Magnus Maximus

Here is a tetradrachm of Auletes grandfather, Ptolemy VIII Physcon. PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon). Sole reign, 146/5-116 B.C. AR tetradrachm. 14.08 gm. 26 mm. Paphos mint. Dated regnal year 52 (118 B.C.). His diademed bust right, wearing aegis / Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; LNB (date) to left, ΠA to right. Svoronos 1528. Cf. SNG Cop 623-626. Near Very Fine; richly toned and of good style. Ex Davidsons Ltd.

When Ptolemy VIII Physcon departed this world in 116 BC, he left the Ptolemaic Kingdom in tatters. Nearly 40 years of neglect, civil wars, and mismanagement had turned what was once the leading power of the Mediterranean into nothing more than a vassal to the Roman Republic. Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos, or as he is commonly referred to, Auletes(the flute player), was born into a post-Ptolemy VIII world, where the Ptolemaic kingdom was tearing itself apart over the question of which of Physcon's sons would rule the kingdom. Auletes's father, Ptolemy IX, eventually came out on top against his brother and thus ensured a relatively smooth succession from father to son in 80 B.C., aside from the fact that his brother Ptolemy XI, had been lynched after a reign of only a few days. After his accession to Pharaoh, Aulutes married his sister Cleopatra VI as was the Egyptian custom. Around the time of his accession to the throne, the Romans began making serious headway into Asia Minor and the levant area. Realizing that his kingdom was no match for the battle hardened Roman armies and wary of having his kingdom annexed like the neighboring Seleucids, Auletes heavily lobbied the Roman senate to recognize his rule over Egypt. The first triumvirate was delighted with Auletes's bribe, I meant gift, to the Roman state and had him listed as a friend and ally to the Roman Republic. The cost of Aulete's gift to Rome was a measly 6000 talents of silver or about 360,000 lbs. The burden of such a gift forced Auletes to raise taxes drastically, which in turn fueled rebellions in the countryside against his rule. The final straw for Auletes's rule was in 58 B.C. when the Romans annexed Cyprus, and he failed to even protest the move. Enraged at having suffered under the yolk of heavy taxes and the disgrace of losing territory that Ptolemy I had conquered way back in the 300s, the Egyptians forced Auletes out and installed his daughter to rule in his place. Auletes wandered around the Mediterranean for the next few years until finally ending up in Roman Syria. While in Syria, he bribed the Roman governor with the promise of 10,000 talents of silver( 600,000 lbs). The Roman armies easily defeated the remnants of the once mighty Ptolemaic army and restored Auletes to the throne in 55 B.C. Auletes had his daughter, Berenice, and her supporters murdered; he then made his daughter Cleopatra VII( yes, that Cleopatra) co-ruler with himself. Aulutes died in 51 B.C. at the age of 66; he had ruled the Ptolemaic kingdom poorly for a total of 26 years. Any hope for Ptolemaic Egypt to recover economically and become a regional power was snuffed out during Ptolemy XII's disastrous reign. In addition, the Ptolemaic kingdom had taken on so much debt that the government was forced to debase the historically near pure tetradrachm to roughly 33% silver in 55/54 BC. Lastly, by inadvertently inviting the Romans directly into Egypt, Auletes guaranteed that it was only a matter of when not "if," the Romans would annex Egypt. I purchased this coin a few months ago and am now getting around to posting about it. Feel free to post any coins of the later Ptolemies or First triumvirate. The Ptolemies, Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes). 80-58 BC Alexandria Tetradrachm 65-64, AR 26.00 mm., 10.66 g.Diademed head of Ptolemy I r., wearing aegis. Rev. Eagle standing l. on thunderbolt, with wings closed; LIZ (date) to l., ΠA to r. Svoronos 1864. SNG Copenhagen 388. A bust of Ptolemy XII The Mediterranean world in 50 B.C. Good video on the decline of the Ptolemaic Kingdom (9) Ptolemaic Kingdom - YouTube Sources: Ptolemy XII Auletes - Livius The silver standard of the Ptolemaic coinage - Persée (persee.fr)

@Nerosmyfavorite68 I agree, Magnus Maximus is my favorite character from this period as well. Here is a siliqua of his next to my siliqua of Valentinian II

There is a good YouTube channel called Byzansimp that produced a good synopsis of the time period. Some of the drawings are pretty funny as well.

