Probus 281AD Authentic Ancient Roman Coin Fides Trust Cult i55631

 Bronze Antoninianus 21mm (3.95 grams) Struck at
the mint of Rome 281 A.D.
 Reference: RIC 170f(var.), C 252
PROBVSPFAVG – Radiate, cuirassed bust right.
FIDESMILITVM Exe: R(thunderbolt)Є – Fides standing left,
holding a standard in each hand.

You

Authenticity.

Standards

Roman military standards. The standards with
discs, or signa (first three on
left) belong to centuriae of the
legion (the image does not show the heads of
the standards – whether spear-head or
wreathed-palm). Note (second from right)
the legion’s
aquila
.
The standard on the extreme right probably
portrays the
She-wolf
(lupa)
which fed
Romulus
,
the legendary founder of Rome. (This was the
emblem of
Legio VI Ferrata
,
a legion then based in
Judaea
, a
detachment of which is known to have fought
in Dacia). Detail from Trajan’s Column, Rome

Modern reenactors parade with replicas of
various legionary standards. From left to
right: signum (spear-head type), with
four discs; signum (wreathed-palm
type), with six discs; imago of
ruling emperor; legionary aquila;
vexillum of commander (legatus)
of
Legio XXX Ulpia
Victrix
, with embroidered
name and emblem (Capricorn) of legion

Each tactical unit in the imperial army, from
centuria upwards, had its own standard. This
consisted of a pole with a variety of adornments that
was borne by dedicated standard-bearers who normally
held the rank of duplicarius. Military standards
had the practical use of communicating to unit members
where the main body of the unit was situated, so that
they would not be separated, in the same way that modern
tour-group guides use umbrellas or flags. But military
standards were also invested with a mystical quality,
representing the divine spirit (genius) of the
unit and were revered as such (soldiers frequently
prayed before their standards). The loss of a unit’s
standard to the enemy was considered a terrible stain on
the unit’s honour, which could only be fully expunged by
its recovery.

The standard of a centuria was known as a
signum, which was borne by the unit’s signifer.
It consisted of a pole topped by either an open palm of
a human hand or by a spear-head. The open palm, it has
been suggested, originated as a symbol of the
maniple
(manipulus
= “handful”), the smallest tactical unit in the
Roman army of the mid-Republic
.
The poles were adorned with two to six silver discs (the
significance of which is uncertain). In addition, the
pole would be adorned by a variety of cross-pieces
(including, at bottom, a crescent-moon symbol and a
tassel). The standard would also normally sport a
cross-bar with tassels.^[194]

The standard of a Praetorian cohort or an auxiliary
cohort or ala was known as a
vexillum
or banner.
This was a square flag, normally red in colour, hanging
from a crossbar on the top of the pole. Stitched on the
flag would be the name of the unit and/or an image of a
god. An exemplar found in Egypt bears an image of the
goddess Victory on a red background. The vexillum
was borne by a vexillarius. A legionary
detachment (vexillatio) would also have its own
vexillum. Finally, a vexillum
traditionally marked the commander’s position on the
battlefield.^[194]
The exception to the red colour appears to have been the
Praetorian Guard, whose vexilla, similar to their
clothing, favoured a blue background.

From the time of
Marius
(consul 107 BC),
the standard of all legions was the
aquila
(“eagle”).
The pole was surmounted by a sculpted eagle of solid
gold, or at least gold-plated silver, carrying
thunderbolts in its claws (representing
Jupiter
, the highest
Roman god. Otherwise the pole was unadorned. No exemplar
of a legionary eagle has ever been found (doubtless
because any found in later centuries were melted down
for their gold content).^[194]
The eagle was borne by the aquilifer, the
legion’s most senior standard-bearer. So important were
legionary eagles as symbols of Roman military prestige
and power, that the imperial government would go to
extraordinary lengths to recover those captured by the
enemy. This would include launching full-scale invasions
of the enemy’s territory, sometimes decades after the
eagles had been lost e.g. the expedition in 28 BC by
Marcus Licinius Crassus

against
Genucla
(Isaccea, near
modern
Tulcea
, Rom., in the
Danube delta region), a fortress of the
Getae
, to recover
standards lost 33 years earlier by
Gaius Antonius
, an
earlier
proconsul
of
Macedonia
.^[195]
Or the campaigns of AD 14-17 to recover the three eagles
lost by
Varus
in AD 6 in the
Teutoburg Forest
.

