Alexandria Troas, 222-235 AD., Severus Alexander, Semis, Bellinger A346.

Alexandria Troas, Severus Alexander, 222-235 AD.,
Æ Semis (20-22 mm / 4,92 g),
Obv.: IMP C M SEV ALEXANDЄ , laureate, cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander right (front view).
Rev.: COL AVG - TROA , statue of Apollo Smintheus standing right on a low basis, quiver on his back, holding bow and phiale/patera.
Bellinger, Troy, p. 129, A346 ; SNG Cop. 158 .

The site Alexandria Troas, now called Eski Stambul, is to be found on the Aegean coast opposite the island of Tenedos, about 20 km south of Troy (Ilium). It became the chief port of north-west Asia Minor, with an artificially engineered harbor to shelter boats from the prevailing northern winds. Strabo refers to the city as ‘one of the notable cities of the world’.
Alexandria Troas was founded with the name Antigioneia, by Antigonos I Monophthalmos at about 310 BC. Its inhabitants came from the nearby cities of Kebren, Kolone, Neandria, Hamaxitos and Skepsis. The city was expanded by Lysimachos, King of Thrace, almost a decade after it was founded. He also renamed the city Alexandria in honour of Alexander the Great. The devastating defeat of Antiochos III of Syria by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia in 189 BC resulted in Alexandria´s pseudo-autonomy. The city remained prosperous well into Roman Times. Strabo mentions that a Roman colony was created at the location in the reign of Augustus, named Colonia Alexandria Augusta Troas (called simply Troas during this period).

The temple of Apollo Smintheus is situated south of Alexandria Troas. Today the foundation, column fragments and large parts of the building ornaments are still visible. In the Iliad, Homer has Apollo Smintheus bring the plague to the Greeks as a punishment for Agamemnon’s arrogance toward Chryse, the god’s high priest (Apollon Sminthios = the mouse annihilator). According to the local legend (Iliad I. 39), Apollo, angered at his priest, sent a plague of mice to devistate the crops, but later repenting he appeared to Orodes the herdsman who hospitably received him, and Apollo promised to kill the mice with his arrows. Apollo’s temple was first built at Chryse in the territory of Hamaxitos, one of the cities from which the original population of Alexandria came from, and later transferred to Alexandria Troas.