CONSTANTIUS II son of Constantine the Great Roman Coin Wreath of success i40462

$125.00 $112.50

Availability: 1 in stock

SKU: i40462 Category:

Item: i40462

authentic antique numismatic ancient coin for sale on ebay

 

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Constantius II

Roman Emperor
: 337-361 A.D. –

Bronze AE4 16mm (1.72 grams) Cyzicus mint: 347-348 A.D.
Reference: RIC 48 (VIII, Cyzicus), LRBC 1306
DNCONSTANTIVSPFAVG – Diademed (rosettes) head right.
VOT/XX/MVLT/XXX Exe: SMK –

wreath
 
, legend
within. 

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of

Authenticity.

Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as

Constantius II (7 August 317 – November 3 361) was a

Roman

Emperor
(337-361) of the

Constantinian dynasty

.

Constantius joins the lengthy list of emperors whose career

was marked by a seemingly endless series of wars both domestic and foreign. He

served as Caesar from 324 until his father’s death in 337 at which time he

shared the title of Augustus with two other brothers, Constantine II and

Constans. To make sure no more Johnny-come-latelies in his family would try

their hand at being emperor too it is thought that he engineered a bloodbath

that left nary a relative. Constantine II died in battle and Constans was

murdered by the men of Magnentius, the first of several usurpers. This left

Constantius finally as sole legitimate emperor and he moved quickly to suppress

Magnentius, an endeavor he eventually accomplished. The strife didn’t end there,

however, as he still had to deal with other revolts and wars on every corner of

the empire. Caught in these never-ending battles he died while on his way to

battle Julian II. 

Flavius Iulius Constantius was born at

Sirmium
(now

Sremska Mitrovica

in

Serbia
) in

province of Pannonia

, the third son of

Constantine the Great

, and second by his second wife

Fausta
, the

daughter of Maximian

. Constantius was made

Caesar

by his father on 13 November 324. 

When the elder

Constantine

died at

Constantinople

on 22 May 337, Constantius was nearest of his sons to that

city, and despite being on campaign in the eastern provinces, immediately

returned to the city to oversee his father’s funeral.

 The

Massacre of 337

The role of Constantius in the massacre of his relatives

(those descended from the second marriage of his paternal grandfather

Constantius Chlorus

and

Theodora

) is unclear.

Zosimus
,

writing 498-518 claims that Constantius “caused

the soldiers to murder his relatives, as opposed to actually ordering the

action. Eutropius

, writing between 350 and 370, writes that Constantius merely

sanctioned “the act, rather than commanding it”.

However, it must be noted that both of these sources are hostile to Constantius

Zosimus

being a pagan,

Eutropius

a friend of

Julian

, Constantius’ cousin and, ultimately, his enemy.

Whatever the case, Constantius himself, his older brother

Constantine II

, his younger brother

Constans

and three cousins,

Gallus

, his half-brother

Julian

and

Nepotianus
,

son of

Eutropia

, were left as the only surviving males related to Constantine.

 Division

of the Empire

Meeting at Sirmium not long after the massacre, the three

brothers proceeded to divide the Roman Empire among them, according to their

father’s will. Constantine II received

Britannia

, Gaul

and Hispania
;

Constans (initially under the supervision of Constantine II)

Italia

,

Africa

, Illyricum,

Thrace

,

Macedon

and

Achaea

; and Constantius the East.

 Reign

in the East

There are few details of the early years of Constantius’ sole

reign in the East. He seems to have spent most of his time defending the eastern

border against invasions by the aggressive

Sassanid Empire

under

Shapur II
.

These conflicts seem to have been mainly limited to Sassanid sieges of the

various fortresses (Nisibis,

Singara
,

Constantia and

Amida

) of Roman

Mesopotamia

, which achieved little for either side.

Although Shapur II

seems to have been victorious in most of the confrontations

– except the Battle of Narasara, where one of

Shapur II
‘s

brothers, Narses, was killed

– the overall result must be considered a victory for Constantius because

Shapur

failed to make any significant gains.

In the meantime,

Constantine II

‘s desire to retain control of

Constans

realm had lead Constantius’ two surviving brothers into open conflict; resulting

in the death of the elder in 340.

As a result, Constans took control of his deceased elder brother’s realms and

became sole ruler of the Western two-thirds of the Empire. This division lasted

until 350, when Constans was killed in battle by forces loyal to the

usurper

Magnentius

.

 War

against Magnentius

This new state of affairs proved unacceptable to Constantius,

who felt that, as the only surviving son of

Constantine the Great

, the position of

Emperor

was his alone.

As such, he determined to march west to enforce his claims. However, feeling

that the east still required some sort of imperial control, he elevated his

cousin

Constantius Gallus

to Caesar of the East. As an extra measure to ensure the

loyalty of his cousin, he married the elder of his two sisters,

Constantina

, to

Gallus

.

