SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS Ancient Roman Coin Tyche Fortuna Luck Cult i40404

Item: i40404

 Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Septimius Severus
–
Roman Emperor
: 193-211 A.D. –

Bronze 22mm (2.96 grams) of Philippopolis in Thrace
 Laureate head right.
Turreted draped bust of Tyche right.

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

Authenticity.  

Tyche (Greek for luck; the Roman equivalent was
Fortuna
) was the presiding
tutelary deity
that governed the fortune and
prosperity of a city, its destiny. Increasingly during the Hellenistic period,
cities had their own specific iconic version of Tyche, wearing a
mural crown
(a crown like the walls of the
city).

The
Greek historian Polybius
believed that when no cause can be
discovered to events such as floods, droughts, frosts or even in politics, then
the cause of these events may be fairly attributed to Tyche.

Stylianos Spyridakis  concisely expressed Tyche’s appeal in a Hellenistic
world of arbitrary violence and unmeaning reverses: “In the turbulent years of
the Epigoni of Alexander
, an awareness of the
instability of human affairs led people to believe that Tyche, the blind
mistress of Fortune, governed mankind with an inconstancy which explained the
vicissitudes of the time.”

In literature, she might be given various genealogies, as a daughter of
Hermes
and
Aphrodite
, or considered as one of the
Oceanids
, daughters of
Oceanus
and
Tethys
, or of

Zeus. She was connected with
Nemesis
and
Agathos Daimon
(“good spirit”).

She was uniquely venerated at
Itanos
in Crete, as Tyche Protogeneia,
linked with the Athenian
Protogeneia
(“firstborn”), daughter of
Erechtheus
, whose self-sacrifice saved the
city.

She had temples at
Caesarea Maritima
,
Antioch
,
Alexandria
and
Constantinople
. In
Alexandria
the Tychaeon, the temple of
Tyche, was described by
Libanius
as one of the most magnificent of the
entire Hellenistic world.

Tyche appears on many
coins
of the Hellenistic period in the three
centuries before the Christian era, especially from cities in the Aegean.
Unpredictable turns of fortune drive the complicated plotlines of
Hellenistic romances
, such as
Leucippe and Clitophon
or
Daphnis and Chloe
. She experienced a
resurgence in another era of uneasy change, the final days of publicly
sanctioned
Paganism
, between the late-fourth-century
emperors
Julian
and
Theodosius I
who definitively closed the
temples. The effectiveness of her capricious power even achieved respectability
in philosophical circles during that generation, though among poets it was a
commonplace to revile her for a fickle harlot.

In medieval art
, she was depicted as carrying a
cornucopia
, an
emblematic
ship’s rudder, and the
wheel of fortune
, or she may stand on the
wheel, presiding over the entire circle of fate.

The constellation of
Virgo
is sometimes identified as the heavenly
figure of Tyche, as well as other goddesses such as
Demeter
and
Astraea
.

In architecture
, a turret (from
Italian
: torretta, little tower;
Latin
: turris, tower) is a small
tower
that projects vertically from the wall of
a building such as a
medieval

castle
. Turrets were used to provide a
projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the
days of
military fortification
. As their military use
faded, turrets were used for decorative purposes, as in the
Scottish baronial style
.

A turret can have a circular top with
crenellations
as seen in the picture at right,
a pointed roof, or other kind of apex. It might contain a staircase if it
projects higher than the building; however, a turret is not necessarily higher
than the rest of the building; in this case, it is typically part of a room,
that can be simply walked into – see the turret of
Chateau de Chaumont
on the collection of
turrets,^[1]
which also illustrates a turret on a modern
skyscraper
.

A building may have both
towers
and turrets; turrets might be smaller or
higher but the difference is generally considered to be that a turret projects
from the edge of the building, rather than continuing to the ground. The size of
a turret is therefore limited by technology, since it puts additional stresses
on the structure of the building. It would traditionally be supported by a

corbel

(PlovdivBulgarian:

Пловдив) is

the second-largest city

in

Bulgaria

with a population of 380,683. Plovdiv’s history spans some 6,000 years, with

traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC. It is the

administrative center of

Plovdiv Province

in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities (Plovdiv,

Maritsa

and

Rodopi

) and Bulgaria’s

Yuzhen tsentralen

planning region (NUTS II), as well as the largest and most

important city in

Northern Thrace

and the wider international historical region of

Thrace
. The

city is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational center.

Known in the West for most of its history by the

Greekk

name Philippopolis, it was originally a

Thracian

settlement before becoming a major

Roman

city. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic regional importance,

changing hands between the

Byzantine

and

Bulgarian Empires

. It came under

Ottoman

rule in the 14th century. In 1878, Plovdiv was made the capital of

the autonomous Ottoman region of

Eastern Rumelia

; in 1885, it became part of Bulgaria with the

unification

of that region and the

Principality of Bulgaria

.

