413

KARSTEN DAHMEN

KING IN A SMALL WORLD: DEPICTIONS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT

ON HIS SHIELDS AND ARMOUR1

Most archaeologists and historians at some point in their academic career meet the Great
Alexander. For some it is only a brief encounter, others are strongly taken by his deeds and legend, but all
are proof the eternal validity of Arrian’s statement in his preface of the ‘Anabasis of Alexander’: “There is
no one about whom more have written and more in disagreement with each other”, the historian wrote
when praising his sources Ptolemy and Aristobulos (Anabasis 1.2).
Margarete Bieber, who used Arrian as a mirror of past and contemporary writers, is no exception
to this rule in general, but characterized by the fact that she was already in her early 70ies when turning
on Alexander in 1949 and in her late 80ies when publishing her monograph in 1964. As far as numismatic
sources are concerned she granted to her German background was also very much aware of Theodor
Schreiber’s ‘Studien über das Bildnis Alexanders des Großen’ of 1903, who for the first time was heavily
depending on coins to illustrate his study.2
It is with great pleasure that I dedicate the following pages to Prof Draganov, who himself not only
has substantially contributed to our knowledge of the region of Alexander’s origin and its neighbours,
but also to the numismatic legacy of the great king himself.
Among the many posthumous representations of Alexander the Great (born 356 BC, reigned
336–323) on coins of the Roman period there are two groups of coins and medals which stand out because
of their material value and the detailed and telling iconography they employ. It is here that we encounter
a nearly minuscule Alexander in varying roles depicted on his own armour and that of a Roman tyrant.
Our pictural tour will go along the following milestones:
I Prelude: Caracalla and Alexander
II Alexander’s shield
III From Aboukir to Vergina
IV More Alexanders in Aboukir and Beroia
Surprisingly enough although portraits and statues of
Alexander were as said above always in the academic focus,3 these Fig. 1: Caracalla. Shield with head of
Alexander/ mount Argeios. Bronze coin
tiny representations did not receive such an attention. Only recently
from Caesareia, AD 197.
images of Alexander as shield devices of the Roman
emperor Caracalla (reigned AD 198/211–217) on some
coins were discussed intensively. Beginning from this
starting point I would now like to focus on a very similar
phenomenon: Representations of Alexander which
present him carrying shields with varying decorations.
Fig. 2: Caracalla. Shield with taming of Boukephalos/ eagle.
Bronze coin from Heliopolis, AD 215–217. British Museum,
I: CARACALLA AND ALEXANDER Departement of Coins & Medals.

As Dieter Salzmann4 was able to show, Caracalla is the only Roman emperor, who is represented
carrying a shield decorated with an image of Alexander the Great: Coins from Caesarea in Cappadocia5
(fig. 1) and tetradrachms from Heliopolis6 in today Lebanon (fig. 2) combine the imperial armoured bust

1 Elaborated version of a lecture held at a Harvard Museum Symposium (“Sculpture and Coins: Margarete Bieber as Scholar
and Collector”) on 30 April 2011 and an extended version of Dahmen 2008a, originally published in German.
2 Bieber 1964; Schreiber 1903:162-195.
3 The latest most comprehensive study still is the one by Stewart 1993.
4 Salzmann 2001. – Imitatio Alexandri by Roman Emperors: Compare now Kühnen 2008.
5 Salzmann 2001:181.188 Type 2 no. 2 pl. 26.1-2.
6 Ibid. 190 type 4 no. 3 pl. 27.1-2; BMC Cappadocia 143 no. 44.
414 Karsten Dahmen