Hello all, As someone who has been collecting coins from the late Roman period for some time, I had always been missing a nice siliqua of Valentinian II. Valentinian II is no more than a footnote in the late Roman world. However, I believe him to be a harbinger of further things to come to the Western Roman Empire. Flavius Valentinianus was born in 371 to Emperor Valentinian I and his second wife, Justina. Valentinian II was the half-brother of Emperor Gratian. Valentinian II was only four years old when his father died in 375. With the death of Valentinian I, generals and court officials in Mediolanum declared the 4-year-old a full Augustus without consulting Gratian or Valens. However, Gratian took the usurpation well and came to a power-sharing agreement with his younger half-brother. After the disastrous Battle of Adrianople occurred that led to the death of Valens(Valentinian II's uncle), along with the field army of Thrace, the courts of Gratian and Valentinian II were left to pick up the pieces. After realizing that the task of clearing out the Goths from Thrace was too much, Gratian then appointed Theodosius I as his eastern colleague. In 380, all three Augusti issued the Edict of Thessalonica, which in essence outlawed Arianism. In AD 383, Magnus Maximus, a Hispano-Roman general in charge of a significant Roman garrison in Britain, revolted. Maximus's army quickly crossed the English Channel into Gaul and skirmished with the forces loyal to Gratian. After a few days of light skirmishes, most of Gratian's troops defected to Maximus. Gratian was caught by Maximus's magister militum near Lyon and swiftly executed. The events leading to Gratian's downfall had so quickly transpired that the court of Valentinian II was caught completely off guard. Forces that remained loyal to Valentinian II are reported to have blocked the alpine passes into Italy. At the same time, messengers were sent to Constantinople for reinforcements from Theodosius I. By late 383, St Ambrose of Milian is said to have helped broker a truce between Maximus and Valentinian, where Maximus would be recognized as an official Imperial colleague, and would rule over Hispania, Gaul, Britania, and parts of north Africa. In exchange for Maximus's elevation to the purple, Valentinian II would be secure "ruling" Italy, most of north Africa, Raetia, and Pannonia. The peace of Ambrose would hold for nearly four years before Maximus invaded Italy in 387. Valentinian II and his court fled to Constantinople to meet with Theodosius I to garner support to defeat Maximus. Theodosius I was initially reluctant to support Valentinian due to his support for Arian Christianity and Maximus's formidable forces. Only after Valentinian converted to Nicene Christianity and Theodosius wed his sister, Galla, did Theodosius march against Maximus. After the defeat of Maximus in late 388, Valentinian II was reinstalled as Augustus of the Western Roman Empire, but with a catch! Theodosius I had left Valentinian II under the care and direction of his Romanized Frank, Arbogast. In addition, Theodosius I appointed all high-ranking positions in the western court. In a move to isolate Valentinian II from Ambrose and the Roman senate, Theodosius had Valentinian set up his court at Vienne, Gaul. At 17, Valentinian II held no real power, despite his effort to try to break free of Arbogast. It is recorded that Arborgast personally killed one of Valentinian's friends in front of him. The final breaking point between the two men came when Valentinian II gave the generalissimo a dismissal letter, to which he tore it up and laughed in the Emperor's face. Valentinian II wrote to Ambrose in 392, saying his death was imminent and that he was fearful. Valentinian II would later be found hung in his bed chamber on 15 May, 392. He was 21 years old. As I said earlier, Valentinian II is significant in the fact that he is a harbinger of what was to come for the Roman Empire: a weak child Emperor under the thumb of a strong barbarian generalissimo. Valentinian's life truly is a tragedy as he was only four years old when his father died, 12 when his brother died, and 17 when his mother died. In addition, though he was technically a full Augustus from 375 to 392, he never had any real power and was either a political hostage or pawn to another Emperor. Valentinian's death is still unsolved to this day, as historians are split between suicide or murder by Arbogast. I tend to support the suicide hypothesis as the young man was isolated from any friends or family he had, was writing to Ambrose of Milian in a rather depressed manner, and was living in the shadow of his father and half-brother. On a lighter note, I have purchased my first siliqua of Valentinian II! The coin was struck at Trier between 375 and 379, while Valentinian II was between 4 and 8 years old. Valentinian II, 375-392. Siliqua (Silver, 19 mm, 2.00 g, 6 h), Treveri, 375-378. D N VALENTINIANVS IVN P F AVG Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Valentinian II to right. Rev. VICTOR-IA AVGGG / TRPS Victory advancing left, holding palm frond in her right hand and trophy over her left shoulder. RIC 43. RSC 40†a. Nicely toned. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, very fine.

@Steppenfool It should be noted that Constantius II also spared Vetranio and allowed him to live in retirement. I believe that they also corresponded to a degree after Vetranio’s retirement, where Vetranio told Constantius that the no sane man would want the burden of the Empire on their shoulders.