Before facing

Magnentius
,

Constantius first came to terms with

Vetranio
, a

loyal Constantian general, who had previously accepted the position of Augustus

in order to retain the loyalty of his troops, and probably to stop Magnentius

from gaining more support. This action may have been carried out at the urging

of Constantius’ own sister,

Constantina

, who had since traveled east to marry

Gallus

. Constantius for his own part had previously sent

Vetranio

the imperial diadem and acknowledged the general‘s new position. However, when

Constantius arrived,

Vetranio

willingly and gladly resigned his position and accepted Constantius’ offer of a

comfortable retirement in

Bithynia
.

The following year, Constantius finally met

Magnentius

in the

Battle of Mursa Major

,

one of the bloodiest battles in Roman history. The result was a defeat for the

usurper, who withdrew back to his Gaulish domains. As a result, the cities of

Italy

switched their allegiance to Constantius and ejected all of

Magnentius

garrisons. Constantius spent the early months of 352 on a campaign against the

Sarmatians
,

before moving on to invade

Italy

.

When Constantius and Magnentius finally met again, at the

Battle of Mons Seleucus

in southern Gaul, Constantius once again emerged the

victor.

Soon after, Magnentius

, realising the futility of continuing his revolt, committed

suicide 10 August 353.

 Sole

Ruler of the Roman Empire

Constantius spent much of the rest of 353 and early 354 on

campaign against the

Alemanni
on

the Danubian borders. The exact details of this campaign are uncertain, though

it seems to have ended with victory for Constantius.

 The

Downfall of Gallus

In the meantime, Constantius had been receiving some

disturbing reports regarding the actions of his cousin,

Gallus

.

Possibly as a result of these reports, Constantius concluded a peace with the

Alemanni
,

and withdrew to Milan
.

Once there, he decided to first call

Ursicinus

, Gallus’ magister equitum, to Milan for reasons that remain

unclear.

Constantius then requested the presence of

Gallus

and

Constantina

.

Although at first

Gallus

and

Constantina

complied with this order, when

Constantina

died in

Bithynia
,

Gallus

begun to hesitate. However, after some convincing by one of

Constantius’ agents,

Gallus continued his journey west, passing through

Constantinople

and

Thrace

to Petobio in the province of

Noricum
.

It was there that

Gallus

was arrested by the soldiers of Constantius under the command of

Barbatio
.

He was then moved to Pola

, and interrogated. Once there,

Gallus

claimed that it was

Constantina

who was to blame for all the trouble that had been caused while

he was in charge of the east.

Apparently, at first, this so greatly angered Constantius that he immediately

ordered the death of

Gallus

.

However, soon after, he changed his mind, and recanted his execution order.

Unfortunately for Gallus, this order was delayed by

Eusebius

, one of Constantius‘ eunuchs, and, as a result,

Gallus

was executed.

 More

Usurpers and Julian Caesar

On 11 August 355, the

magister militum

Claudius Silvanus

revolted in Gaul. Silvanus had surrendered to Constantius

after the

battle of Mursa Major

. Constantius had made him magister militum in 353,

with the purpose of blocking the German threats, a feat that Silvanus achieved

by bribing the German tribes with the money he had collected. A plot organized

by members of Constantius’ court led the emperor to recall Silvanus. After

Silvanus revolted, he received a letter by Constantius that recalled him to

Milan, but which made no reference to the revolt.

Ursicinus

, who was meant to replace Silvanus, bribed some troops, and

Silvanus was killed.

However, Constantius realised that too many threats still

faced the Empire, and he could not possibly handle all of them by himself, so on

6 November 355,

he elevated his last remaining relative, Julian, to the rank of

Caesar

.

A few days later,

Julian

was married to

Helena

, the last surviving sister of Constantius.

Not long after Constantius sent

Julian

off to Gaul.

 Constantius

in the West and Return to the East

Constantius spent the next few years overseeing affairs in

the western part of the Empire primarily from his base at

Milan
. However,

he also visited Rome

– for the first and only time in his life – in 357, and, in that same year, he

forced Sarmatian

and Quadi

invaders out of

Pannonia

and Moesia Inferior
,

then led a successful campaign across the Danube against the

Sarmatians

and the Germanic Quadi

tribe.

Around 357/8, Constantius received ambassadors from

Shapur II
,

who demanded that Constantius restore the lands surrendered by

Narseh
.

Despite rejecting these terms,

Constantius still tried to avert war with the

Sassanid Empire

by sending two embassies to

Shapur II
.

As a result of Constantius’ rejection of his terms,

Shapur II

launched another invasion of Roman Mesopotamia. When news reached Constantius

that Shapur

II
had not only invaded Roman territory, but taken

Amida
[46],

destroyed Singara

and taken Bezabde

he decided to return to there to face this re-emergent threat in 360.