with a representation of Alexander as a shield device. The earliest example from Caesarea shows the
youthful head to the left with long flowing hair taking the place of a much more common Gorgoneion
as a shield device. The Baalbek tetradrachm of AD 215–217 bears a much more elaborated motif. Here
Alexander’s head is also turned to the left, but above we see a riderless horse galloping to the left,
approached by a male figure which is trying to catch up with the animal. This doubtless is a representation
of the famous episode of Alexander taming his future mount Boukephalos (compare Plutarch, Alexander
6.1-5), only otherwise know from bronze coins of the Macedonian Koinon.7
The ideological importance of this prophecy of future greatness is evident, and with it the reason
for Caracalla gratefully making use of it.
A Berlin medallion from Aboukir (Dressel E, fig. 3)8 shows the very same head of Alexander, now
with an additional representation of Alexander hunting a lion. The latter motif again is familiar from two
medals from the famous find from Tarsos (now Cabinet
des Médailles in Paris),9 a related piece in Cambridge,10
and again Koinon bronzes.11 Once again the imperial
preference for Alexander and his virtues becomes
obvious.
Caracalla’s bust appears – in much more splendour
– on two medallions from Aboukir,12 one of which is
the specimen already shown here (Dressel E, fig. 3),
the other in Lisbon (Dressel S).13 This is not the time to
discuss in details Caracalla’s infatuation for Alexander,
but for our topic is will be sufficient to state that these
numismatic images illustrate a devotion to Alexander
which is attested by many ancient writers; these coins
are best understood as a local reaction to imperial
Alexandermania.14
Coins from the imperial mint at Rome lack such
references and also sculpture in the round does not
show such motifs. As the Caesarea coin is dated to year
5 (i.e. AD 197) we know that the phenomenon of ‘being
Alexander the Great’ was already a young prince’s
attitude presumable paralleling his father’s campaign
Fig. 3: Caracalla. Shield Alexander’s lion hunt/ Alexander against the Parthians in AD 197/198. And just as Alexander
being presented his armour, including shield showing had beaten Dareios III at Issos, his father Septimius
Achilles and Penthesileia. Medallion from Aboukir Severus had finished off his rival Pescennius Niger at the
(Dressel E). Münzkabinett Acc. 1908/3. (objekt no. 18200021). very same place, too.15

7 Dahmen 2007:32. 62. 140 pl. 22.8-9.

8 Münzkabinett object no. 18200021. Dressel 1906:11-12 pl. 2; Salzmann 2001:182 pl. 26.3; Dahmen 2008:527 pl. 103.
9 Dahmen 2008:525 nos. I. III pl. 100-101.
10 Dahmen 2008:533 pl. 109.
11 e.g. AMNG no. 419.2 = Dahmen 2007 pl. 22.3.
12 For medallions from Aboukir and Tarsos see now Dahmen 2008:493-546 with earlier references. Those from Aboukir are
identified by reference following Dressel’s numbering (i.e. Dressel A to U, compare Dressel 1906), those from Tarsos are
numbered I to III.
13 Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2433. Dahmen 2008: 531 pl. 107.
14 Salzmann 2001:174; Dahmen 2007:35 note 301. – Caracalla’s beard is not necessarily motivated as an imitation of Alexander
(who was clean shaven, but did show whiskers), but constitutes the adolescent age of the co-emperor and future ruler.
In addition we have to be aware of different die-cutter’s hands in the provinces, who enjoyed more freedom than artists
following given standardised Imperial portrait-types in the round. It still is remarkable that Caracalla on Medallion
Dressel E (here fig. 3) has got whiskers, which are quite similar to those of Alexander Dressel C (here fig. 4) and in addition
are reminiscent to the king’s depiction on the Alexandermosaic from Pompeji (compare Stewart 1993 colourplates 4 and
5a).
15 Compare Cassius Dio 75.7.
King in a Small World: Depictions of Alexander the Great on his Shields and Armour 415

