Roman Antiochia Caracalla 198-217 AD, tetradrachm Start Price USD 185.00 Current Price USD 185.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 215.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, August 26, 2008 End Time Tuesday, September 02, 2008 Location European Union See more about 'Roman Antiochia Caracalla 198-217 AD, tetradrachm ' Description Visit my page with the offers, please. You will find many interesting items, related to this subject.     If you wish to see AUTHENTIC coins, click here; Coins; Originals    If you wish to see the REPLICAS, click here; Coins; Replicas         Roman Province Antiochia ad Orontem Caracalla; 198 – 217 A.D. Prieur; 217       Size; ca 27 mm, Weight –  14.20 gr; (0.50 oz) Metal – billon silver, old patina         Antiochia ad Orontem   The ancient city of Antioch was founded in 300 BC by Sekeucus Nicator. Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the nearer East and was a cradle of gentile Christianity. It was one of the four cities of the Syrian tetrapolis. Alexander the Great is said to have camped on the site of Antioch, and dedicated an altar to Zeus Bottiaeus, which lay in the northwest of the future city. This account is found only in the writings of Libanius, a 4th century AD orator from Antioch, and may be legend intended to enhance Antioch's status. But the story is not unlikely in itself.[1] After Alexander's death in 323 BC, his generals divided up the territory he had conquered. Seleucus I Nicator won the territory of Syria, and he proceeded to found four "sister cities" in northwestern Syria, one of which was Antioch. Like the other three, Antioch was named by Seleucus for a member of his family. He is reputed to have built sixteen Antiochs.[2] Seleucus founded Antioch on a site chosen through ritual means. An eagle, the bird of Zeus, had been given a piece of sacrificial meat and the city was founded on the site to which the eagle carried the offering. He did this in the twelfth year of his reign. Antioch soon rose above Seleucia Pieria to become the Syrian capital. The chief events recorded under the empire are the earthquakes that shook Antioch. One, in AD 37, caused the emperor Caligula to send two senators to report on the condition of the city. Another followed in the next reign; and in 115, during Trajan's sojourn in the place with his army of Parthia, the whole site was convulsed, the landscape altered, and the emperor himself forced to take shelter in the circus for several days. He and his successor restored the city; but in 526, after minor shocks, the calamity returned in a terrible form; the octagonal cathedral which had been erected by the emperor Constantius II suffered and thousands of lives were lost, largely those of Christians gathered to a great church assembly. Especially terrific earthquakes on November 29, 528 and October 31, 588 are also recorded. At Antioch Germanicus died in 19 AD, and his body was burnt in the forum. Titus set up the Cherubim, captured from the Jewish temple, over one of the gates. Commodus had Olympic games celebrated at Antioch, and in 256 the town was suddenly raided by the Persians, who slew many in the theatre. Late Antiquity The chief interest of Antioch under the empire lies in its relation to Christianity. Evangelized perhaps by Peter, according to the tradition upon which the Antiochene patriarchate still rests its claim for primacy (cf. Acts 11), and certainly by Barnabas and Paul during Paul's first missionary journey[3]. Its converts were the first to be called Christians (Acts 11:26). This is not to be confused with Antioch in Pisidia, to which the early missionaries later travelled (Acts 13:14–50). The population was estimated by Chrysostom at about 100,000 people at the time of Theodosius I. Between 252 and 300, ten assemblies of the church were held at Antioch and it became the seat of one of the four original patriarchates, along with Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Rome (see Pentarchy). Today Antioch remains the seat of a patriarchate of the Oriental Orthodox churches. One of the canonical Eastern Orthodox churches is still called the Antiochian Orthodox Church, although it moved its headquarters from Antioch to Damascus, Syria, several centuries ago (see list of Patriarchs of Antioch), and its prime bishop retains the title "Patriarch of Antioch," somewhat analogous to the manner in which several Popes, heads of the Roman Catholic Church remained "Bishop of Rome" even while residing in Avignon, France in the 14th century.   Place a Bid!