Tetradrachm of Antiochos VII Eurgetes of Syria c. 138

Curator: Here we have a Tetradrachm of Antiochos VII Eurgetes of Syria. Editor: Oh, it's a coin! It looks so small and insignificant, yet so charged. Curator: Exactly! These little silver discs, around 16 grams, were powerful tools. The profile is likely Antiochos himself, with a rather determined gaze. Editor: And the other side? Is that a goddess of some kind? She looks powerful but constrained, surrounded by symbolic text and those sprigs. Almost trapped. Curator: Yes, she is often identified as Athena. The imagery would reinforce Antiochos's power, linking him to wisdom and warfare, essential for a ruler. Editor: It's strange, how such a tiny object could carry so much propaganda. I wonder if people really saw it as that then, or just as currency. Curator: Perhaps both. Symbols subtly shape our understanding, even when we're just buying bread. It's quite thought-provoking, really.