II: ALEXANDER’S SHIELD

I would now like to turn away from this

imperial Alexander to a much more authentic one.
Alexander himself appears on the famous medals
from Aboukir carrying decorated shields. Among
the five specimens now in the Berlin coin cabinet
there are two giving testimony of these exciting
types. The first (Dressel C, fig. 4) shows Alexander’s
frontal bust with a diadem around his head, wearing
armour and carrying a shield. While his body armour
is decorated with a triton and the shoulder clap with
a belligerent Athena Promachos, his shield bears a
zodiac.16 In its centre we see above the goddess
Gaia the busts of Helios and Selene framed by five
signs of the zodiac: Ram, bull, Gemini, cancer and
leo (i.e. the period of March 21st to August 23rd).
The combination of a ruler/hero and zodiac is no
surprise in ancient art. Homer in the Iliad 18.478-607,
esp. 483-489 describes the shield of Achilles, the
pan-ultimate prototype for such an arm in ancient
art and literature, and Aeschylos the star spangled
shield of Tydeus. 17 A painted vault decorated with
a zodiac once existed in the Palace of Septimius
Severus.18 Similar testimony is prominently given
by the mantle worn by Demetrios Poliorketes,
which was decorated accordingly.19 The ideological
message is simple and plain enough: Alexander Fig. 4. Alexander as Kosmokrator: Shield with zodiac/ Nike with
rules the world, he truly is king of the world. shield supported by Eros, on which Alexander and lover are
Another medal in Berlin (again Dressel E, depicted? Tropaion with two captives. Medallion from Aboukir
20
fig. 3, and Dressel U in Lisbon ) offers a very (Dressel C). Münzkabinett Acc. 1907/230 (objekt no. 18200016).
different view: Here Alexander appears on the
reverse framed by the legend „king Alexander“. Sitting on a bench wearing mantle and diadem he is
accompanied by Nike, who present him with his arms. In addition to a helmet of Attic type in Nike’s hand,
a huge shield dominates the scenery. We see a warrior in frontal perspective moving to the left and
holding with his left hand a female figure, which has already fallen to the right and down to her knees.21
This motif is very familiar to any archaeologist and well attested e.g. on Roman sarcophagi. It shows
Achilles dramatically slaying Penthesilea, the queen of Amazons.22 It represents just another example of
the close relationship between Achilles and Alexander. We do also know of an individual connection of
the historical Alexander with a specific shield. When the king visited Troy and Achilles’ grave monument,

16 Münzkabinett 18200016. For references see Dahmen 2007:34 note 294; Dahmen 2008:501. Bieber 1964:80 considered this
type a Roman invention, but Hardie 1985:25 is quite right in pointing at the below mentioned Hellenistic prototypes. See
now on shield devices also Ehling 2010:183-192.
17 Seven against Thebes 387-390. For the discussion of the Shield of Achilles, sources and comparisons from literature and
material culture see Fittschen 1973 and esp. Hardie 1985 e.g. those of Dionysos and Aeneas modelled on Achilles’ example.
Even Hannibal is rhetorically equipped with a shield bearing a cosmological motif to highlight his glory before his inevitable
downfall: Silius Italicus, Punica 7.120-122. Compare Tipping 2010:7.81.88.95-98.
18 Cassius Dio 76.11.1.
19 Athenaios, Deipnosophistae 12.535-536. Compare Plutarch, Demetrios 41.
20 Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2427. Dahmen 2008:532 pl. 108.
21 Compare Hardie 1985:27 pl. 2 b.
22 For an iconographic overview on related material see LIMC VII 1994:297-305 (Ernst Berger). A late descendant is represented
by a painted shield from Dura-Europos in Syria, which shows this motif as one of many within a amazonomachy: James
2004:178-179 no. 617 fig. 98 pl. 7 with earlier references.
416 Karsten Dahmen