 The

usurpation of Julian and Problems in the East

In the meantime,

Julian

had won some victories against the

Alemanni

tribe, who had once again invaded

Roman Gaul
.

As such, Constantius requested reinforcements from

Julian

for his own campaign against Shapur II. However, when he requested

reinforcements from

Julian

’s Gaulish army, the Gaulish legions revolted and proclaimed

Julian

Augustus.

However, on account of the immediate Sassanid threat,

Constantius was unable to directly respond to his cousin’s usurpation other than

by sending missives by which he tried to convince Julian to resign the title of

Augustus and be satisfied with that of Caesar.

By 361, Constantius saw no alternative but to face the

usurper with violent force; and yet the threat of the

Sassanids

remained. Constantius had already spent part of early 361

unsuccessfully attempting to take the fortress of

Bezabde
.

After a time, he had withdrawn to

Antioch
to

regroup, and prepare for a confrontation with

Shapur II
.

However, as it turned out, the campaigns of the previous year had inflicted such

heavy losses on the

Sassanids

that they did not attempt another round of engagements in 361.

This allowed Constantius to turn his full attention to facing the usurpation of

Julian

[55].

 Death

As such, Constantius immediately gathered his forces and set

off west. However, by the time he reached

Mopsuestia

in Cicilia, it was clear that he was fatally ill and would not survive to face

Julian

. Apparently, realising his death was near, Constantius had himself

baptised by Euzoius

, the

Semi-Arian

bishop of

Antioch
, and

then declared that Julian was his rightful successor.

Constantius II died of fever on 3 November 361.

 Marriages

and Children

Constantius II was married three times:

First to a

daughter

of his half-uncle

Julius Constantius

, whose name is unknown. She was a full-sister of Gallus

and a half-sister of Julian. She died c. 352/3.

Second, to Eusebia, a woman of

Macedonian

origin from the city of

Thessaloniki

, whom he married before Constantius’ defeat of Magnentius in

353. She died in 360.

Third and lastly, in 360, to

Faustina (empress)

, who gave birth to Constantius’ only child, a posthumous

daughter named

Flavia Maxima Constantia

, who later married Emperor

Gratian
.

 Religious

Issues

Constantius seems to have had a particular interest in the

religious state of the

Roman

Empire
. As a

Christian

Roman

Emperor
, Constantius made a concerted effort to promote

Christianity

at the expense of

Roman polytheism

(‘paganism’). As such, over the course of his reign, he

issued a number of different edicts designed specifically to carry out this

agenda (see below). Constantius also took an active part in attempting to shape

the Christian

church.

 Paganism

under Constantius

In spite of the some of the edicts issued by Constantius, it

should be recognised that he was not fanatically anti-pagan – he never made any

attempt to disband the various Roman priestly colleges or the

Vestal Virgins

,

he never acted against the various pagan schools, and, at times, he actually

even made some effort to protect paganism.

Also, most notably, he remained

pontifex maximus

until his death, and was actually deified by the Roman

Senate after his death. The relative moderation of Constantius’ actions toward

paganism is reflected by the fact that it was not until over 20 years after

Constantius’ death, during the reign of

Gratian
, that

any pagan senators protested their religion’s treatment.

 Christianity

under Constantius

Although often considered an

Arian
,

Constantius ultimately preferred a third, compromise version that lay somewhere

in between Arianism

and the

Nicaean Creed

, retrospectively called

Semi-Arianism

[61][62].

As such, during his reign, Constantius made a concerted attempt to mold the

Christian church to follow this compromise position, and to this end, he

convened several Christian councils during his reign, the most notable of which

were one at

Rimini

and its twin at

Seleuca
,

which met in 359 and 360 respectively. “Unfortunately for his memory the

theologians whose advice he took were ultimately discredited and the malcontents

whom he pressed to conform emerged victorious,” writes the historian

A.H.M. Jones

. “The great councils of 359-60 are therefore not reckoned

ecumenical

in the tradition of the church, and Constantius II is not

remembered as a restorer of unity, but as a

heretic
who

arbitrarily imposed his will on the church.”

 Judaism

under Constantius

Judaism faced some severe restrictions under Constantius, who

seems to have followed an anti-Jewish policy in line with that of his father.

Early in his reign, Constantius issued a double edict in concert with his

brothers limiting the ownership of slaves by Jewish people

and banning marriages between Jews and Christian women.

A later edict (issued by Constantius after becoming sole

Emperor

) decreed that a person who was proven to have converted from

Christianity to Judaism would have their entire property confiscated by the

state.

However, it should be noted that Constantius’ actions in this regard may not

have been so much to do with Jewish religion as Jewish business; apparently, it

was often the case that privately-owned Jewish businesses were in competition

with state-owned businesses. As such, Constantius may have sought to provide as

much of an advantage to the state-owned businesses as possible by limiting the

skilled workers and the slaves available to the Jewish businesses.

