Second Punic War
Ptolemy V
View Image Gallery >
Coin Details
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM Ptolemy V, 205/4-180 BC |
| Item Description: |
AR Tetradrachm Ptolemaic Kingdom yr.77 (186/5 BC) Cypriot mint(?) |
| Full Grade: |
NGC XF |
| Owner: |
deposito |
Owner Comments:
This coin wasn't struck during the Second Punic War, but Ptolemy V was pharaoh "in name only" starting in 205 BC as that was was winding down. In his infancy the realm was controlled by Agathocles, a brother of one of his dad's concubines. Then Agathocles and his family were torn apart by the mob, according to Polybius.
At the same time southern or "Upper" Egypt and even parts of "Lower" Egypt fell under the control of a local Egyptian who called himself pharaoh, Horwennefer.
Then followed the "Alexandrian Revolution" at the same time the Second Punic War was winding down and Hannibal was being defeated at Zama. As Rome closed down two decades of war the Ptolemaic Empire partially dissolved.
Ptolemy V finally came of age in 196 BC and was crowned as pharaoh in Memphis, an occasion commemorated by the creation of the Rosetta Stone. Think what you want about Napoleon and Ptolemy V. They left us a path for unlocking hieroglyphics.