KINGS OF CHARACENE. Thionesios I, circa 25/4-19/8 BC. Tetradrachm (Billon, 26 mm, 13.07 g, 12 h), Charax-Spasinou, SE 288 = 25/4. Diademed head of Thionesios I to right. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΘΙΟNHΣIOΣ - [Σ]ΩTHPOΣ / [KAI] EYEP[ΓETOY] Herakles seated left, holding club set on his knee with his right hand and leaning left on rock; above, monogram; below Herakles' arm, Θ; in exergue, ΗΠΣ (date). Alram -. De Morgan -. Nicolet-Pierre, Thionèsis, -, cf. pl. IV, 19-20 (differing monogram and control mark). Sunrise -. Triton VII (2004), 516. Extremely rare and undoubtedly among the finest known examples. A beautifully toned piece with a wonderful portrait. Slightly rough and with minor doubling on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.




If we did not have the Seleukid-era dates, we would know even less about the Characenean kings. However, based on their coins, we can at least reconstruct their years of rule with relatively good precision. Thionesios ruled around 25/24-19/8 BC, during the early years of Emperor Augustus, and, like many Characenean kings, was likely under Parthian domination. His coinage, apart from his hairstyle and beard, still strongly reflects Greek-Hellenistic influences: he wears the Hellenistic royal diadem, and the reverse depicts a seated Herakles with a club familiar from earlier Seleukid and Baktrian prototypes, along with the typically Seleukid honorific titles ΣΩΤΗΡ (Sōtēr = Savior) and ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΗΣ (Euergetēs = Benefactor).

The meaning of the name Thionesios, sometimes written as Theonesios, remains unclear. The most likely interpretation is as a combination of Θεός (Theos) and -νήσιος (-nesios), which would translate to 'he who belongs to God' or 'he who is sent by the gods', thus providing a religious justification for the king’s rule.