he exchanged his own weapons with those from the

sanctuary of Athena.23 According to the Alexander
Romance 1.42.11 he even saw the shield of Ajax. The
sacred shield taken from Athena was going to save
the king’s life years later.24
It is quite remarkable that this specific shield
device is later again connected with the Great
Alexander. A certain type of late Roman contorniates,25
some specimens are kept in the Münzkabinett, shows
Fig. 5: Veiled head of Olympias with rod and bracelet/
Alexander showing his armour, including shield with in combination with a portrait of Olympias on the
Achilles and queen of Amazons. Contorniate. obverse a reverse with Alexander in a similar pose
Münzkabinett Acc. 1912/306 (objekt no. 18200661). (fig. 5). Lacking here is only Nike, but Alexander holds
the very same shield possibly just a moment in time
after the scene represented on the medallion from Aboukir. The appearance of such a shield two times
at two places in the ancient world within 150 years clearly is evidence of a pictural tradition.26
At least as late as the 3rd century AD for posterity an amazon-slaying Hero and Alexander were
closely related. To be more specific, it is even possible to think that this shield device ‘Achilleus and
Penthesileia’ was Alexander’s actual personal sema. We are told by
Plutarch,27 that the king was to be identified in the midst of the battle at
the Granikos through his shield and his characteristic helmet with its two
white plumes. Unfortunately our source does not give any details on the
shield’s decoration.

III: FROM ABOUKIR TO VERGINA

Another observation adds additional weight to the interpretation of

Fig. 6: Draped armoured bust of
Alexander with spear and shield,
on which horseman(?) to left/
Alexander on horse riding to
right. Bronze coin of Macedonian
league. Münzkabinett Acc. 1875
Prokesch-Osten (objekt no. 18214406).
this motif. In the main chamber of the famous so-called ‘grave of Philip’ at
Vergina among its rich inventory an unfortunately quite damaged round
shield made of gold and ivory was found (fig. 7).28 Here we encounter the
very same scene of Achilles slaying the queen of amazons only mirrored,29
while the shield’s interior is fittingly being decorated with Nikai, lions and
the club of Heracles. Finally we are no longer in the Roman period of the 3rd
and 4th centuries AD, but roughly in Alexander’s own life time.
Interpreting this motif is very much determined by the viewer’s
perspective. ‘Hero killing Amazon’ may by later generations easily be

23 e.g. Arrian 1.11.7; 1.12.2.

24 Ibid. 6.10.2.
25 For contorniates see Alföldi 1976/90 and Mittag 1999. This piece: Alföldi 1976/90:18 no. 61.4 rev.-no. 11 pl. 22.10 = Münzkabinett
18200661. Compare also LIMC VII 1994:302 no. 56 l pl. 241 (Ernst Berger).
26 This is also true in case of Olympias’ portrait, which in later time and different places appears on both Aboukir medallions
and contorniates. The portrait-type used is the one of a Hellenistic queen or personification of Boulé respectively. Compare
for examples extant, less their interpretation, Nau 1968:49-66. – On the historically correct relationship between mother
and son which already in antiquity was well hidden under rather legendary stories see Jouanno 1995:211-230.
27 Plutarch, Alexander 16.4.
28 Andronikos 1984:136-140 fig. 91-93; LIMC VII 1994:302 no. 58 b (E. Berger) and now Borza and Palagia 2007:81-125 [esp.
113-117 on the ivory shield, which there is understood as an actual (battle) shield, not a ceremonial (parade) one!]. – In view
of the sheer volume of publications I refer to the survey provided by Michael Pfrommer in Lexikon des Hellenismus 2005
s.v. Makedonien VII.1, ed. Hatto H. Schmitt and Ernst Vogt, 655-658. Wiesbaden.
29 The parallel to Aboukir first seen by Palagia 2000:192. Compare also Dahmen 2007:38 note 337. – In Vergina the pair has
eye-contact and there are apparently some traces of drapery with the amazon’s figure. In the numismatic depictions at the
amazon is draped (and Alexander wears his helmet with both sword and scabbard visible). Both figures look in different
directions. In case of the only partially conserved Vergina shield the actual moment of the fatal encounter of Achilles and
Penthesileia remains doubtful. On contorniates and the Aboukir medallions it follows the variant of the amazon trying to
hold back Achilles’ blow respectively her begging for mercy. See LIMC VII 1994:302 (Ernst Berger), there ‘variant E’.
King in a Small World: Depictions of Alexander the Great on his Shields and Armour 417