Under Augustus, it became the practice for legions to
carry portraits (imagines) of the ruling emperor
and his immediate family members. An imago was
usually a bronze bust carried on top of a pole like a
standard by an imaginifer.

From around the time of Hadrian (r. 117-38), some
auxiliary alae adopted the dragon-standard (draco)
commonly carried by Sarmatian cavalry squadrons. This
was a long cloth wind-sock attached to an ornate
sculpture of an open dragon’s mouth. When the bearer (draconarius)
was galloping, it would make a strong hissing-sound.

Decorations

The Roman army awarded a variety of individual
decorations (dona) for valour to its legionaries.
Hasta pura was a miniature spear; phalerae
were large medal-like bronze or silver discs worn on the
cuirass; armillae were bracelets worn on the
wrist; and
torques
were worn round
the neck, or on the cuirass. The highest awards were the
coronae (“crowns”), of which the most prestigious
was the corona civica, a crown made oak-leaves
awarded for saving the life of a fellow Roman citizen in
battle. The most valuable award was the corona
muralis, a crown made of gold awarded to the first
man to scale an enemy rampart. This was awarded rarely,
as such a man hardly ever survived.^[196]

There is no evidence that auxiliary common soldiers
received individual decorations like legionaries,
although auxiliary officers did. Instead, the whole
regiment was honoured by a title reflecting the type of
award e.g. torquata (“awarded a torque”) or
armillata (“awarded bracelets”). Some regiments
would, in the course of time, accumulate a long list of
titles and decorations e.g. cohors I Brittonum Ulpia
torquata pia fidelis c.R..^[193]

In

Roman mythology

, Fides (“trust”) was the goddess of

trust

. Her Greek

equivalent was

Pistis

. Her temple on the

Capitol was where

the Roman Senate

kept state treaties with foreign countries, where Fides

protected them. She was also worshipped under the name Fides Publica Populi

Romani (“trust towards the Roman state”). She is represented by a young

woman crowned with an olive branch, with a cup or

turtle
, or a

military ensign in hand. She wears a white veil or stola; her priests wear

white.

Rome’s second king,

Numa Pompilius

instituted a yearly festival to Fides, and directed the priests to be borne to

Her temple in an arched chariot drawn by two horses and should conduct Her

services with their hands wrapped up to indicate protection.

Marcus

Aurelius Probus

(c. August 19,

232–September/October, 282) was a

Roman Emperor

(276–282).

A native of

Sirmium

(now

Sremska Mitrovica

,

Serbia

), in

Pannonia

, at an early age he entered the army, where

he distinguished himself under the Emperors

Valerian

,

Aurelian

and

Tacitus

. He was appointed governor of the East by

Tacitus, at whose death he was immediately proclaimed

his successor by the soldiers (276).

Florianus

, who had claimed to succeed his

half-brother Tacitus, was put to death by his own troops

after an indecisive campaign. Probus moved to the West,

defeated the Goths acquiring the title of Gothicus

(280), and saw his position ratified by the

Senate

.

The reign of Probus was mainly spent

in successful wars by which he re-established the

security of all the frontiers. The most important of

these operations were directed to clearing

Gaul

of German invaders (Franks,

Longiones

,

Alamanni

and

Burgundians

), allowing Probus to adopt the titles of

Gothicus Maximus and Germanicus Maximus.

One of his principles was never to allow the soldiers to

be idle, and to employ them in time of peace on useful

works, such as the planting of vineyards in Gaul,

Pannonia and other districts, in order to restart the

economy in these devastated lands.

In 279–280, Probus was, according to

Zosimus

, in

Raetia

,

Illyricum

and

Lycia

, where he fought the

Vandals

. In the same years, Probus’ generals

defeated the

Blemmyes

in

Egypt

; Probus ordered the reconstruction of bridges

and canals along the Nile, where the production of grain

for the Empire was centered.

In 280–281, Probus had also put down

three usurpers,

Julius Saturninus

,

Proculus

and

Bonosus

. The extent of these revolts is not clear,

but there are clues that they were not just local

problems.

In 281, the emperor was in Rome, where he celebrated his

triumph

.

Probus was eager to start his eastern

campaign, delayed by the revolts in the west. He left

Rome in 282, moving first towards Sirmium, his birth

city, when the news that

Marcus Aurelius Carus

, commander of the

Praetorian Guard

, had been proclaimed emperor

reached him. Probus sent some troops against the new

usurper, but when those troops changed sides and

supported Carus, Probus’s soldiers then assassinated him

(September/October 282).