- Katılım
- 4 Şub 2022
- Mesajlar
- 9,189
- Beğeni
- 12,315
At a time when emperors were hard-pressed to maintain their position of power they were in many ways wholly dependent on the fickle attitudes of their armies. Trebonianus Gallus became emperor with the support of his army after the death of his predecessor Trajan Decius at the Battle of Abritus against the Scythian invaders in Moesia. In his portraiture, most notably on coins and a few sculptures such as the monumental bronze in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Gallus continued the iconographic tradition that was intended to present the emperor as a powerful general who could lead the armies and keep order in the empire. This iconography is characterised by a military style haircut, a short, stubble beard, and a stern, even menacing expression; all of which aspects owe their origins to the mature portrait types of Caracalla.
Early in his reign Gallus shared the purple with his predecessor's son Hostilian, who had been Caesar in 251 at the time of his father's death. However, Hostilian died in an outbreak of the plague which struck Rome later that year, leaving the way open for Gallus' son Volusian to be made co-emperor with his father. The co-rulers were unfortunately too inept to deal with the pressures and instabilities that Rome faced, including economic crisis, famine and invasions by the Goths and Persians. It is then perhaps slightly ironic that Felicitas occupies the reserve of this coin, traditionally a symbol of wealth and prosperity, but this reflects the rather hopeful attempt of the co-emperors to maintain their power in part through the use of propaganda. FELICITAS PVBLICA - Happiness of the public / Good fortune.
Early in his reign Gallus shared the purple with his predecessor's son Hostilian, who had been Caesar in 251 at the time of his father's death. However, Hostilian died in an outbreak of the plague which struck Rome later that year, leaving the way open for Gallus' son Volusian to be made co-emperor with his father. The co-rulers were unfortunately too inept to deal with the pressures and instabilities that Rome faced, including economic crisis, famine and invasions by the Goths and Persians. It is then perhaps slightly ironic that Felicitas occupies the reserve of this coin, traditionally a symbol of wealth and prosperity, but this reflects the rather hopeful attempt of the co-emperors to maintain their power in part through the use of propaganda. FELICITAS PVBLICA - Happiness of the public / Good fortune.