Western Asia Minor and Africa were the birthplace of coinage in the Mediterranean world. Whether it was the Lydians or their western neighbours, the Ionian Greeks, who produced the first coins, in electrum, we shall probably never know. But the former may have the stronger claim being the possessors of rich deposits of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver, which was the only metal used for coin production in its earliest stages. The Lydians later demonstrated their inventiveness in monetary matters by being the first to introduce a bimetallic currency consisting of coins struck in pure gold and silver instead of electrum, which was of uncertain intrinsic value. The Asiatic Greeks were slow in advancing to a silver based currency, a circumstance which, perhaps, militates against their being the inventors of coinage.

Son of Ptolemy I, he was co-ruler by his father two years before the latter’s death, thus ensuring a smooth succession. His long reign coincided with a period of growing prosperity for his kingdom. Alexandria, the capital city, was embellished with many splendid new buildings - the Pharos, the Museum and the Library being foremost. He was twice married: in circa 288 BC to Arsinoe I, daughter of Lysimachos of Thrace; about twelve years later to his own sister, Arsinoe II.

Aspendos was an important port and naval base. It seems to have preferred Persian rule, despite its Greek origins, and even offered resistance to Alexander on his advance through Asia minor. It was included within the dominions of the Pergamene Kings from 189 BC to 133 BC.

An important city of Northern Phoenicia, Arados itself occupied an island; but it controlled an extensive area on the mainland.

Lydia remained a satrapy after Persia's conquest by the Macedonian king, Alexander the Great. When Alexander's empire fell apart following his death, Lydia went to the major Asian diadoch dynasty, the Seleucids, and when it was unable to maintain its territory in Asia Minor, Lydia fell to the Attalid dynasty of Pergamum. Its last king avoided the spoils and ravage of a Roman conquest war by leaving the realm by testament to the Roman Empire.

Classical and Hellenistic Period of Mysia. Pergamum was situated in the Kaikos valley, about 15 miles from the coast. The city was extended and beautified as the prosperity of the kingdom increased, and by late Hellenistic times Pergamum ranked as one of the great cultural centres of the Greek world. After the end of the kingdom in 133 BC it became the capital of the Roman province of Asia.

This ancient and illustrious city of Babylon was the capital of the great empire in the 6th-7th century BC., surrendered to Alexander the Great in 331 BC. The Persian satrap Mazaios was appointed governor of Babylon by the Macedonian conqueror.

The Parthian Empire is a fascinating period of Persian history closely connected to Greece and Rome. Ruling from 247 BC t0 AD 228 in ancient Persia (Iran), the Parthians defeated Alexander the Great's successors, the Seleucids, conquered most of the Middle East and south-west Asia, controlled the Silk Road and built Parthia into an Eastern superpower. The Parthian empire revived the greatness of the Achaemenid empire and counterbalanced Rome's hegemony in the West. Parthia at one time occupied areas now in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaidzhan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

The reign of Vologases IV, likely a son of Mithradates V, saw a renewal of hostilities with the Romans, almost fifty years after the emperor Trajan’s campaign. In AD 161 Vologases attacked Armenia. To counter this move, Lucius Verus, Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius, set out for the east in AD 162. His army won significant victories and expelled the Parthian regime in Armenia. Although eventually forced to withdraw due to an outbreak of disease, the Romans remained in northern Mesopotamia for some time. This campaign appears to have had little detrimental effect upon Vologases, as he remained in power for forty-four years.

Having disposed of his brother Mithradates III, Orodes II was left in undisputed possession of the Parthian throne. The following year his army gained a historic victory over the Roman legions under Crassus, an achievement which greatly enhanced the prestige of the Parthian monarchy. Orodes, like his father before him, fell victim to his own son. Pakoros I, who despatched him by means of suffocation.