Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying King Ptolemy I
Ptolemaic Period (53–52 BCE), issued by King Ptolemy XII Auletes, Reign of Ptolemy XII Auletes (80–51 BCE)
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam.: 2.6 cm (1 1/16 in.)
Classification
coin
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
139857
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Ptolemaic bloodline was running thin when Ptolemy XII bought his way onto the throne. His bribes, paid to Julius Caesar and other Roman generals, opened Egypt to Rome’s ambitions of empire. He was a weak leader, a drunkard, and no match for his Roman allies. At his death he insisted that his son share the rule with his sister, the legendary Queen Cleopatra VII, but she soon disposed of her brother in order to rule alone.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...