The Amazon and the Polis: Civic Identity in the Coinage of Hellenistic Kyme
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53382/issn.0719-9902.93Keywords:
Numismatics, Hellenistic coinage, Civic self-representation, Polis, Asia MinorAbstract
This article examines the role of coinage in the construction and expression of civic identity in the Hellenistic polis of Kyme, in Aeolis (western Asia Minor). Based on numismatic evidence from the late fourth to the second century BCE, the study traces the transition from Seleucid royal issues to fully civic stephanophoric coinage. It aims to show how Kyme engaged with inherited Hellenistic monetary habits while progressively shaping distinctly civic visual and symbolic repertoire. Particular attention is given to the selection and adaptation of iconographic elements, including panhellenic types, regional identities, and the local Amazonian foundation tradition. Through a historical analysis of the Kymaian coinage, the article demonstrates how coinage provided Kyme with a durable medium for expressing civic self-representation within broader political and economic frameworks. By situating Kymaian coinage within its regional and historical context, this study highlights the value of numismatic analysis for understanding how poleis of Asia Minor negotiated continuity and change in the Hellenistic period.
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