 Religious

Edicts Issued by Constantius

Pagan-related edicts issued by Constantius (by himself

or with others) included:

  • The banning of sacrifices;

  • The closing of pagan temples;

  • Edicts against soothsayers and magicians.

Christian-related edicts issued by Constantius (by

himself or with others) included:

  • Exemption from compulsory public service for the clergy;

    * Exemption from compulsory public service for the sons of clergy;

  • Tax exemptions for clergy and their servants,

    also later for their family;

  • Clergy and the issue of private property;

  • Bishops exempted from being tried in secular courts;

  • Christian prostitutes only able to be bought by

    Christians.

Jew-related edicts issued by Constantius (by himself

or with others) included:

  • Weaving women who moved from working for the government

    to working for Jews, must be restored to the government; Jews may not marry

    Christian women; Jews may not attempt to convert Christian women;

  • Any non-Jewish slave bought by a Jew will be confiscated

    by the state; if a Jew attempts to circumcise a non-Jewish slave, the slave

    will be freed and the Jew shall face capital punishment; any Christian

    slaves owned by a Jew will be taken away and freed;

  • A person who is proven to have converted from

    Christianity to Judaism shall have their property confiscated by the state.

 Reputation

Constantius II is a particularly difficult figure to judge

properly, mainly as a result of the hostility of most every source that mentions

him.

A.H.M Jones writes that Constantius “appears in the pages of

Ammianus

as a conscientious emperor but a vain and stupid man, an easy prey

to flatterers. He was timid and suspicious, and interested persons could easily

play on his fears for their own advantage.”

However, Kent & M. and A. Hirmer suggest that Constantius

“has suffered at the hands of unsympathetic authors, ecclesiastical and civil

alike. To orthodox churchmen he was a bigoted supporter of the Arian heresy, to

Julian the Apostate and the many who have subsequently taken his part he was a

murderer, a tyrant and inept as a ruler”.

They go on to add, “Most contemporaries seem in fact to have held him in high

esteem, and he certainly inspired loyalty in a way his brother could not”.




The Principate



 Julio-Claudian
dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


16 January 27 BC to 19 August AD 14



Augustus

 


19 August 14 to 16 March 37



Tiberius

 


18 March 37 to 24 January 41



Caligula


Murdered by Praetorian Guard


24 January 41 to 13 October 54



Claudius


Poisoned by his wife Agrippina, mother of Nero


13 October 54 to 11 June 68



Nero


Made a slave kill him



 Year
of the Four Emperors
(Civil War)



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


8 June 68 to 15 January 69



Galba


Murdered in favour of
Otho


15 January 69 to 16 April 69



Otho


Committed suicide


2 January 69 to 20 December 69



Vitellius


Murdered in favour of
Vespasian



 Flavian
dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


1 July 69 to 24 June 79



Vespasian

 


24 June 79 to 13 September 81



Titus


Possibly assassinated by Domitian


14 September 81 to 18 September 96



Domitian


Assassinated



 Nervan-Antonian
dynasty


Main article:
Five Good Emperors



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


18 September 96 to 27 January 98



Nerva


Proclaimed emperor by senate


28 January 98 to 7 August 117



Trajan

 


11 August 117 to 10 July 138



Hadrian

 


10 July 138 to 7 March 161



Antoninus Pius

 


7 March 161 to 17 March 180



Marcus Aurelius

 


7 March 161 to March 169



Lucius Verus


Co-emperor with
Marcus Aurelius


175



Avidius Cassius


Usurper; ruled in Egypt and Syria; murdered by his own army


177 to 31 December 192



Commodus


Assassinated



 Year
of the Five Emperors
&
Severan dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


