanning the years immediately following Raphia. Polybius notes that arming native Egyptians for the battle had unintended consequences: emboldened by their role in the victory, they soon revolted in the Delta and Upper Egypt.