I think he was a decent to good Emperor, overall. His defense of the east was very admirable; as he kept Shapur II at bay for 23 years. For reference, Shapur II is considered one of the greatest Persian kings. For Constantius II to have held him at bay for that length of time really was an achievement. While he was focused on the East, he didn’t ignore the west when he became sole Augustus as he left Julian in charge of the provinces. Another mark in his favor is that after it became obvious that he was dying, he made Julian his rightful heir instead of putting the empire through another civil war. Siliquae of his make up about 1/3 of the entire denomination in my collection. Here are just a few:

Not to move a bit off topic but I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask: What ever happened to Sallent and Pavlos on CT? I went MIA for a few months when I started grad school, and when I came back they hadn’t posted in some time. I haven’t seen either of them on this forum as well.

🤣🤣🤣 That portrait is hilarious.

" Are Byzantine Coins Crude & Ugly"? Yes! "Are they Misunderstood"? Yes! Roman coinage realy starts diving off a cliff around AD400 due to the lack of capital to invest in highly skilled engravers. There are certainly exceptions to this rule, the Justinian I medallion that was mentioned is a good example, however by and large after AD 400 the Western Roman Empire's coinage deteriorates considerably, and after AD610ish the Eastern Roman Empire's coinage designs become increasingly cartoonish. I don't fault the Roman state for the decrease in quality of their coins however, especially after AD640 where there was a serious question if there was even going to be a Roman state. The ERE after the Islamic conquests of the 7th century had only a fraction of the taxation revenues and human capital when compared to a generation earlier. So they couldnt have feasbly raised the quality drastically even if they wanted to. You do see a renaissance with ERE coins after the initial crisis of the 600's and 700's, and the coins do reflect a better funded and flourishing economy. That said, I am also not going to lie and say that coins of the ERE are the pinnacle of artistic achievment and are visually pleasing; they are not for the most part. Some examples showing a general simplication and decline in quality: Magnus Maximus AR Siliqua Trier mint AD 383-388 vs Honorius AR Siliqua 1.28 Grams Minted in 407/08 by the mint at Rome. vs Justinian I siliqua Carthage mint I do not own the next three coins regrettably. Justin I vs Constans II and Constantine IV solidus

Cladius II Gothicus Silvered Antoninianus Antioch mint 3.8 grams

Truer words have never been spoken.

"It is AD 370, and Roman control over the Mediterranean has held for hundreds of years. Yet the glory days of the Pax Romana are long gone. Rome's power has atrophied considerably since the reign of Augustus, its decadent ruling classes and archaic command structures struggling to keep pace with the demands of a changing world. During the Crisis of the 3rd century AD, the Empire nearly collapsed, weighed down by a perfect storm of invasion, economic depression and civl war. Yet the Empire survives in a new form since Diocletian's reforms with seperate centres of administration in the East and West. Nevertheless,the Roman aura of invincibility is crumbling. Peoples from across the Rhine and Danube rivers are becoming accustomed to raiding Roman territory, appropriating Roman valuables and scoring occasional victories against Roman armies. And in the East, unseen by all, a long shadow is looming. The Huns are coming!" Valens Siliqua AD 367-375 Trier mint 2.21 grams

My most recent Magnus Maximus pick up, also from Trier.

Probably one of my favorite coins in my collection: a siliqua of Magnus Maximus minted at his capital at Trier. I particularly love the blue tone this coin has aquired in the last few years.

@Severus Alexander Looks like the mint was reopened after Constantine’s rebellion. Interesting, I was unaware of that. Here are my sources for my comments of the mint being closed in 394/5 https://www.livius.org/articles/place/augusta-treverorum-trier/ https://www.academia.edu/27941832/Supplying_a_Dying_Empire_The_Mint_of_Trier_in_the_Late_4th_Century_AD

@seth77 Possibly, however we also see the Siliqua being reduced in weight around this time as well. It should be noted that Trier stopped production of Siliqua in 395, when the mint was closed down. So the Milan standard the author reference’s would become the de facto siliqua standard for the remainder of the denominations lifetime in the west.

That is an excellent page you have posted there, @Severus Alexander. Are there any leading theories as to why the AE-2 was demonetized and production stopped?

Maximus reminds me of Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms period, in that regard. Yes, I believe that the Siliqua denomination starts to decline in weight after Maximus's defeat in 388 as well. It would not be unreasonable to say the civil war of 388 and 392 between the east and west were a lot more damaging to the Roman state than they initially appear to be.