1 January 193 to 28 March 193



Pertinax


Proclaimed emperor by senate; murdered by Praetorian Guard


28 March 193 to 1 June 193



Didius Julianus


Proclaimed emperor by Praetorian Guard; executed on orders of the Senate


9 April 193 to 4 February 211



Septimius Severus


Proclaimed emperor by
Pannonian
troops; accepted by
senate


193 to 194/195



Pescennius Niger


Proclaimed emperor by Syrian troops, defeated in battle by
Septimius Severus


193/195 to 197



Clodius Albinus


Proclaimed emperor by British troops, defeated in battle by
Septimius Severus


198 to 8 April 217



Caracalla


Assassinated at the behest of
Macrinus


209 to 4 February 211



Geta


Co-emperor with
Caracalla
; assassinated on orders
of
Caracalla


11 April 217 to June 218



Macrinus


Proclaimed himself emperor; executed on orders of
Elagabalus


May 217 to June 218



Diadumenian


Junior co-emperor under
Macrinus
; executed


June 218 to 222



Elagabalus


Proclaimed emperor by army; murdered by his own troops


13 March 222 to ?March 235



Alexander Severus


Murdered by his own troops



 Rulers during the
Crisis of the Third Century



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


February/March 235 to March/April 238



Maximinus Thrax


Proclaimed emperor by the army; murdered by
Praetorian Guard



early
January/March
238 to lateJanuary/April 238



Gordian I


Proclaimed emperor in Africa; committed suicide after
Gordian II
‘s death



early
January
March 238 to lateJanuary/April 238



Gordian II


Proclaimed emperor with
Gordian I
, killed in battle



early
February
238 to earlyMay 238



Pupienus


Proclaimed joint emperor by senate; murdered by
Praetorian Guard



early
February
238 to earlyMay 238



Balbinus


Proclaimed joint emperor by senate; murdered by
Praetorian Guard


May 238 to February 244



Gordian III


Nephew of
Gordian II
; death unclear,
probably murdered


240



Sabinianus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor; defeated in battle


February 244 to September/October 249



Philip the Arab


Proclaimed emperor after death of
Gordian III
; killed in battle by
Decius


248



Pacatianus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor; murdered by his own soldiers


248 to 249



Iotapianus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor in the east; murdered by his own
soldiers


248? or 253?



Silbannacus


Usurper; details essentially unknown


249 to June 251



Decius


Killed in battle


249 to 252



Priscus


Proclaimed himself emperor in the east in opposition to
Decius


250 to 250



Licinianus


Usurper; proclaimed emperor in Rome; rebellion suppressed



early
251
to June 251



Herennius Etruscus


Junior co-emperor under
Decius
; killed in battle


251



Hostilian


Son of
Decius
; died of plague


June 251 to August 253



Gallus


Proclaimed emperor by his troops after Decius’s death; murdered by them
in favour of Aemilianus


July 251 to August 253



Volusianus


Junior co-emperor under
Gallus
; murdered by army


August 253 to October 253



Aemilian


Proclaimed emperor by his troops; murdered by them in favour of
Valerian


253 to June 260



Valerian


Proclaimed emperor by his troops; captured in battle by the
Persians
; died in captivity


253 to September 268



Gallienus


Junior co-emperor under
Valerian
to 260; probably murdered
by his generals


260



Saloninus


Son of
Gallienus
; proclaimed emperor by
army; murdered shortly after by troops of
Postumus


June 260 (or 258)



Ingenuus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor after
Valerian
‘s capture; defeated in
battle


260



Regalianus


Usurper; proclaimed emperor after
Ingenuus
‘s defeat; fate unclear


260 to 261



Macrianus Major


Usurper; proclaimed emperor by eastern army; defeated and killed in
battle


260 to 261



Macrianus Minor


Usurper; son of
Macrianus Major
; defeated and
killed in battle


260 to 261



Quietus


Usurper; son of
Macrianus Major
; defeated and
killed in battle


261 to 261 or 262



Mussius Aemilianus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor after the defeat of the Macriani;
defeated and executed


268 to 268



Aureolus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor after
Gallienus
‘s death; surrendered to
Claudius II Gothicus
; murdered by
Praetorian Guard


268 to August 270



Claudius II Gothicus


Proclaimed emperor by the army


August 270 to September 270



Quintillus


Proclaimed himself emperor; cause of death unclear


August 270 to 275



Aurelian


Proclaimed emperor by army; murdered by the
Praetorian Guard


271 to 271



Septimius


Usurper; proclaimed emperor in
Dalmatia
; killed by his own
soldiers


November/December 275 to July 276



Tacitus


Appointed emperor by the Senate; possibly assassinated


July 276 to September 276



Florianus


Brother of
Tacitus
, proclaimed emperor by the
western army; murdered by his troops


July 276 to lateSeptember 282



Probus


Proclaimed emperor by the eastern army; murdered by his own soldiers in
favour of
Carus


280



Julius Saturninus


Usurper; proclaimed emperor by his troops; then killed by them


280



Proculus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor at the request of the people of
Lugdunum
; executed by
Probus


280



Bonosus


Usurper; proclaimed himself emperor; defeated by
Probus
and committed suicide


September 282 to July/August 283



Carus


Proclaimed emperor by Praetorian guard


spring 283 to summer 285



Carinus


Son of Carus; co-emperor with
Numerian
; fate unclear


July/August 283 to November 284



Numerian


Son of Carus; co-emperor with
Carinus
; probably murdered



 Gallic
Empire

260
to 274



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


260 to 268



Postumus


Declared himself emperor after
Valerian
‘s death; killed by his
own troops


268 to 268



Laelianus


Proclaimed himself emperor in opposition to Postumus; defeated and
killed by Postumus


