SEVERUS ALEXANDER 222AD Nicaea LEGIONARY STANDARDS Ancient Roman Coin i45230

Item: i45230

 Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Severus Alexander
–
Roman Emperor
: 222-235 A.D.
Bronze 20mm (3.86 grams) from the Roman provincial city of Nicaea
in Bithynia 222-235 A.D.
M AVP C AΛEΞANΔPOC AVГ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
NIKAIEΩN, between three legionary standards.
 

You are bidding on the exact item pictured,

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]

The place Nicaea in Bithynia is said to have been colonized by

Bottiaeans
,

and to have originally borne the name of Ancore (Steph.

B. s. v.) or Helicore (Geogr. Min. p. 40, ed. Hudson); but it was

subsequently destroyed by the

Mysians
. A

few years after the death of

Alexander the Great

,

Macedonian

king

Antigonus

— who had taken control of much of

Asia Minor

upon the death of Alexander (under whom Antigonus had served as a

general) — probably after his victory over

Eumenes
, in

316 BC, rebuilt the town, and called it, after himself, Antigoneia (Greek:

Αντιγόνεια). (Steph. B. l. c.; Eustath. ad

Horn. II. ii. 863) Several other of Alexander’s generals (known together as the

Diadochi

(Latin; original Greek

DiadokhoiΔιάδοχοι/

“successors”)) later conspired to remove Antigonus, and after defeating him the

area was given to

Thessalian

general Lysimachus

(Lysimakhos) (circa 355 BC-281 BC) in 301 BC as his share

of the lands. He renamed it Nicaea (Greek:

Νίκαια

, also

transliterated

as Nikaia or Nicæa; see also

List of traditional Greek place names

), in tribute to his wife Nicaea, a

daughter of Antipater

. (Steph. B., Eustath., Strab., ll. cc.) According to another

account (Memnon, ap. Phot. Cod. 224. p. 233, ed. Bekker), Nicaea was founded by

men from

Nicaea

near

Thermopylae

, who had served in the army of Alexander the Great. The town was

built with great regularity, in the form of a square, measuring 16 stadia in

circumference; it had four gates, and all its streets intersected one another at

right angles, so that from a monument in the centre all the four gates could be

seen. (Strabo

xii. pp. 565 et seq.) This monument stood in the gymnasium, which was

destroyed by fire, but was restored with increased magnificence by the

younger Pliny

(Epist. x. 48), when he was governor of

Bithynia
.

The city was built on an important crossroads between

Galatia
and

Phrygia
, and

thus saw steady trade. Soon after the time of Lysimachus, Nicaea became a city

of great importance, and the kings of Bithynia, whose era begins in 288 BC with

Zipoetes

, often resided at Nicaea. It has already been mentioned that in the

time of Strabo it is called the metropolis of Bithynia, an honour which is also

assigned to it on some coins, though in later times it was enjoyed by

Nicomedia
.

The two cities, in fact, kept up a long and vehement dispute about the

precedence, and the 38th oration of

Dio

Chrysostomus
was expressly composed to settle the dispute. From this

oration, it appears that Nicomedia alone had a right to the title of metropolis,

but both were the first cities of the country.

The younger Pliny makes frequent mention of Nicaea and its public buildings,

which he undertook to restore when governor of Bithynia. (Epist. x. 40, 48,

etc.) It was the birthplace of the astronomer

Hipparchus

(ca. 194 BC), the mathematician and astronomer

Sporus

(ca. 240) and the historian

Dio Cassius

(ca. 165).

It was the death-place of the comedian

Philistion

. The numerous coins of Nicaea which still exist attest the

interest taken in the city by the emperors, as well as its attachment to the

rulers; many of them commemorate great festivals celebrated there in honour of

gods and emperors, as Olympia, Isthmia, Dionysia, Pythia, Commodia, Severia,

Philadelphia, etc. Throughout the imperial period, Nicaea remained an important

town; for its situation was particularly favourable, being only 40 km (25 mi)

distant from Prusa

(Pliny

v. 32), and 70 km (43 mi) from

Constantinople

. (It.

Ant. p. 141.) When Constantinople became the capital of the

Eastern Empire

, Nicaea did not lose in importance; for its present walls,

which were erected during the last period of the Empire, enclose a much greater

space than that ascribed to the place in the time of Strabo. Much of the

existing architecture and defensive works date to this time, early 300s.

Nicaea suffered much from earthquakes in 358, 362 and 368; after the last of

which, it was restored by the emperor

Valens
. During

the Middle Ages it was for a long time a strong bulwark of the

Byzantine

emperors against the

Turks

.

 Nicaea

in early Christianity

In the reign of

Constantine

, 325, the celebrated

First Council of Nicaea

was held there against the

Arian

heresy
, and the

prelates there defined more clearly the concept of the

Trinity
and

drew up the

Nicene

Creed
. The doctrine

of the Trinity was finalized at the Council of Constantinople in

381 AD which expressly included the Holy Ghost as equal to the Father and the

Son. The first Nicene Council was probably held in what would become the now

ruined mosque of Orchan. The church of Hagia Sophia was built by

Justinian

I
in the middle of the city in the 6th century (modelled after the larger

Hagia

Sophia
in Constantinople), and it was there that the

Second Council of Nicaea

met in 787 to discuss the issues of

iconography

.

