GORDIAN III & TRANQUILLINA Singara Mesopotamia Sagittarius Roman Coin i57586

$1,250.00 $1,125.00

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SKU: i57586 Category:

Item: i57586

 Authentic Ancient 

Roman Coin of:

Gordian III –
Roman Emperor
: 238-244 A.D. –

Gordian III & 

Tranquillina

Bronze 31mm (21.54 GRAMS) of 

Singara in 

Mesopotamia
Reference:   SNG Copenhagen 256; BMC 8-11
ΑΥΤΟ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC 
CΑΒ ΤΡΑΝΚΥΛΛΙΝΑ 
CЄΒ, Confronted busts of Gordian right, 
laureate, draped, and cuirassed, and Tranquillina left, draped and wearing 
stephane.
ΑΥΡ CЄΠ ΚΟΛ ΣΙΝΓΑΡΑ, Tyche seated left on rocks, holding branch; above, centaur 
(Sagittarius) leaping left, shooting bow; to lower left, half-length figure of 
river-god Mygdonius swimming left.

You are bidding on the exact 

item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime 

Guarantee of Authenticity.

Singara (Greek:
τὰ Σίγγαρα) was a strongly fortified post 
at the northern extremity of
Mesopotamia
, which for a while, as appears from 
coins found, was occupied by the
Romans
as an advanced colony against the
Persians
. It was the camp of

Parthica
I legio
.

Its position, south-east of
Nisibis
, has not been clearly defined by 
ancient writers,
Stephanus of Byzantium
calling it a city of
Arabia
, near
Edessa
, and
Ptolemy
placing it on the
Tigris
. There can, however, be no doubt that it 
and the mountain near it, called by Ptolemy ὸ 
Σίγγαρας ὄρος
, are represented at the present day by the district of the
Singar
(in modern-day

Iraq
).

It was first taken by the Romans during
Trajan
‘s eastern campaigns, when general
Lusius Quietus
captured the city without a 
fight in the winter of 114; Although it was abandoned following the Roman 
withdrawal from
Mesopotamia
in 117, the city became once again 
part of the Roman Empire with the
Parthian
campaign of
Septimius Severus
in 197. The city was raised 
by Severus to the status of a
Roman colony
, as is attested by the legend 
found on some of the coins minted there during the reign of
Gordian III
:
ΑΥΡ. CΕΠ. ΚΟΛ. CΙΝΓΑΡΑ.
, which is Greek script for the city’s Latin name,
Aurelia Septimia Colonia Singara. It remained one of the easternmost 
outposts of the Roman Empire throughout the 3rd century. It was the scene of a 
celebrated nocturnal conflict during a
siege
of the city in 344 by
Sassanid
King
Shapur II
, the result of which was so 
unsatisfactory that both sides claimed the victory.) Still later, in 359/360, 
during the reign of
Constantius II
, it is recorded that it 
underwent a celebrated siege, and at length was carried by the Persians by 
storm, though gallantly defended by the townspeople and two legions. The country 
around it is stated by
Ammianus Marcellinus
and
Theophylact Simocatta
to have been extremely 
arid, which rendered it equally difficult to take or to relieve from a distance.


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
.


Furia Sabinia Tranquillina or Sabinia Tranquillina (ca 225 – 
aft. 244) was the
Empress of Rome
and wife of Emperor
Gordian III
. She was the young daughter of the
Praetorian
Prefect
Timesitheus
by an unknown wife.


In 
241 her father was appointed the head of the Praetorian Guard by the Roman 
Emperor Gordian III
. In May that year, Tranquillina had 
married Gordian. She became a Roman Empress and received the honorific title of
Augusta. Her marriage to Gordian was an admission by the young emperor of 
both political indispensability of Timesitheus and Tranquillina’s suitability as 
an empress.

In 243, Tranquillina’s father suddenly died and was replaced with
Philip the Arab
, as head of the
Praetorian Guard
. When Gordian was killed in 
February 244, Philip became the new emperor. Tranquillina survived her husband. 
She had no sons with him. Christian Settipani suggests that they had a daughter, 
(Furia) (b. ca 244), most likely posthumous, who married (Marcus Maecius Orfitus) 
(b. ca 245), son of Marcus Maecius Probus (b. ca 220), married to Pupiena Sextia 
Paulina Cethegilla (b. ca 225), paternal grandson of
Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus
and maternal 
grandson of
Marcus Pupienus Africanus
(son of his protector 
Emperor
Pupienus Maximus
) and wife Cornelia Marullina, 
by whom she had issue.


Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (January 

20, 225
 

February 

11
, 244
), 

known in

English

as Gordian III,

was

Roman 

Emperor
from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of

Antonia Gordiana

and his father was an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 

238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor

Gordian I
 

and younger sister of Emperor

Gordian II

Very little is known on his early life before becoming Roman Emperor. Gordian 

had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238.

Following the murder of emperor

Alexander Severus

in Moguntiacum (modern

Mainz
), the 

capital of the

Roman province

Germania Inferior

,

Maximinus Thrax

was acclaimed emperor, despite strong opposition of the

Roman senate

and the majority of the population. In response to what was 

considered in Rome as a rebellion, Gordian’s grandfather and uncle, Gordian I 

and II, were proclaimed joint emperors in the

Africa Province

. Their revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, 

governor of Numidia

and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The elder Gordians died, 

but public opinion cherished their memory as peace loving and literate men, 

victims of Maximinus’ oppression.

Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and 

the Senate elected

Pupienus
 

and Balbinus
 

as joint emperors. These senators were not popular men and the population of 

Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordian’s fate, so that the Senate decided 

to take the teenager Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus as his 

grandfather, and raise him to the rank of

Caesar

and imperial heir.

Pupienus
 

and Balbinus
 

defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the defection of several

legions

namely the

Parthica II

who assassinated Maximinus. But their joint reign was 

doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and even an 

enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On

July 29

Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the

Praetorian guard

and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.

Rule

Due to Gordian’s age, the imperial government was surrendered 

to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the 

senate. In 240,

Sabinianus
 

revolted in the African province, but the situation was dealt quickly. In 241, 

Gordian was married to Furia Sabinia

Tranquillina

, daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect,

Timesitheus

. As chief of the Praetorian guard and father in law of the 

emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the de facto ruler of the Roman 

empire.

In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the 

Germanic tribes across the

Rhine
and

Danube
, and the

Sassanid

kingdom across the

Euphrates
 

increased its own attacks. When the Persians under

Shapur I
 

invaded Mesopotamia

, the young emperor opened the doors of the

Temple of Janus

for the last time in Roman history, and sent a huge army to 

the East. The Sassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in the

Battle of Resaena

(243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had 

joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy’s territory, when his 

father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, 

and the emperor’s security, were at risk.

Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as

Philip the Arab

, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefect and 

the campaign proceeded. In the beginning of 244, the Persians counter-attacked. 

Persian sources claim that a battle was fought (Battle 

of Misiche) near modern

Fallujah
(Iraq

and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III. 

Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away, 

upstream of the Euphrates. Although ancient sources often described Philip, who 

succeeded Gordian as emperor, as having murdered Gordian at Zaitha (Qalat es 

Salihiyah), the cause of Gordian’s death is unknown.

Gordian’s youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his 

grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of another usurper, 

granted him the everlasting esteem of the Romans. Despite the opposition of the 

new emperor, Gordian was deified by the Senate after his death, in order to 

appease the population and avoid riots.


   

    

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