Plovdiv is situated in the southern part of the Plovdiv Plain on the two

banks of the

Maritsa River

. The city has historically developed on seven

syenite

hills, some of which are 250 m high. Because of these seven hills, Plovdiv is

often referred to in Bulgaria as “The City of the Seven Hills”.

There are many remains preserved from

Antiquity

such as the

Ancient amphitheatre

, Roman odeon,

Roman Stadium

, the archaeological complex Eirene and others.

Plovdiv was given various names throughout its long history. It was

originally a Thracian

settlement by the name of Eumolpias.

Philip II of Macedon

conquered the area in 342-341 BC and renamed the city

Philippoupolis (Greek:

Φιλιππούπολις), of which the later Thracian

name for the city, Pulpu-deva, is a reconstructed translation. After the

Romans took control of the area, the city was named

Latin

: Trimontium, meaning the

Three Hills. During the Middle Ages the city was known as Philippoupolis in

Byzantine Greek

and Paldin (Пълдин) or Plavdiv (Плъвдив) in

Old Bulgarian

, variations of the town’s earlier

Thracian

name. The city was known as Philippopolis in Western Europe well

into the early 20th century. The city was known as Filibe in

Turkish

during the

Ottoman Empire

.

Plovdiv has settlement traces dating from the Neolithic, roughly 4000 BC.

Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery and other objects of everyday life

from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 4^th

millennium B.C. there already was an established settlement there. According to

Ammianus Marcellinus

, Plovdiv’s written post-Bronze Age history lists it as

a Thracian

fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 4th century BC the city was a centre of

a trade fair (called panegyreis). In 342 BC, it was conquered by

Philip II of Macedon

, the father of

Alexander the Great

, who renamed it “Φιλιππόπολις”, Philippopolis or

“the city of Philip” in his own honour. Later, it was reconquered by the

Thracians

who called it Pulpudeva (a reconstructed translation of Philipopolis)

In 72 AD it was seized by the Roman general Terentius Varo Lukulus and was

incorporated into the

Roman

Empire
, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills)

and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of

Thrace
. It

gained a city status in late 1st century. Trimontium was an important crossroad

for the Roman Empire and was called “The largest and most beautiful of all

cities” by Lucian
.

Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace, the city was the

largest and most important centre in the province. In those times, the

Militaris
(or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road

in the Balkans
,

passed through the city.

The Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence. The ancient

ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings,

shrines, baths, and theatres. The city had an advanced water system and

sewerage

. It was defended with a double wall. Many of those are still

preserved and can be seen by tourists. Today only a small part of the ancient

city has been excavated.

Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) (April 11,

145/146-February 4, 211) was a

Roman

general, and

Roman

Emperor
from April 14, 193 to 211. He was born in what is now the

Berber
part of

Rome’s historic

Africa Province

.

Septimius Severus was born and raised at

Leptis

Magna
(modern Berber

, southeast of

Carthage
,

modern Tunisia
).

Severus came from a wealthy, distinguished family of

equestrian

rank. Severus was of

Italian

Roman ancestry on his mother’s side and of

Punic

or

Libyan

-Punic

ancestry on his father’s. Little is known of his father,

Publius Septimius Geta

, who held no major political status but had two

cousins who served as consuls under emperor

Antoninus Pius

. His mother, Fulvia Pia’s family moved from

Italy
to

North

Africa
and was of the

Fulvius
gens,

an ancient and politically influential clan, which was originally of

plebeian

status. His siblings were a younger

Publius Septimius Geta

and Septimia Octavilla. Severus’s maternal cousin was

Praetorian Guard

and consul

Gaius Fulvius Plautianus

.

In 172, Severus was made a

Senator

by the then emperor

Marcus Aurelius

. In 187 he married secondly

Julia

Domna
. In 190 Severus became

consul
, and in

the following year received from the emperor

Commodus

(successor to Marcus Aurelius) the command of the

legions

in Pannonia
.

On the murder of

Pertinax
by

the troops in 193, they proclaimed Severus Emperor at

Carnuntum
,

whereupon he hurried to Italy. The former emperor,

Didius Julianus

, was condemned to death by the Senate and killed, and

Severus took possession of Rome without opposition.

The legions of

Syria

, however, had proclaimed

Pescennius Niger

emperor. At the same time, Severus felt it was reasonable

to offer

Clodius Albinus

, the powerful governor of Britannia who had probably

supported Didius against him, the rank of Caesar, which implied some claim to

succession. With his rearguard safe, he moved to the East and crushed Niger’s

forces at the

Battle of Issus

. The following year was devoted to suppressing Mesopotamia

and other Parthian vassals who had backed Niger. When afterwards Severus

declared openly his son

Caracalla

as successor, Albinus was hailed emperor by his troops and moved to Gallia.

Severus, after a short stay in Rome, moved northwards to meet him. On

February

19
, 197
,

in the

Battle of Lugdunum

, with an army of 100,000 men, mostly composed of

Illyrian
,

Moesian
and

Dacian
legions,

Severus defeated and killed Clodius Albinus, securing his full control over the

Empire.

