THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

GREEK COINS
which some of the types are interesting and historically
instructive.
In Mesopotamia, where we again approach Scriptural
scenes, and the reputed cradle of the human race,
Babylonia, and Assyria, coins were struck by the cities,
by the Syrian Seleucidae, by native reg'idi, and by the
Romans. Among the more important centres were
Edessa, Carrhae, and Seleucia on the Tigris, the second-
named famous for its worship of the Moon. The
reverse types of the Roman epoch are often of mytho-
logical interest.
Parthia. — This, like other States (comp. Bactria
infra), erected out of larger and well-established govern-
ments, not only at once produced a well - executed
coinage under the first of the Arsacidae, circa 250 B.C.,
but that of the succeeding kings suffered a progressive
declension in fabric and style, till toward the end of
the series the inscriptions and types become equally
barbarous and illegible. Nevertheless, in this branch
of the inquiry (b.c 249 to a.d. 227) we have, down to
a certain point, many productions interesting from their
costume and from the presence of dates. The titles are
curious, and are servilely borrowed from those found
on the Greek money. The most intelligible is that of
Phildkn, adopted to propitiate the Greek element in
the Parthian dominions. It is said that Seleucus II. of
Syria (b.c. 246-226) borrowed the fashion of wearing a
beard, to which he owed the sobriquet of Pogon, from
having resided in Parthia, whose kings are generally
represented bearded. ,
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