This thesis argues that the iconography on Seleucid coins was created in order to appeal to the various ethnic groups within the empire and thereby reinforced the legitimacy of the dynasty. It first examines the iconography of Seleucus I and argues that as Seleucus became more secure in his rule he began to develop a new iconography that was a blend of Alexander’s and his own. This pattern changed under Antiochus I. He replaced the Zeus of Alexander and of Seleucus with Apollo-on-the-omphalos. At approximately the same time, a dynastic myth of descent from Apollo was created and promulgated. It is argued that in addition to the traditional view that Apollo was readily identifiable to the Greco-Macedonians within the empire he was also accessible to the Babylonians through the god Nabû and to the Persians as a Greek (or Macedonian) version of the reigning king. This ambiguity made Apollo an ideal figure to represent the multi-ethnic ruling house. This also explains the dynasty’s reluctance to deviate from the iconography established by Antiochus I. This thesis continues to explore the role of Apollo and other gods in creating an iconography which represented Seleucid power ending with the reign of Antiochus III. This thesis also incorporates the numismatic representations of the king as divine into the debate on ruler cult. This evidence suggests that the Seleucids may have had some form of ruler cult before the reign of Antiochus III.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-10-09T14:42:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JOABE BARBOSA AGUIAR -DISSERTAÇÃO PPGH 2014..pdf: 7832554 bytes, checksum: f8139e11a91775ca3117629fdb0558f5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-09T14:42:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JOABE BARBOSA AGUIAR -DISSERTAÇÃO PPGH 2014..pdf: 7832554 bytes, checksum: f8139e11a91775ca3117629fdb0558f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-05 / Como leitores ávidos por novos horizontes e paisagens do passado, convido-lhes para esta trajetória em busca de novos significados sobre o centenário de Campina Grande (1964). Trata-se de uma investigação acerca da teatralização do poder, tendo como suporte a construção simbólica e imagética. Conduzimos teoricamente nossa pesquisa a partir do debate com a Nova História Política, nessa fundamentação, diálogo com os autores do campo da teatrocracia, como Balandier e Geertz. Adotamos como fonte de pesquisa o jornal Diário da Borborema que circulava no período em análise, além dos livros de Ata da Câmara dos Vereadores de Campina Grande, músicas produzidas para o centenário, álbum de figurinhas e fotografias sobre o evento festivo. Metodologicamente nos pautamos pela análise das falas, impressões e observações produzidas do contato com nossas fontes, com a preocupação de irmos além do meramente escrito, no sentido de compreender seus discursos como resultantes das relações de poder. Neste cenário, pretendemos decodificar as festas, os ritos e os cerimoniais como as letras de um alfabeto. / As readers eager for new horizons and landscapes of the past, invite them to this path in search of new meanings about the centenary of Campina Grande (1964). This is an investigation about the theatricality of power, supported the construction and symbolic imagery. We conduct our research theoretically from the debate with the New Political History, in this reasoning, dialogue with the authors in the field of teatrocracia as Balandier and Geertz. We adopt as a research newspaper Diário da Borborema that circulated in the period, and the books of the Minutes of the City Council of Campina Grande, songs produced for the centenary, sticker album and photographs about the festive event. Methodologically we have guided the analysis of discourse, impressions and observations produced contact with our sources, with the worry of going beyond the purely written, in order to understand their speech because of power relations. In this scenario, we want to decode the festivals, rites and ceremonies like the letters of an alphabet.