Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 104 15 Dec 2022
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Kings of Charakene, Angodakos ('Apodakos') AR Tetradrachm. Charax-Spasinu mint, dated SE 207 = 106/5 BC. Diademed head to right / Herakles seated to left on rock, holding club on knee; [Β]ΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ to right, [A]ΓΓΟΔAKΟ[Υ] to left; monogram in outer left field, ZΣ (date) in exergue. Cf. Alram 496.1 (as Apodakos); cf. Sunrise 464 (date; as Apodakos); cf. DCA 480 (as Apodakos). 16.32g, 30mm, 12h.
Good Very Fine. Very Rare.
From a private European collection.
All we know about this king of Charakene is learned from his coins, and as such our understanding is extremely limited. It is uncertain whether he was the son of Hyspaosines, who the latter's widow Thalassia tried to install on the throne after the king's death, or whether he was a usurper. The king is usually referred to as Apodakos, based on a reading of the legend on his coins. The king's name appears on his coinage as 'AΓΓΟΔAKΟΥ' however the two gammas have long since been interpreted as representing the Greek letter Pi, hence the reading Apodakos. This interpretation of the king's name appears to date from the 19th century, following the acquisition of a tetradrachm by the British Museum in 1853 (E. Babelon, Dynasts de la Characene in JIAN vol. 1, 1898, p. 385). The number of specimens available for study has greatly increased since and the majority of catalogue descriptions denote the legend as 'AΓΓΟΔAKΟΥ' rather than ''AΠΟΔAKΟΥ'. Despite this, the reading of the name remains unchanged. There is however an alternative reading of the name which can be put forward. The Latinisation of the name 'αγγοδακοσ' is Angodakos. Although we haven't found the name Angodakos it certainly isn't unusual to find names beginning with 'AΓΓΟ'. Similar names can be found in Greek inscriptions - two from Palmyra contain the name AΓΓΟΔΟΜΟΣ (Angodomos, Gawlikowski, Monuments funéraires de Palmyre 187,12 & 211,25) and in Mesopotamia the name ΑΓΓΟΥΛΟΣ (Angoulos, SEG 20:403).
Good Very Fine. Very Rare.
From a private European collection.
All we know about this king of Charakene is learned from his coins, and as such our understanding is extremely limited. It is uncertain whether he was the son of Hyspaosines, who the latter's widow Thalassia tried to install on the throne after the king's death, or whether he was a usurper. The king is usually referred to as Apodakos, based on a reading of the legend on his coins. The king's name appears on his coinage as 'AΓΓΟΔAKΟΥ' however the two gammas have long since been interpreted as representing the Greek letter Pi, hence the reading Apodakos. This interpretation of the king's name appears to date from the 19th century, following the acquisition of a tetradrachm by the British Museum in 1853 (E. Babelon, Dynasts de la Characene in JIAN vol. 1, 1898, p. 385). The number of specimens available for study has greatly increased since and the majority of catalogue descriptions denote the legend as 'AΓΓΟΔAKΟΥ' rather than ''AΠΟΔAKΟΥ'. Despite this, the reading of the name remains unchanged. There is however an alternative reading of the name which can be put forward. The Latinisation of the name 'αγγοδακοσ' is Angodakos. Although we haven't found the name Angodakos it certainly isn't unusual to find names beginning with 'AΓΓΟ'. Similar names can be found in Greek inscriptions - two from Palmyra contain the name AΓΓΟΔΟΜΟΣ (Angodomos, Gawlikowski, Monuments funéraires de Palmyre 187,12 & 211,25) and in Mesopotamia the name ΑΓΓΟΥΛΟΣ (Angoulos, SEG 20:403).