Seleukia ad Tigrim in Mesopotamia, 255-246 BC., Antiochos II, Tetradrachm, Newell ESM 189.

Seleukia ad Tigrim in Mesopotamia, part of the Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochos II Theos (261-246 BC.), ca. 255-246 BC.,
Tetradrachm (28-29 mm / 16,55 g),
Obv.: diademed head right.
Rev.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANT-IOXOΥ, Apollo seated left on omphalos, examining arrow with right, resting left hand on grounded bow, {MAP..} -monogram to left, {AΠΩ..} -monogramto right.
Newell Eastern Seleukid Mints no. 189 ; SNG Spaer 390 ; Houghton 963 ; Davesne, A. , Le Rider, G. : Le Tresor de Meydancikkale, Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations, Paris 1989, Nr. 2934-2935 ; Houghton-Lorber SC 587 4d .

Seleucia (Greek: Σελεύκεια), also known as Seleucia on the Tigris, was one of the great cities of the world during Hellenistic and Roman times. It stood in Mesopotamia, on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the smaller town of Ctesiphon.
Seleucia, as such, was founded in about 305 BC, when an earlier city was enlarged and dedicated as the first capital of the Seleucid Empire by Seleucus I Nicator. Seleucus was one of the generals of Alexander the Great who, after Alexander's death, divided his empire among themselves. Although Seleucus soon moved his main capital to Antioch, in northern Syria, Seleucia became an important center of trade, Hellenistic culture, and regional government under the Seleucids. The city was populated by Macedonians, Greeks, Syrians and Jews. Standing at the confluence of the Tigris River with a major canal from the Euphrates, Seleucia was placed to receive traffic from both great waterways. During the 3rd and 2nd century BC, it was one of the great Hellenistic cities, comparable to Alexandria in Egypt, and greater than Syrian Antioch.
Polybius (5,52ff) uses the Macedonian peliganes for the council of Seleucia, which implies a Macedonian colony, consistently with its rise to prominence under Nicator; Pausanias (1,16) records that Seleucus also settled Babylonians there. Archaeological finds support the presence of a large population not of Greek culture. In 141 BC, the Parthians under Mithridates I conquered the city, and Seleucia became the western capital of the Parthian Empire. Tacitus described its walls, and mentioned that it was, even under Parthian rule, a fully Hellenistic city. Ancient texts say that the city had 600,000 people, and was ruled by a senate of 300 people. It was one of the largest cities in the Western world. Only Rome, Alexandria and possibly Antioch were more populous.

In 55 BC, a battle fought near Seleucia was crucial in establishing dynastic succession of the Arsacid kings. In this battle between the reigning Mithridates III (supported by a Roman army of Aulus Gabinius, governor of Syria) and the previously deposed Orodes II, the reigning monarch was defeated, allowing Orodes to reestablish himself as king.
In about 41 BC, Seleucia was the scene of a massacre of around 5,000 Babylonian Jewish refugees (Josephus, Ant. xviii. 9, § 9).[2]
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.
Over sixty years later a new city, Veh-Ardashir, was built on the site by Persian emperor Ardashir I.
This city eventually faded into obscurity and was swallowed by the desert sands, perhaps abandoned after the Tigris shifted its course.