Why did Alexander keep Mazaios as satrap?

Because replacing a functioning fiscal administration mid-campaign was riskier than retaining it. Mazaios kept Babylonian revenue flowing and legitimised the transfer of power locally.

Are Mazaios coins Persian or Greek?

Both, depending on date. The same satrapal authority struck under Achaemenid and then Macedonian sovereignty, which is what makes the series historically valuable.

How many Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?

1 item, dated 328 BCE – 331 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.

Which metals were used for Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon coinage?

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

Where were Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon coins minted?

Recorded mints include Babylon.

Persian Treasury

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Ruler

Coinage of Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon

1 catalogued issue of Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon — metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions with references.

In short

Mazaios was the Achaemenid satrap of Cilicia and then Babylon who surrendered the city to Alexander in 331 BCE and was reappointed by him — and whose coinage was struck under both empires. Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 328 BCE – 331 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Babylon.

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

Key facts

Key facts about Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon in the Persian Treasury catalogue
Catalogued pieces	1
Date range	328 BCE – 331 CE
Eras represented	Achaemenid Empire
Metals	Silver
Mints	Babylon
Office	Satrap of Cilicia, then Babylon
Surrendered Babylon	331 BCE
Coin legends	Aramaic
Notable types	Baaltars of Tarsus, Babylon lion staters

A career across a conquest

Mazaios commanded the Persian right at Gaugamela, withdrew to Babylon and handed it over without a fight. Alexander confirmed him as satrap, an act of administrative pragmatism that kept Mesopotamian revenue flowing through the transition.

His coinage from Tarsus and Babylon carries Aramaic legends and local deities, then continues into the Macedonian period — the same authority, the same dies, a different sovereign.

Why the coins matter

Numismatics gives evidence that narrative sources compress. The Mazaios issues show that Alexander's conquest was, at the fiscal level, a change of name at the top of an unbroken Persian administrative machine.

Collectors value the Babylon lion staters and the Tarsus Baaltars types for exactly this reason: they are objects that sit on the seam between two worlds.

Achaemenid Empire · 550 – 330 BCE

Era overview →

Mazaios Satrapal Double Shekel — Babylon

Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon

c. 331–328 BCE

Struck by Mazaios, the Achaemenid satrap who surrendered Babylon to Alexander in 331 BCE and was confirmed as governor. His coinage is a hinge moment: Achaemenid satrapal iconography continued unchanged into the early Macedonian administration.

Frequently asked about Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon

Why did Alexander keep Mazaios as satrap?: Because replacing a functioning fiscal administration mid-campaign was riskier than retaining it. Mazaios kept Babylonian revenue flowing and legitimised the transfer of power locally.
Are Mazaios coins Persian or Greek?: Both, depending on date. The same satrapal authority struck under Achaemenid and then Macedonian sovereignty, which is what makes the series historically valuable.
What coins did Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon issue?: Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon issued 1 catalogued coin type dated 328 BCE – 331 CE, recorded here with metal, weight, mint, obverse and reverse descriptions. The surviving issues in this catalogue are struck in Silver at Babylon.
How many Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?: 1 item, dated 328 BCE – 331 CE, spread across 1 era: Achaemenid Empire.
Which metals were used for Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon coinage?: Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
Where were Mazaios, Satrap of Babylon coins minted?: Recorded mints include Babylon.

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