Monday, December 23, 2013

Lysimachus

Lysimachus, once the bodyguard of Alexander the Great, briefly unified Thrace after Alexander's death,  ruling the kingdom for forty-two years. His gold and silver coins as King bear the portrait of Alexander as Zeus Ammon.

In 281 bc Lysimachus, attacked by Seleukos, died fighting at the battle of Korupedion. His kingdom perished with him.

Tetradrachm of Lysimachus depicting the deified Alexander

Lysimachus' coinage depicts Alexander as wearing the horn of Zeus Ammon, signifying his deification. His father Philip II before him had asserted divine honors, as did Persian kings and some other Hellenistic kings.

As Pharaoh of Egypt, Roman emperors were worshipped as gods in that province, and this became one of the origins of deification by decree of the Senate.