Tetradrachm of Antiochos IX Kyzikenos of Syria c. 110

Curator: This is a Tetradrachm of Antiochos IX Kyzikenos of Syria, a silver coin currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. My first thought? It feels like history whispering secrets. Editor: The imagery is potent. On one side, we see the profile of Antiochos, regal and commanding. On the reverse, what appears to be a figure—perhaps a deity—surrounded by a wreath. Curator: Absolutely. These coins weren't just currency, they were carefully crafted propaganda. The symbols chosen broadcasted power, legitimacy, and divine favor. That wreath, for instance, is laden with symbolic meaning, probably indicating victory and honor. Editor: You can sense the weight these symbols carried. A single image trying to capture an entire worldview. A memory that has passed through so many hands. It is humbling. Curator: Precisely. This small object encapsulates a ruler’s ambition, the era’s beliefs, and a civilization's artistic flair. It’s a material poem on power, ambition, and memory.