understood as an allegory on the conquest of Asia

by Alexander (see the contorniate and the gold
medallion). But does this fit also to the shield in the
grave of a Macedonian king of the later 4th century
BC? Can this chryselephantine shield actually be
Alexander’s? The identity of the individual buried
in the grave is still being debated. Is it Alexander’s
father, Philip II, murdered in BC 336? Or his half
brother, the puppet king Philip III Arrhidaios,
murdered in 317? Did Alexander himself place this
protective device in the chamber or was it taken
from objects among the royal household, possibly
also after 323? Had Alexander carried such a shield
and motif already as a prince, one may also think of
Philip II. Was it later with Alexander having already
conquered Asia, someone else must have been
buried there. We must also acknowledge the fact
that such a rather decorative device as a shield made
of gold and ivory was much of a showpiece than a Fig. 7: Chryselephantine shield from ‘grave of Philip’. Height
of central group ca. 35 cm.
real weapon and Alexander may have carried a shield
with a quite different motif in battle.
Following these rather tempting traces of Alexander’s shield shall not keep us from looking for
other pictorial traditions, and again the often neglected field of numismatics offers more insight.
Reverses of another two medallions from Aboukir in Berlin (Dressel B and C, the latter fig. 4, and
Dressel I in Lisbon)30 present Nike with a shield supported by Eros. To the right we see a tropaion with
two chained captives. Alexander remains unvisible here, but his name and title appear in the legend.
This shield features the antithetic figures of a man and a woman, obviously a couple. It is tempting to
identify Alexander and one of his wives, but this scene remains too indifferent for any more detailed
interpretation.31
Alexander himself though appears in person on bronze coins of the Macedonian Koinon (and some
of the city of Beroia) carrying yet another decorated shield (fig. 6).32 These coins were issued by the
administrative body of the Roman province of Macedonia in the 3rd century AD and give testimony to
the continuing veneration of Alexander and his legend in Macedon. We also know of games (agones)
in honour of Alexander and the emperor at Beroia (Veria). In some rare cases Alexander’s bust appears
on these coins equipped with a shield, which carries a hardly recognisable scene. It seems to me that
it shows a horse or a horseman respectively. This would parallel some more common reverses within
the coinage of the Koinon, which prominently feature Alexander on horse, sometimes even hunting
down a lion. In our case now, Alexander again carries a decorated shield, yet not with any mythological
reference to his idol Achilles, but a ‘self-portrait’ depicting himself riding a horse and either killing his
enemy or hunting a beast. Less probable to me seems an interpretation as Alexander taming his famous
horse Boukephalos, another motif found among the images used by the Koinon’s engravers, as we have
seen earlier. Riding a horse or taming his mount, Alexander carries the shield the emperor Caracalla
claimed for himself as witnessed by the famous medallion from Aboukir discussed above.

30 Münzkabinett 182000012 and 18200016; Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2425 = Dahmen 2008:528 pl. 104.
31 Dressel 1906:46-48 favours an identification as Alexander as Dionysos together with Barsine respectively R(h)oxane,
because he recognizes an apron worn by the male figure on the right. Eros supporting the shield evidently points at the
amorous character of this scene. Alkibiades according to Plutarch, Alkibiades 16.2 is criticised by this fellow Athenians
for using a golden shield, which showed not an ancestral device, but instead Eros holding a thunderbolt. One could also
think e.g. of Achilles and Briseis, less probable to me seem Aiax and Cassandra, because in this case we would expect the
palladium and a much more expressive depiction highlighting the violent character of their encounter. For Briseis see
LIMC III 1986:157-167 (Anneliese Kossatz-Deissmann).
32 Compare the corpus of the two volumes of AMNG. On representations of Alexander and the historical background of
these issues see Dahmen 2007:31-33. This coin is Münzkabinett 18214406: AMNG no. 405.1 pl. 4.18 (only obv. in illus.);
Gaebler 1904:325-326 pl. 7.31.
418 Karsten Dahmen

IV: MORE ALEXANDERS

Fig. 8: Armoured bust of Alexander with helmet and spear/ Athena with helmet and serpent, column with owl, olive tree.
Medallion from Aboukir (Dressel M). Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2431. – Detail of Alexander’s helmet: plaster cast, Münzkabinett.

