Spithridates – Spirited Defender of Persia

CNG 88, Lot: 330. Estimate $2000. Sold for $1200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

IONIA, Achaemenid Period. Spithridates. Satrap of Ionia and Lydia, circa 334 BC. AR Tetrobol (14mm, 2.76 g, 11h). Head left, wearing satrapal headdress / Forepart of horse right; ΣΠIΘPI below. Winzer 19.3; Traité II 71 = W. Wroth, “Greek Coins acquired by the British Museum in 1900,” NC 1900, 23; SNG France 1170 (Lampsakos). VF, toned, slight roughness, a few light marks. Extremely rare.

Alexander the Great defeated a Persian force at the river Granicus in the first important battle after his invasion of Asia in 334 BC. Spithridates, the satrap of Lydia and Ionia, was one of the Persian commanders. Arrian (Loeb translation, I.14-15) describes Spithridates' role in the battle: "For some time the two forces, on the river's brink, dreading to precipitate the event, remained at ease, and in deep silence. The Persians awaited the Macedonians, to fall on them emerging from the river, so soon as they should attempt the crossing; but Alexander flung himself on to his horse, and... he himself leading the right wing -- bugles sounding, and the battle cry going up to the God of Battles -- boldly takes to the stream... The First of the Macedonians came into conflict with the Persians and were cut down, after prodigies of valor, all to a man, save those who fell back on Alexander as he approached... He charged the Persians, himself the first to attack, just where the press of cavalry and where the Persian commanders were posted. A fierce fight raged about him... Alexander seeing Mithridates, son-in-law of Dareius..., charges forth in advance of his men, thrusts his lance into Mithridates' face and hurls him to the ground. But Rhoesaces rode at Alexander, and smote him on the head with his cleaver; he sheared off part of the helmet, but still the helmet parried the blow. Alexander hurled him also to the ground, piercing with his lance through the cuirass into his breast. Spithridates had already raised his scimitar to cut down Alexander, but Cleitus, son of Dropides, smartly slipping in, drove Spithridates' shoulder and shore it off, scimitar and all; and now those of the cavalry who had made good their way on the river bank kept coming up and joining the little band around Alexander." Thus Spithridates met his end, having come within an ace of killing Alexander and changing the course of history.