Before presidential addresses and social media, most ancient peoples got to know their rulers through coins. Without modern communication, coins were the most direct link between a sovereign and the people, embedding the ruler’s likeness into everyday life.
Far more than mere currency, these coins were crafted as political propaganda tools, idealizing the ruler’s image to project power and authority. In this way, coins were a form of ancient Greek brand-building for rulers, shaping how their subjects and enemies viewed them.
Themistocles: The first portrait on a coin
Using coins for political branding began with Themistocles, a prominent Athenian statesman and general. Although Themistocles is best known for his naval strategies against the Persians, his contribution to ancient Greek brand-building through numismatics is equally noteworthy.
During his governorship of three cities in Asia Minor under Persian control, Themistocles became the first person to have his portrait featured on a coin. This marked a significant shift, as coinage now served as currency and a means of projecting power and legitimacy across regions, effectively building his personal brand.
According to Persian traditions, rulers often featured their likenesses on coins. This likely also influenced Themistocles. By adopting this practice, Themistocles asserted his authority over the cities he governed and aligned himself with the Persian political system.
Consequently, the coin bearing his image symbolized his leadership and integration into Persian rule while preserving his Greek identity. This early use of coins for personal branding paved the way for future leaders’ use of numismatics as a means of ancient Greek brand building.
Coinage in Hellenistic propaganda
This trend continued and expanded during the Hellenistic period, when coins became more than a mere medium of exchange. Contemporary news and propaganda were communicated through coins and the ruler’s image was depicted. Coins became key instruments of political messaging and brand reinforcement. For instance, the Bactrians excelled in creating visually striking and intellectually engaging coins.
As noted by Holt in his 1999 work Thundering Zeus, coins conveyed widely-circulated messages and symbols, asserting the ruler’s dominance across vast areas. As a result, rulers could maintain their presence and influence in the same way as modern leaders use media today for brand building.
Moreover, Bactrian coins often depicted Greek gods and symbols, reflecting Hellenistic influence after Alexander the Great’s conquests. Carefully chosen images resonated with diverse populations, reinforcing rulers’ legitimacy by linking them to both local and Greek divine powers.
Therefore, the widespread circulation of these coins ensured that rulers’ messages reached broad audiences, solidifying their authority and cultural influence. Through these coins, ancient Greek brand building effectively allowed rulers to maintain and expand their influence across territories.
Alexander the Great’s legacy
Alexander the Great took coin branding to unprecedented heights, making ancient Greek brand building through numismatics a critical component of his rule. Among the most iconic coins in history, his coins depicted him with Hercules’ lion skin on the obverse and his purported father, Zeus-Ammon, on the reverse side.
This was not merely an artistic choice but a calculated move to use mythological imagery to conquer the world. Alexander presented himself as the progeny of a long line of Greek heroes. Thus, his coins helped establish his authority across his vast empire, reinforcing his divine right to rule and building his brand as a divine king.
Additionally, Alexander strategically melted down the vast amounts of gold he looted from Persia to mint his coins. By doing so, he created wealth and circulated his brand across the empire. These coins, bearing his image and symbols, were widely distributed, ensuring his likeness became ubiquitous.
This act of melting down Persian gold was as much about spreading his image as it was about creating a stable currency. Hence, it ensured his presence would be felt throughout his territories, symbolizing his conquests and divine favor. Alexander’s approach to coinage was a sophisticated form of ancient brand-building that left a lasting legacy.
This shift to featuring his image on coins significantly departed from earlier Greek practices, whereby gods and symbols were more common than the likeness of living rulers. Alexander understood the power of his image as a unifying force within his empire.
By associating himself with Zeus-Ammon, Alexander claimed divine favor and linked his rule to religious traditions in both Greece and Egypt. Therefore, his approach appealed to the diverse populations under his control, further solidifying his brand across his empire.
The Diadochi and the continuation of brand building
Following Alexander’s death, his successors, the Diadochi, recognized the immense value of numismatic branding. They continued to mint coins featuring Alexander’s portrait to legitimize their claims to various parts of his empire. For example, Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s generals who later ruled Thrace, issued coins depicting Alexander with the horn of Ammon.
This subtle link to Alexander reinforced Lysimachus’ rule and brand. Similarly, Ptolemy I in Egypt minted coins showing Alexander as Zeus-Ammon, solidifying his legitimacy as Alexander’s rightful heir. As a result, these rulers maintained a sense of continuity and legitimacy by using Alexander’s image, continuing the practice of ancient Greek brand-building through coinage.
The coins served as constant reminders of Alexander’s glory and authority, which the Diadochi sought to inherit. The Seleucid Empire, founded by another of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus I, also issued coins prominently featuring Alexander’s image.
Over time, these rulers introduced their own portraits on coins but often retained elements associated with Alexander, ensuring a continuous connection to his legacy. This practice of using coins for brand building became a hallmark of Hellenistic rulers.
Greek coinage beyond the Hellenistic Age
Greek coinage practices spread far beyond Alexander’s former empire, influencing rulers across various cultures. The adaptability and appeal of Greek semiotics allowed these rulers to connect with their subjects and reinforce their authority through coins.
Scythian King Azes, for instance, minted coins featuring a Greek royal portrait, title, and the god Hermes. This use of Greek imagery helped Azes establish his rule and connect with both Greek and local populations.
Similarly, Kanishka I, a ruler of the Kushan Empire, blended Greek script, the god Apollo, and his own image on his coins. These adaptations of Hellenistic traditions effectively built the rulers’ brands and solidified their authority across diverse territories.
Post-Alexander adaption of coins
Mithradates VI Eupator, the king of Pontus, provides another fascinating example of ancient Greek brand building through coinage. The Pontian sought to unite his diverse subjects—comprising both Asian and Greek populations—by incorporating both Greek and Persian symbols on his coins.
This strategic use of semiotics allowed Mithradates to appeal to a broad audience. Greek symbols on the coins reinforced his connection to Hellenistic culture and legitimacy among Greek subjects, while Persian elements resonated with his Asian followers. By blending these two traditions, Mithradates effectively used coins to create a unified image of his rule, bridging cultural divides and solidifying his power.
Roman adaptation of ancient Greek branding
Roman coinage continued and expanded this trend, drawing heavily from Greek practices. Augustus, the first Roman emperor, used coins to establish his image as a deliverer of peace and prosperity, often depicting himself alongside titles such as “Divi Filius” (“Son of the Divine”) and symbols such as the laurel wreath. These images were widely circulated, ensuring that his authority was recognized throughout the empire and solidifying his brand.
Subsequent Roman emperors, such as Nero and Vespasian, further utilized coinage for branding. Nero issued coins depicting himself as Apollo, highlighting his role as a patron of the arts and divine ruler.
Vespasian, following a period of unrest, used coins to symbolize stability and the restoration of peace, often featuring symbols of victory and abundance. These coins served not only as currency but as powerful tools for brand building, reinforcing the emperor’s image throughout the empire.
Coins, a form of marketing in ancient Greece
In antiquity, coins became a universal medium for rulers to communicate their power, legitimacy, and divine favor. In other words, coins were used to build their brand. The coins’ meticulous design and widespread circulation ensured that a ruler’s image reached far beyond their immediate domain, leaving a lasting impression on the ancient world.
From Themistocles to Alexander the Great and his successors (and later the Roman emperors), the use of coinage as a tool for political propaganda underscores the enduring power of visual symbols in shaping public perception and reinforcing authority. These small, portable pieces of metal became the ultimate tools used by rulers to project their image and assert their dominance. It is a practice that has maintained its relevance in various forms today.