So far we have seen only shields related to Alexander, but our coins and medals bear also evidence
of more Alexanders:
The Aboukir medallion Dressel M (now Lisbon, fig. 8 a-b)33 shows Alexander wearing an Attic-
type helmet, which is decorated with a highly elaborated scene. We witness a cavalry battle with some
infantry in melee. In the centre are two horsemen, obviously the leading figures, approaching each other,
while below another rider slowly falls down dead from his mount. With Alexander being the bearer of
the helmet there can be no doubt, that this indeed is a battle between the armies of Alexander and
Dareios. Fuhrmann in 1931 identified Alexander in Greek armour on the left and Dareios wearing Persian
dress and tiara on the right.34 Fortunately the so-called Chigi-shield,35 found in the late 18th century,
through its inscription identifies another battle scene as the famous fight at Arbela (i.e. Gaugamela)
in 331 BC. It presents a similar scene, which is inherited from another famous prototype, the shield of
Athena Parthenos.36 Alexander, the inscription continues, not only conquered kings and peoples with
his dory (spear-won country, indeed),37 but proudly claims his decent from Zeus through Herakles on
his father’s side, and by his mother Olympias of Achilles (literally his grandfather Aiakos respectively).
Hardie in 1985 had already suggested that the Chigi-relief may give testimony of just another very fitting
shield of Alexander himself, here held by the Tychai of Europe and Asia.38 I think the parallel shown here
between helmet and marble shield strongly supports this view.
Our helmet hence represents one of many examples of Alexander battles, we know of from the
minor arts, such as Apulian vase paintings (there with Corinthian type helmet), and especially Etruscan
urns and a 1st century BC vessel, the ‘skyphos’ of Popilius in Boston.39 Again we see Alexander on horse
and a defeated foe (also familiar from the ‘Alexander sarcophagus’), but in contrast to urns and vases, the
battle scene on our helmet lacks one main element, the Persian king riding in his chariot, so prominently
also to appear on the mosaic from Pompeji. Instead our Dareios is riding his horse, just as Alexander does.
The bronze coins from Roman Macedon once again offer similar evidence. These are rare specimens
of the types AMNG nos. 446, 767 (fig. 9) and 778. First I mention the Berlin coin, followed here by two

33 Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2431. Dahmen 2008:529-530 pl. 105.

34 Fuhrmann 1931:85-86.
35 Stewart 1993:133. 162; Hardie 1985:11-31, esp. 29-31 fig. 2; Fuhrmann 1931:84-87 pl. 3; Sadurska 1964:74-78 pl. 17; Valenzuela
Montenego 2004:268-275; IG XIV 1296; Dahmen 2007:36 note 320; Dahmen 2008:505-506 note 70.
36 Leipen 1971; Nick 2002; Hardie 1985:30.
37 Compare Antiphilos of Byzantium [Anthologia Graeca 6.97]; Stewart 1993:162. For spear-won lands see Stewart 1993:161-162.
38 Hardie 1985:29-31.
39 For the Popilius vase see Pfrommer 1998:146-152 pl. 11-14, for references see note 970, urns: ibid. 146 fig. 24, Apulian vases
ibid. 175 fig. 27 and Stewart 1993:150-157.
King in a Small World: Depictions of Alexander the Great on his Shields and Armour 419

