Who was Abdashtart I?

King of Sidon under Achaemenid suzerainty from about 365 to 352 BCE, known to Greek sources as Straton I and honoured by Athens as a friend of the city.

Why does a Sidonian coin show the Persian king?

Sidon was a Persian client whose fleet served the empire; the chariot type advertises that relationship, with the local king shown walking behind the Great King.

How many Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?

1 item, dated 352 BCE – 365 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.

Which metals were used for Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon coinage?

Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.

Persian Treasury

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Ruler

Coinage of Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon

1 catalogued issue of Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Abdashtart I — Straton I to the Greeks — ruled Sidon from about 365 to 352 BCE as a Persian client king, striking the heavy Phoenician silver that depicts the Achaemenid Great King in his chariot. Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 352 BCE – 365 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Sidon.

Catalogued: 1
Eras: 1
Metals: 1
Denominations: 0

Key facts

Key facts about Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces	1
Date range	352 BCE – 365 CE
Eras represented	Achaemenid Empire
Metals	Silver
Mints	Sidon
Reign	c. 365–352 BCE
Greek name	Straton I
Coinage	Double shekel ≈26 g silver
Types	War galley; Great King in chariot

A client king between empires

Sidon under Abdashtart was simultaneously a loyal Persian naval base and a city cultivating close relations with Athens, which honoured him with a decree of proxeny. That double position is the essence of Phoenician statecraft under Achaemenid rule.

His double shekels show a war galley on one face and the Persian king in a chariot on the other, sometimes with the Sidonian king walking behind — an image of subordination and partnership in one design.

Toward the revolt

The tensions of his reign matured under his successor into the great Phoenician revolt that Artaxerxes III crushed around 345 BCE, when Sidon was destroyed.

Dated issues make this one of the better-anchored Achaemenid provincial coinages, and the heavy silver is among the most impressive money the empire produced.

Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE

Era overview →

Sidonian Double Shekel under Achaemenid Suzerainty

Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon

c. 365–352 BCE

The most explicit numismatic image of Achaemenid imperial overlordship — the Phoenician vassal king literally walks behind the Persian Great King's chariot.

Frequently asked about Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon

Who was Abdashtart I?: King of Sidon under Achaemenid suzerainty from about 365 to 352 BCE, known to Greek sources as Straton I and honoured by Athens as a friend of the city.
Why does a Sidonian coin show the Persian king?: Sidon was a Persian client whose fleet served the empire; the chariot type advertises that relationship, with the local king shown walking behind the Great King.
What coins did Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon issue?: Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 352 BCE – 365 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Sidon.
How many Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?: 1 item, dated 352 BCE – 365 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
Which metals were used for Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon coinage?: Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Where were Abd'ashtart I / Straton I of Sidon coins minted?: Recorded mints include Sidon.

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