Ancient Coin of the Day: I bloody LOVE this one! A silver Tetradrachm of the First Macedonian 'Meris', ca. 158-150 BC. The Obverse is a portrait of Zeus; the Reverse shows a depiction of Artemis Tauropolos. #ACOTD

Image: ANS 1968.250.1

Livy (45.29) tells us that in 167 BC, in the aftermath of Rome's victory over King Perseus of Macedon the previous year, "in quattuor regiones dividi Macedoniam" - 'Macedon was to be divided into four regions'. These districts were the 'Merides'.

This coin was minted by the 'First Meris' - "quod agri inter Strymonem et Nessum sit amnem", 'which would be the land between the Strymon and Nessus Rivers'. The Legend on the Reverse reading 'ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΗΣ' - 'Of the Macedonians, First'.

However, recent work on the coinage by Sophia Kremydi- Sicilianou has suggested that these coin designs actually date to earlier than the 'Roman reorganisation' of Macedon mentioned by Livy, being evident in the reigns of the last Antagonid KIngs Philip V and Perseus himself.

For more on this, see:

Sophia Kremydi-Sicilianou, 2007, "ΜΑΚΕΔΩΝΟΝ ΠΡΟΤΕΣ ΜΕΡΙΔΟΣ : Evidence for a coinage under the Antigonids", in 'Revue Numismatique 163, pp. 91-100

https://www.persee.fr/doc/numi_0484-8942_2007_num_6_163_2825

#ACOTD