Jarosław Bodzek
(Jagiellonian University)
King, Satraps, Local Dynasts and Cities in Achaemenid Imperial Space – Pseudo Aristotle’s
Oikonomika and the Numismatic Reality.
An analysis of the numismatic material shows that the minting activities within the
Achaemenid Empire were of a complex nature. Coins were struck by the Achaemenid kings,
satraps and local authorities – by both individuals and communities. Such differentiation has
its roots in the minting practices of Asia Minor before the Achaemenid conquest. On the other
hand, these practices were followed to some degree after Alexander’s conquest of the Persian
Empire. This is in contrast to the second book of pseudo-Aristotle’s Oikonomika, where the
right to mint coinage is only mentioned within the royal economy. The paper’s aim is to
examine non-royal coinages with particular emphasis on the coins of satraps and to recognize
their position within Achaemenid imperial space.