Aurelius Severus Alexander (October 1, 208–March 18, 235 AD), commonly

called Alexander Severus, was the last

Roman emperor

(11 March 222–235) of the

Severan dynasty

. Alexander Severus succeeded his cousin,

Elagabalus

upon the latter’s assassination in 222 AD, and was ultimately assassinated

himself, marking the

epoch event

for the

Crisis of the Third Century

—nearly fifty years of disorder, Roman civil

wars, economic chaos, regional rebellions, and external threats that brought the

Empire to near-collapse.

Alexander Severus was the

heir

apparent
to his cousin, the eighteen-year-old Emperor who had been murdered

along with his mother by his own guards—and as a mark of contempt, had their

remains cast into the

Tiber river

. He and his cousin were both grandsons of the influential and

powerful Julia Maesa

, who had arranged for Elagabalus’ acclamation as Emperor by the

famed

Third Gallic Legion

.

A rumor of Alexander’s death circulated, triggering the assassination of

Elagabalus.

Alexander’s reign was marked by troubles. In military conflict against the

rising

Sassanid Empire

, there are mixed accounts, though the Sassanid threat was

checked. However, when campaigning against

Germanic tribes

of

Germania
,

Alexander Severus apparently alienated his legions by trying diplomacy and

bribery, and they assassinated him.

 Life

Alexander was born with the name Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus.

Alexander’s father,

Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus

was a Syrian

Promagistrate

. His mother

Julia Avita Mamaea

was the second daughter of

Julia

Maesa
and Syrian noble

Julius Avitus

and maternal aunt of Emperor

Elagabalus
.

He had an elder sister called Theoclia and little is known about her.

Alexander’s maternal great-aunt was empress

Julia

Domna
(also Maesa’s younger sister) and his great-uncle in marriage was

emperor Lucius

Septimius Severus

. Emperors

Caracalla

and

Publius Septimius Geta

, were his mother’s maternal cousins. In 221,

Alexander’s grandmother, Maesa, persuaded the emperor to adopt his cousin as

successor and make him

Caesar

and Bassianus changed his name to Alexander. In the following

year, on March 11, Elagabalus was murdered, and Alexander was proclaimed emperor

by the

Praetorians

and accepted by the Senate.

When Alexander became emperor, he was young, amiable, well-meaning, and

entirely under the dominion of his mother. Julia Mamaea was a woman of many

virtues, and she surrounded the young emperor with wise counsellors. She watched

over the development of her son’s character and improved the tone of the

administration. On the other hand, she was inordinately jealous. She also

alienated the army by extreme parsimony, and neither she nor her son were strong

enough to impose military discipline. Mutinies became frequent in all parts of

the empire; to one of them the life of the jurist and praetorian praefect

Ulpian
was

sacrificed; another compelled the retirement of

Cassius

Dio
from his command.

On the whole, however, the reign of Alexander was prosperous until the rise,

in the east, of the

Sassanids

. Of the war that followed there are various accounts. (Mommsen

leans to that which is least favourable to the Romans). According to Alexander’s

own dispatch to the senate, he gained great victories. At all events, though the

Sassanids were checked for the time, the conduct of the Roman army showed an

extraordinary lack of discipline. The emperor returned to

Rome and celebrated

a triumph in 233.

The following year he was called to face German invaders in

Gaul, who had

breached the Rhine frontier in several places, destroying forts and over-running

the countryside. Alexander mustered his forces, bringing legions from the

eastern provinces, and crossed the Rhine into Germany on a pontoon bridge.

Initially he attempted to buy the German tribes off, so as to gain time. Whether

this was a wise policy or not, it caused the Roman legionaries to look down on

their emperor as one who was prepared to commit unsoldierly conduct.

Herodian

says “in their opinion Alexander showed no honourable intention to pursue the

war and preferred a life of ease, when he should have marched out to punish the

Germans for their previous insolence”. These circumstances drove the army to

look for a new leader. They chose

Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus

, a Thracian soldier who had worked his way up

through the ranks.

Following the nomination of Maximinus as emperor, Alexander was slain (on

either March 18 or March 19, 235), together with his mother, in a mutiny of the

Primigenia Legio XXII

. These assassinations secured the throne for

Maximinus.

The death of Alexander is considered as the end of the Principate

system established by

Augustus
.

Although the Principate continued in theory until the reign of

Diocletian
,

Alexander Severus’ death signalled the beginning of the chaotic period known as

the

Crisis of the Third Century

which weakened the empire considerably.

 Legacy

Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. Under the influence of his

mother, he did much to improve the morals and condition of the people. His

advisers were men like the famous jurist Ulpian, the historian Cassius Dio and a

select board of sixteen senators; a municipal council of fourteen assisted the

urban praefect in administering the affairs of the fourteen districts of Rome.

The luxury and extravagance that had formerly been so prevalent at the court

were put down; the standard of the coinage was raised; taxes were lightened;

literature, art and science were encouraged; the lot of the soldiers was

improved; and, for the convenience of the people, loan offices were instituted

for lending money at a moderate rate of interest.

In religious matters Alexander preserved an open mind. It is said that he was

desirous of erecting a temple to the

founder of

Christianity
, but was dissuaded by the pagan priests.

 Marriage

Alexander was married three times. His most famous wife was

Sallustia Orbiana

,

, whom he married in 225. He divorced and exiled her in 227,

after her father,

Seius Sallustius

, was executed for attempting to assassinate the emperor.

Another wife was Sulpicia Memmia. Her father was a man of consular rank; her

grandfather’s name was Catulus.