269 to 269



Marius


Proclaimed himself emperor after Postumus’s death


269 to 271



Victorinus


Proclaimed emperor after Marius’s death


270 to 271



Domitianus


Proclaimed himself emperor of the
Gallic Empire


271 to 274



Tetricus I


Nominated heir to Victorinus



 Britannic
Empire

286
to 297



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


286 to 293



Carausius


Declared himself emperor; assassinated by
Allectus


293 to 297



Allectus


Declared himself emperor after
Carausius
‘s death; defeated by
Constantius Chlorus



 Dominate



 Tetrarchy
and
Constantinian dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


20 November 284 to 1 May 305



Diocletian


Declared emperor by the army after Numerian’s death; Abdicated


1 April 286 to 1 May 305



Maximian


Made co-emperor (‘Augustus’) with
Diocletian
; abdicated


1 May 305 to 25 July 306



Constantius I Chlorus


Made junior co-emperor (‘Caesar’) under
Maximian
; became Augustus after
his abdication


1 May 305 to May 311



Galerius


Made junior co-emperor (‘Caesar’) under
Diocletian
; became Augustus after
his abdication


August 306 to 16 September 307



Severus II


Made junior co-emperor (‘Caesar’) under
Constantius Chlorus
; became
Augustus after his death; executed by
Maxentius


28 October 306 to 28 October 312



Maxentius


Son of
Maximian
; proclaimed Augustus by
Praetorian Guard
; defeated in
battle by
Constantine I



de jure:

307, de facto 312 to 22 May 337



Constantine I


Son of
Constantius Chlorus
; proclaimed
Augustus by army


308
309?/311?



Domitius Alexander


Proclaimed emperor in Africa; defeated in battle by
Maxentius


11 November 308 to 18 September 324



Licinius


Appointed Augustus by
Galerius
; deposed by
Constantine I
and executed


1 May 311 to July/August 313



Maximinus Daia


Made junior co-emperor (‘Caesar’) under
Galerius
; became Augustus after
his death; defeated in battle by Licinius and committed suicide


December 316 to 1 March 317



Valerius Valens


Appointed co-Augustus by
Licinius
; executed by
Licinius


July to 18 September 324



Martinianus


Appointed co-Augustus by
Licinius
; deposed by
Constantine I
and executed


337 to 340



Constantine II


Son of
Constantine I
; co-emperor with his
brothers; killed in battle


337 to 361



Constantius II


Son of
Constantine I
; co-emperor with his
brothers


337 to 350



Constans I


Son of
Constantine I
; co-emperor with his
brothers, killed by
Magnentius


January 350 to 11 August 353



Magnentius


Usurper; proclaimed emperor by the army; defeated by
Constantius II
and committed
suicide



c.

350



Vetranio


Proclaimed himself emperor against
Magnentius
; recognized by
Constantius II
but then deposed



c.

350



Nepotianus


Proclaimed himself emperor against
Magnentius
, defeated and executed
by
Magnentius


November 361 to June 363



Julian


Cousin of
Constantius II
; made Caesar by
Constantius, then proclaimed Augustus by the army; killed in battle


363 to 17 February 364



Jovian


Proclaimed emperor by the army after
Julian
‘s death



 Valentinian
dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


26 February 364 to 17 November 375



Valentinian I

Valentinian I Coins.htm


Proclaimed emperor by the army after
Jovian
‘s death


28 March 365 to 9 August 378



Valens


Made co-emperor in the east by his brother
Valentinian I
; killed in battle


September 365 to 27 May 366



Procopius


Usurper; Proclaimed himself emperor; defeated and executed by
Valens


24 August 367 to 383



Gratian

Gratian Coins.htm


Son of
Valentinian I
; assassinated


375 to 392



Valentinian II

Valentinian II Coins.htm


Son of
Valentinian I
; deposed by
Arbogast
and died in suspicious
circumstances


383 to 388



Magnus Maximus

Magnus Maximus Coins.htm


Usurper; proclaimed emperor by troops; at one time recognized by
Theodosius I
, but then deposed and
executed



c.
386
to 388



Flavius Victor

Flavius Victor Coins.htm


Son of Magnus Maximus, executed on orders of
Theodosius I


392 to 394



Eugenius

Eugenius Coins.htm


Usurper; proclaimed emperor by army under
Arbogast
; defeated in battle by
Theodosius I



 Theodosian
dynasty



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


379 to 17 January 395



Theodosius I

Theodosius I Coins.htm


Made co-emperor for the east by
Gratian


383 to 408
EAST



Arcadius

Arcadius Coins.htm


Appointed co-emperor with his father
Theodosius I
; sole emperor for the
east from January 395


23 January 393 to 15 August 423
WEST



Honorius

Honorius Coins.htm


Appointed Augustus for the west by his father
Theodosius I


407 to 411
WEST



Constantine III

Constantine III Coins.htm


Usurper; proclaimed emperor in Britain; defeated by
Constantius III


409 to 411
WEST



Constans II

Constans II Coins.htm


Usurper; made emperor by his father
Constantine III
; killed in battle


409 and 414 to 415
WEST



Priscus Attalus

Priscus Attalus Coins.htm


Usurper; twice proclaimed emperor by
Visigoths
under
Alaric
and twice deposed by
Honorius