@seth77 That brings up another question that has been bugging me lately; What happened to the AE-2 size bronze coins? As far as I can tell, Maximus was the last Emperor to issue the denomination in the West. Furthermore, aside from the rare Cherson AE-2 issues that are only found in Ukraine, the “denomination” seems to have been dead by the time of Arcadius’s sole rule in the East. Was inflation so bad post the civil wars of 388 and 392, that the denomination was discontinued?

@seth77 It makes sense that the locals in Hispania would produce local issues of Magnus Maximus. Maximus was a Spaniard by birth, by all accounts ran a competent administration, coins of his were really the last good quality bronze coins to be issued en masse in the Western Roman Empire, and he was the last strong Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. After Maximus the Western Roman Empire would get a 21 year old who held no real power, an imperial bureaucrat with no power, an idiot who loved his chickens ect ect… Perhaps to the locals in the 410’s, the rule of Maximus 30 years earlier was considered the calm before the storm.

@John Conduitt Wow, that is an exceptional Solidus of MM from his power base in London. I’ve been wanting to get some of the other rare mints that produced coinage of Maximus(Rome and Constantinople).

Here is an AE-2 of Magnus Maximus

Greetings all, I recently acquired a lovely siliqua of Magnus Maximus, who in some form or another ruled the Western Roman Empire from 383 to 388 AD. Like I and many others have said before, Maximus grew up in what is now modern-day Galicia, Spain, on the estates of Count(Comes) Theodosius before he joined the Roman army. Maximus was a competent subordinate and rose through the ranks to eventually command a garrison of troops near Hadrian's wall in Britain. After defeating a band of raiding Picts in early 383, soldiers under Maximus declared him Emperor, having grown dissatisfied with the rule of Emperor Gratian. Maximus overthrew Gratian in a relatively bloodless coup and then entered into negotiations with Theodosius I in the east and Valentinian II in Italy. Maximus, against all odds, managed to get imperial recognition from Theodosius I and Valentinian II in exchange for not invading Italy. While we don't know much of what Maximus was up to in his five years in Gaul, he seems to have run a competent administration and even campaigned across the Rhine frontier. What little we know of the domestic affairs of Magnus Maximus comes from letters he forwarded to the court of Valentinian II and to Pope Siricus of Rome. The aforementioned documents were later preserved in a collection of Church documents called the Collectivo Avellana. In his letter to the court of Valentinian II, usually dated to 386, Maximus berates Valentinian II for embracing Arian Christianity and begs him to return Italy to the rightful rule of Nicene Christianity. Author Maria Pano sees this letter as a move designed to isolate and delegitimize the reign of Valentinian II as he was embroiled in a religious pissing match between his Arian mother and Bishop Ambrose of Milian. In the second letter to Pope Siricus, usually dated to 386 as well, Maximus tells the reader that he was born into Nicene Christianity, in stark contrast to the Arian-born Valentinian II. Maximus then explains how he plans to respect the church's power and stay out of bishops' affairs. Maximus's claim about staying out of ecclesiastical affairs may seem odd considering that he tacitly approved the execution of the Christian heretic Priscilian. However, the Emperor claims that he was only carrying out the verdict that was given by the council of bishops at Trier in 385. Diplomacy between the courts of Magnus Maximus and Valentinian II eventually broke down in mid 387 and saw the forces of Maximus easily invade Italy and nearly capture the fleeing Valentinian II. Maximus would later face off against the armies of Theodosius I in 388 at the Save river in a bloody battle that would see him defeated. Maximus's brother, Marcellinus, managed to launch a successful counterattack against Theodosius I, which allowed the army of Maximus to retreat to Aquileia, where he would later be cornered and executed by the forces of Theodosius I. Interestingly enough, in his letters to the Court of Valentinian II, Maximus styled himself as Victor Magnus Maximus Perpetuus Triumphator Semper Augustus which roughly translates to 'Victorius Magnus Maximus Always Triumphant Ever Augustus"! In honor of the forever Augustus, please feel free to post your coins of Magnus Maximus. Obverse: D N MAG MAXIMVS P F AVG. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust rightReverse: VIRTVS ROMANORVM. Roma seated facing on throne, looking left, holding Victory on globe and spear, left leg bare. Mintmark TRPS in exergue. RIC IX Trier 84b Treveri mint 383-388 AD 2.04 grams 16mm Sources: Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum Latinorum - Google Books (99+) Maximus'Letters in the Collectio Avellana: A Comparative Study, | María Victoria Escribano Paño - Academia.edu Battle of Save (388) Summary & Facts, Roman Empire (totallyhistory.com)

Excellent website, Warren. My contribution to this thread. This is a Pre-Reform Siliqua of Constantius II struck at Constantinople between 351-355 AD Weight -3.18 Grams