It was named for Seleucus I Nicator, who enlarged an earlier settlement and made it the capital of his empire around 305 bc. It was the largest and most important of the many cities to bear its name.
In 117 AD, Seleucia was burned down by the Roman emperor Trajan during his conquest of Mesopotamia, but the following year it was ceded back to the Parthians by Trajan's successor, Hadrian, then rebuilt in the Parthian style. It was completely destroyed by the Roman general Avidius Cassius in 165. Sixty years later, it was rebuilt by Persian emperor Ardashir I.
The city eventually faded into obscurity and was swallowed by the desert sands, probably abandoned after the Tigris shifted its course.
Modern location: Ruins
Reverse: Apollo seated left, on omphalos, holding arrow and resting on bow
Die Orientation: -
Weight: -
Reverse: Apollo seated left on omphalus, bow in left hand, arrow in right, Greek text left (ANTIOXOY) and right (BAΣIΛEΩΣ), monograms left and right
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 16.97 g
Reverse: Apollo seated on omphalos left, holding arrow and bow; BAΣIΛEΩΣ // ANT_IOXOY, (HYP)_(ΠΩA)
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 16.95 g
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ | ΣEΛE-YKOY, Apollo seated left on omphalos, examining arrow in right hand, resting left hand on grounded bow; monograms in outer left and right fields
Die Orientation: 0 H
Weight: 16.93 g
Reverse: Anchor, BAΣIΛEΩΣ // ΣEΛEYKOY, monogram
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 4.7 g