Gates of Fire - Persia & Persian Coinage from Darius to Xerxes

One of the first books I became obsessed with was the “Gates of Fire” by Steven Pressfield. Would never have gotten it on my own, but it was one of the first books my dad got me as a gift to expand my reading outside of the Star Wars Expanded Universe that I was obsessed with. It worked, I couldn’t put it down, nor could I stop myself from reading as much about Sparta and Persia.

So, for the first coin I wanted to start with, I chose the Persian siglos, minted between the reign of Darius I, famous in the west for the battle of Marathon (but much more) and Xerxes I, famous for the battle of Thermopylae and Salamis (but for much more also).

What is fascinating about this coinage is that it was the first hyper-power in the world that attempted to create a coinage system recognized within their known world. Darius the Great was the impetus for this as part of his tool for empire-building, facilitating trade, tribute payments, and the maintenance of a standing army. After his death, Xerxes continued this, aggressively using it for his monumental building campaigns, and the famous Greco-Persian Wars which we remember now. Afterall, these two had to have a system to pay off the Greek city-states with something those inhabitants viewed as currency.

Holding a piece of this historic attempt to standardize coinage system by Darius the Great gives me a rush. These coins signified a moment of innovation that influenced the development of monetary systems in subsequent civilizations. The Siglos is not just relics of a bygone era; they are symbols of the Persian Empire's enduring legacy in the fields of economics, art, and governance. These ancient coins are not just pieces of metal; they are storytellers, whispering tales of power, divinity, and human endeavor across the millennia. Through them, the legacy of the Persian Empire continues to fascinate and enlighten, offering a window into one of history's most remarkable civilizations.

Persian Coinage - Sigloi from between the Reigns of Darius the Great and Xerxes I