409 to 411
WEST



Maximus

Maximus Coins.htm


Usurper; proclaimed emperor in Spain; abdicated


411 to 413
WEST



Jovinus

Jovinus Coins.htm


Usurper; proclaimed emperor after
Constantine III
‘s death, executed
by
Honorius


412 to 413
WEST



Sebastianus

Sebastianus Coins.htm


Usurper; appointed co-emperor by
Jovinus
, executed by
Honorius


408 to 450
EAST



Theodosius II

Theodosius II Coins.htm


Son of
Arcadius


421 to 421
WEST



Constantius III

Constantius III Coins.htm


Son-in-law of
Theodosius I
; appointed co-emperor
by
Honorius


423 to 425
WEST



Joannes

Johannes Coins.htm


Proclaimed western emperor, initially undisputed; defeated and executed
by
Theodosius II
in favour of
Valentinian III


425 to 16 March 455
WEST



Valentinian III

Valentinian III Coins.htm


Son of
Constantius III
; appointed emperor
by
Theodosius II
; assassinated



 Western
Roman Empire



Reign



Incumbent



Notes


17 March 455 to 31 May 455



Petronius Maximus

Petronius Maximus Coins.htm


Proclaimed himself emperor after
Valentinian III
‘s death; murdered


June 455 to 17 October 456



Avitus

Avitus Coins.htm


Proclaimed emperor by the
Visigoth
king
Theoderic II
; deposed by
Ricimer


457 to 2 August 461



Majorian

Majorian Coins.htm


Appointed by
Ricimer
; deposed and executed by
Ricimer


461 to 465



Libius Severus

Libius Severus Coins.htm


Appointed by
Ricimer
; deposed and executed by
Ricimer


12 April 467 to 11 July 472



Anthemius

Anthemius Coins.htm


Appointed by
Ricimer
; deposed and executed by
Ricimer


July 472 to 2 November 472



Olybrius

Olybrius Coins.htm


Appointed by
Ricimer


5 March 473 to June 474



Glycerius

Glycerius Coins.htm


Appointed by
Gundobad
; deposed by
Julius Nepos


June 474 to 25 April 480



Julius Nepos

Julius Nepos Coins.htm


Appointed by eastern emperor
Leo I
; deposed in Italy by
Orestes
in 475; continued to be
recognised as lawful emperor in Gaul and Dalmatia until his murder in
480


31 October 475 to 4 September 476



Romulus Augustus

(Romulus
Augustulus
)

Romulus Augustus Coins.htm


Son of
Orestes
; deposed by
Odoacer
; fate unknown


Further information:
Barbarian kings of Italy



 Eastern
Roman Empire

  • For
    the rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the
    Byzantine Empire
    ) after
    Theodosius II
    , see:
    List of Byzantine Emperors


Theodosian dynasty (395–457)

Name Reign Comments
  Theodosius I “the Great”

(Θεοδόσιος Α’ ο Μέγας, Flavius Theodosius)Theodosius
I Coins.htm
19 January 379 –
17 January 395
Born on 11 January 347. Aristocrat and military leader,
brother-in-law of Gratian, who appointed him as emperor of the East.
From 392 until his death sole Roman emperor
  Arcadius

(Αρκάδιος, Flavius Arcadius)Arcadius
Coins.htm
17 January 395 –
1 May 408
Born in 377/378, the eldest son of Theodosius I.
Succeeded upon the death of his father
  Theodosius II

(Θεοδόσιος Β’, Flavius Theodosius)
Theodosius II Coins.htm
1 May 408 –
28 July 450
Born on 10 April 401, the only son of Arcadius.
Succeeded upon the death of his father. As a minor, the praetorian
prefect
Anthemius
was regent in 408–414. He
died in a riding accident

Marcian.jpg
Marcian

(Μαρκιανός, Flavius Valerius Marcianus)

Marcian Coins.htm

450 – January 457 Born in 396. A soldier and
politician, he became emperor after being wed by the Augusta
Pulcheria
, Theodosius II’s sister,
following the latter’s death. Died of
gangrene

Leonid
dynasty (457–518)

Name Reign Comments
  Leo I “the Thracian”

(Λέων Α’ ο Θράξ, Flavius Valerius Leo)

Leo I Coins.htm

7 February 457 –
18 January 474
Born in
Dacia
in 401. A common soldier, he was
chosen by Aspar
, commander-in-chief of the army.
Died of dysentery

Leo (474)-coin.jpg
Leo II

(Λέων Β’, Flavius Leo)

Leo II
Coins.htm

18 January –
17 November 474
Born in 467, the grandson of Leo I. Succeeded upon the
death of Leo I. Died of an unknown disease, possibly poisoned

Zeno.png
Zeno

(Ζήνων, Flavius Zeno)

Zeno Coins.htm

17 November 474 –
9 April 491
Born c.425 at
Zenonopolis
,
Isauria
, originally named
Tarasicodissa. Son-in-law of Leo I, he was bypassed in the succession
because of his barbarian origin. Named co-emperor by his son on 9
February 474, he succeeded upon the death of Leo II. Deposed by
Basiliscus, brother-in-law of Leo, he fled to his native country and
regained the throne in August 476.