Emperor

Severus was at heart a

soldier
, and

sought glory through military exploits. In 197 he waged a brief and successful

war against the

Parthian Empire

in retaliation for the support given to Pescennius Niger.

The Parthian capital

Ctesiphon

was sacked by the legions, and the northern half of

Mesopotamia

was restored to Rome.

His relations with the

Roman

Senate
were never good. He was unpopular with them from the outset, having

seized power with the help of the military, and he returned the sentiment.

Severus ordered the execution of dozens of Senators on charges of corruption and

conspiracy

against him, replacing them with his own favorites.

He also disbanded the

Praetorian Guard

and replaced it with one of his own, made up of 50,000

loyal soldiers mainly camped at

Albanum

, near Rome (also probably to grant the emperor a kind of centralized

reserve). During his reign the number of legions was also increased from 25/30

to 33. He also increased the number of auxiliary corps (numerii), many of

these troops coming from the Eastern borders. Additionally the annual wage for a

soldier was raised from 300 to 500

denarii
.

Although his actions turned Rome into a military

dictatorship

, he was popular with the citizens of Rome, having stamped out

the rampant corruption of Commodus’s reign. When he returned from his victory

over the Parthians, he erected the

Arch of Septimius Severus

in Rome.

According to Cassius Dio,

however, after 197 Severus fell heavily under the influence of his Praetorian

Prefect,

Gaius Fulvius Plautianus

, who came to have almost total control of most

branches of the imperial administration. Plautianus’s daughter,

Fulvia Plautilla

, was married to Severus’s son, Caracalla. Plautianus’s

excessive power came to an end in 205, when he was denounced by the Emperor’s

dying brother and killed.

The two following praefecti, including the jurist

Aemilius Papinianus

, received however even larger powers.

Campaigns in Caledonia (Scotland)

Starting from 208 Severus undertook a number of military actions in

Roman

Britain
, reconstructing

Hadrian’s Wall

and campaigning in

Scotland
.

He reached the area of the

Moray

Firth
in his last campaign in Caledonia, as was called Scotland by
the Romans..

In 210 obtained a peace with the

Picts
that lasted

practically until the final withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain,

before falling severely ill in

Eboracum
(York).

Death

He is famously said to have given the advice to his sons: “Be harmonious,

enrich the soldiers, and scorn all other men” before he died at Eboracum on

February 4
,

211. Upon his death in 211, Severus was

deified

by the Senate and succeeded by his sons,

Caracalla

and

Geta

, who were advised by his wife

Julia

Domna
. The stability Severus provided the Empire was soon gone under their reign.

Accomplishments and Record

Though his military expenditure was costly to the empire, Severus was the

strong, able ruler that Rome needed at the time. He began a tradition of

effective emperors elevated solely by the military. His policy of an expanded

and better-rewarded army was criticized by his contemporary

Dio Cassius

and

Herodianus

: in particular, they pointed out the increasing burden (in the

form of taxes and services) the civilian population had to bear to maintain the

new army.

Severus was also distinguished for his buildings. Apart from the triumphal

arch in the Roman Forum carrying his full name, he also built the

Septizodium

in Rome and enriched greatly his native city of

Leptis

Magna
(including another triumphal arch on the occasion of his visit of

203).

Severus and Christianity

Christians were

persecuted

during the reign of Septimus Severus. Severus allowed the

enforcement of policies already long-established, which meant that Roman

authorities did not intentionally seek out Christians, but when people were

accused of being Christians they could either curse

Jesus
and make an

offering to

Roman gods

, or be executed. Furthermore, wishing to strengthen the peace by

encouraging religious harmony through

syncretism
,

Severus tried to limit the spread of the two quarrelsome groups who refused to

yield to syncretism by outlawing

conversion

to Christianity or

Judaism
.

Individual officials availed themselves of the laws to proceed with rigor

against the Christians. Naturally the emperor, with his strict conception of

law, did not hinder such partial persecution, which took place in

Egypt
and the

Thebaid
, as

well as in

Africa proconsularis

and the East. Christian

martyrs
were

numerous in Alexandria

(cf.

Clement of Alexandria

, Stromata, ii. 20;

Eusebius

, Church History, V., xxvi., VI., i.). No less severe were

the persecutions in Africa, which seem to have begun in 197 or 198 (cf.

Tertullian’s

Ad martyres), and included the Christians known in the

as the martyrs of

Madaura
.

Probably in 202 or 203

Felicitas

and

Perpetua

suffered for their faith. Persecution again raged for a short time

under the proconsul

Scapula
in

211, especially in

Numidia
and

Mauritania
.

Later accounts of a Gallic

persecution, especially at

Lyon, are

legendary. In general it may thus be said that the position of the Christians

under Septimius Severus was the same as under the

Antonines
;

but the law of this Emperor at least shows clearly that the

rescript
of

Trajan
^[

neededclarification] had failed to execute its purpose.