The Mamertinoi (or Mamertini or Mamertines), the “sons of Mars”, were Italian mercenaries who were hired by Agathokles, the king of Syracuse. When Agathokles died, most of the Mamertinoi went home. The remaining ones managed to take over the city of Messana through treachery and turned the city into a raiding base. They came into conflict with Hieron II, the new king of Syracuse. He defeated them at the Longanus river in 269 BC. and then besieged Messana in 265 BC. The Mamertines called in Carthage for protection. The Syracusans retreated, not wanting trouble with Carthage. Then the Mamertines got tired of the Carthaginians and asked Rome for assistance. Syracuse then allied with the Carthaginians and the feud turned into the first Punic war.
Monthly Archive for April, 2007
Hieron II was the tyrant or ruler of Syracuse, Sicily for some sixty years in the third century BC. Hieron’s portrait is on the front of the coin.
Ptolemy I was a general of Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, Ptolemy wound up as ruler of Egypt. His descendants would be known as the “Ptolemaic Dynasty”, a dynasty which lasted for around 300 years. The famous Cleopatra was the last of the Ptolemies. After losing the battle of Actium on Sept. 2 31 BC, she committed suicide and Egypt became a Roman province.
The portrait on the front of this coin is none other than Alexander the Great.
Book IX is done (except for editing).
I just added another nice Roman republican denarius to the gallery. It was minted during what is known as the “Social War”, which Rome fought from 91 to 88 BC. against some of its former Italian allies.
The word “Social” in the phrase “Social War” is from the Latin “Socius” meaning ally. The allies wanted citizenship and more rights and when they didn’t get them, they revolted. The war went badly for the Romans at first but they eventually prevailed. Even though the allies were defeated, they gained citizenship after the war.
A nice denarius just added to the gallery. The reverse shows a famous scene from Roman mythology, the sheperd Faustulus coming upon Romulus, Remus, and the shewolf.
I just added a silver penny of Edward I, king of England from 1272-1307, to the gallery. He conquered Wales and is known as the “Hammer of the Scots”, as well as “Longshanks”. He was the English king in the movie Braveheart.