Basiliscus.jpg
Basiliscus

(Βασιλίσκος, Flavius Basiliscus)

Basiliscus Coins.htm

9 January 475 –
August 476
General and brother-in-law of Leo I, he seized power
from Zeno but was again deposed by him. Died in 476/477

Anastasius I (emperor).jpg
Anastasius I

(Αναστάσιος Α’, Flavius Anastasius)

BYZANTINE – Anastasius
Coins.htm

11 April 491 –
9 July 518
Born c. 430 at
Dyrrhachium
,
Epirus nova
. A palace official (silentiarius)
and son-in-law of Leo I, he was chosen as emperor by empress-dowager
Ariadne

Justinian Dynasty

Portrait Name Born Reigned Succession Died

Tremissis-Justin I-sb0058.jpg
Justin I

FLAVIVS IVSTINVS AVGVSTVS
c. 450 AD,
Naissus
July 9, 518 AD – August 1, 527 AD Commander of the palace guard under
Anastasius I)
; elected as emperor with
support of army
August 1, 527 AD
Natural causes

Meister von San Vitale in Ravenna 004.jpg

Justinian I

FLAVIVS PETRVS SABBATIVS IVSTINIANVS AVGVSTVS
c. 482 AD,
Tauresium
,
Dardania
August 1, 527 AD – 13/14 November 565 AD Nephew and nominated heir of
Justin I
13/14 November 565 AD
Natural causes

Solidus-Justin II-sb0391.jpg

Justin II

FLAVIVS IVSTINIVS IVNIOR AVGVSTVS
c. 520 AD, ? 13/14 November 565 AD – 578 AD Nephew of
Justinian I
578 AD
Became insane;
Tiberius II Constantine
ruled as regent
from December 574 and became emperor on Justin’s death in 578



Roman Late Monogram Coins.htm



Roman AE4 Coins.htm



 

 

 


Frequently Asked Questions

How long until my order is shipped?:
Depending on the volume of sales, it may take up to 5 business days for

shipment of your order after the receipt of payment.

How will I know when the order was shipped?:
After your order has shipped, you will be left positive feedback, and that

date should be used as a basis of estimating an arrival date.

After you shipped the order, how long will the mail take?
USPS First Class mail takes about 3-5 business days to arrive in the U.S.,

international shipping times cannot be estimated as they vary from country

to country. I am not responsible for any USPS delivery delays, especially

for an international package.

What is a certificate of authenticity and what guarantees do you give

that the item is authentic?
Each of the items sold here, is provided with a Certificate of Authenticity,

and a Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity, issued by a world-renowned numismatic

and antique expert that has identified over 10000 ancient coins and has provided them

with the same guarantee. You will be quite happy with what you get with the COA; a professional presentation of the coin, with all of the relevant

information and a picture of the coin you saw in the listing.

Compared to other certification companies, the certificate of

authenticity is a $25-50 value. So buy a coin today and own a piece

of history, guaranteed.

Is there a money back guarantee?

I offer a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee. I stand

behind my coins and would be willing to exchange your order for

either store credit towards other coins, or refund, minus shipping

expenses, within 30 days from the receipt of your order. My goal is

to have the returning customers for a lifetime, and I am so sure in

my coins, their authenticity, numismatic value and beauty, I can

offer such a guarantee.

Is there a number I can call you with questions about my

order?

You can contact me directly via ask seller a question and request my

telephone number, or go to my

About Me Page

to get my contact information only in regards to

items purchased on eBay.

When should I leave feedback?
Once you receive your

order, please leave a positive. Please don’t leave any

negative feedbacks, as it happens many times that people rush to leave

feedback before letting sufficient time for the order to arrive. Also, if

you sent an email, make sure to check for my reply in your messages before

claiming that you didn’t receive a response. The matter of fact is that any

issues can be resolved, as reputation is most important to me. My goal is to

provide superior products and quality of service.

  • Selection Required: Select product options above before making new offer.
  • Offer Sent! Your offer has been received and will be processed as soon as possible.
  • Error: There was an error sending your offer, please try again. If this problem persists, please contact us.

Make Offer

To make an offer please complete the form below:
$
Please wait...
YEAR

Year_in_description

DENOMINATION

Denomination_in_description

Shopping Cart