much better preserved specimens from the market.40 Alexander

victorious rides over his conquered foe, his victim’s shield is visible to
the left. This type of representation is quite familiar from examples
of victorious horsemen already from the Classical period onwards
(e.g. the relief of the unfortunate fallen Dexileos of Athens).41
Such a motif is more common as a full reverse type, though.
Rarely again is the true battle scene, more frequently appear Fig. 9: Head of Alexander with helmet on
representations of Alexander hunting or simply riding on his horse. which victorious Alexander mounted/
Alexander on horse with soldier. Bronze coin
Few specimens again give additional details such as the sattle cloth
of Macedonian league (type AMNG no.767).
made of panther skin (called such in archaeological literature, but by
M. Prommer more precisely identified as being the one of a leopard),
here AMNG no. 644.1 (see Tarsos and Dressel H). 42 Extremely rare again is a representation of a helmeted
Alexander on his horse on a coin in Munich.43
Our medallion in Lisbon (Dressel M, fig. 8) and another similar, though somewhat poorer piece
there (Dressel N), bring to our attention yet another Alexander, neatly depicted on the front of his own
body armour: The king sitting on his arms, shield aside, with sword and sceptre, flanked by Nike and
Areté crowing the divine monarch.44
We have already seen
similar images on a contorniate
and another Aboukir medallion
(Dressel E, fig. 3). Again few
Koinon bronzes show the king
in a similar pose either turned
left or right (AMNG nos. 393
and 393a45) and not to be mixed
up with the personification of
Macedonia enthroned which is
more frequent. Another piece
from Aboukir (Dressel G in
Lisbon, fig. 10) presents us with
Fig 10: Head of Alexander with diadem/ Alexander sitting on heap of weapons, behind
a somewhat enigmatic scene
his horse. Warrior on each side. Medallion from Aboukir (Dressel G).
of a seated Alexander with his Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2426.
horse and two warriors and the
rather strange legend in plural form reading ‘of the kings, the Philips’. Does this refer to Alexander and
his ancestors Philip I and II or the emperor Philip the Arab and his son?46
As shown above, there are many Alexanders in Alexander’s company. Their bear witness to the
prominence of his legend in the Roman period and are evidence to various pictorial traditions spanning
from the Hellenistic to late Roman period.

Photo credits:
All coins from the Münzkabinett are fully documented online at www.smb.museum/ikmk. Please use eight digit
object nos. as search terms.

40 Münzkabinett 18201931 (AMNG no. 778.1). AMNG no. 767 illustrated by the specimens Lanz auction sale 109, lot 164 = here
fig. 9, and CNG 210, lot 83.
41 Stewart 1990:172-173 no. 480.
42 Dahmen 2007:89 note 264 with references. Pfrommer 1998:25-26 esp. note 166 with regard to the Mosaic identifies the
animal as a leopard, not a panther. AMNG no. 644.1 = Münzkabinett 18228323. Tarsos I and III in Paris, Cabinet des Médailles
Inv. F 1671 and 1672, Dressel H is now Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2429: Dahmen 2008:525. 528 pl. 100-101. 104.
43 AMNG no. 707.1 = Gaebler 1906:28 pl. 3.46 (reverse only).
44 Museu Calouste Gubenkian Inv. 2431 and 2432. Dahmen 2008:529-530 pl. 105-106.
45 AMNG no. 393 a = Gaebler 1906:14 pl. 1.19 (reverse only).
46 Museu Calouste Gulbenkian Inv. 2426. Dahmen 2008:528 pl. 104 with references.
420 Karsten Dahmen

Fig. 1: From Dahmen 2007: pl. 25.1.

Fig. 2: British Museum, Department of Coins and Medals. Photograph by K. Dahmen.
Fig. 3: Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photograph by L.-J. Lübke.
Fig. 4: Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photograph by L.-J. Lübke.
Fig. 5: Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photograph by L.-J. Lübke.
Fig. 6: Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photograph by R. Saczewski.
Fig. 7: Nach M. Andronikos, Vergina. The Royal tombs and the ancient city (1984) Abb. 93.
Fig. 8: Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. Photograph by K. Dahmen. – B/W photograph by R. Saczewski.
Fig. 9: With kind permission of Dr Hubert Lanz, Munich. Photograph by Wilfried Danner.
Fig. 10: Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. Photograph by K. Dahmen.

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