Trebonianus Gallus –
Roman Emperor
: 251-253 A.D. –
Silver Antoninianus 23mm (2.81 grams) Mediolanum mint 251-253 A.D.
Reference: RIC 71, C 76
IMPCCVIBTREBGALLVSAVG – Radiate, draped bust right.
PAXAETERNA – Pax standing left, holding branch and scepter.
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Eirene, or Irene Greek for “peace”; the
Roman
equivalent was
Pax
, one of the
Horae
, was the personification of peace, and
was depicted in art as a beautiful young woman carrying a
cornucopia
,
sceptre
and a torch or
rhyton
. She is said sometimes to be the
daughter of Zeus
and
Themis
.
She was particularly well regarded by the
citizens of Athens
. After a naval victory over
Sparta
in 375 BC, the Athenians established a
cult for Eirene, erecting
altars
to her. They held an annual state
sacrifice to her after 371 BC to commemorate the
Common Peace
of that year and set up a votive
statue in her honour in the
Agora of Athens
. The statue was executed in
bronze by
Cephisodotus the Elder
, likely the father or
uncle of the famous sculptor
Praxiteles
. It was acclaimed by the Athenians,
who depicted it on vases and coins.
Although the statue is now lost, it was copied in marble by the Romans; one
of the best surviving copies (right) is in the
Munich
Glyptothek
. It depicts the goddess carrying a
child with her left arm –
Ploutos
, the god of plenty and son of
Demeter
, the goddess of agriculture. Eirene’s
missing right hand once held a sceptre. She is shown gazing maternally at
Ploutos, who is looking back at her trustingly. The statue is an allegory for
Plenty (Ploutos) prospering under the protection of Peace (Eirene); it
constituted a public appeal to good sense. The copy in the Glyptothek was
originally in the collection of the
Villa Albani
in Rome but was looted and taken
to France by
Napoleon I
. Following Napoleon’s fall, the
statue was bought by
Ludwig I of Bavaria
.
In
Roman mythology
, Pax (Latin
for peace
)
(her
Greek
equivalent was
Eirene
) was recognized as a
goddess
during the rule of
Augustus
.
On the
Campus Martius
, she had a temple called the
Ara Pacis
,
and another temple on the
Forum Pacis
. She was depicted in art with
olive
branches, a
cornucopia
and a scepter. There was a festival in her honor on January 3. Daughter of
Jupiter
and
Iustitia
. Pax was often associated with spring.
Gaius
Vibius Trebonianus Gallus (206 – August, 253), was
Roman
Emperor
from 251 to 253, in a joint rule with his son
Volusianus
.
Gallus was born in Italy, in a family with respected ancestry
of
Etruscan
senatorial
background. He had two children in his marriage with
Afinia Gemina Baebiana
: Gaius Vibius Volusianus, later Emperor, and a
daughter, Vibia Galla. His early career was a typical
cursus honorum
, with several appointments, both political and military.
He was suffect consul
and in 250 was nominated governor of the
Roman province
of
Moesia Superior
,
an appointment that showed the confidence of emperor
Trajan Decius
in him. In Moesia, Gallus was a key figure in repelling the
frequent invasion attacks by the
Gothic
tribes of
the Danube
and
became popular with the army, catered to during his brief Imperial rule by his
official image: military haircut, gladiatorial physique, intimidating stance (illustration,
left).[1]
In June 251, Decius and his co-emperor and son
Herennius Etruscus
died in the
Battle of Abrittus
, at the hands of the Goths they were supposed to punish
for raids into the empire, largely owing to the failure of Gallus to attack
aggressively. When the army heard the news, the soldiers proclaimed Gallus
emperor, despite
Hostilian
,
Decius’ surviving son, ascending the imperial throne in Rome. Gallus did not
back down from his intention to become emperor, but accepted Hostilian as
co-emperor, perhaps to avoid the damage of another civil war. While Gallus
marched on Rome, an outbreak of
plague
struck the city and killed young Hostilian. With absolute power now
in his hands, Gallus nominated his son Volusianus co-emperor.
Eager to show himself competent and gain popularity with the
citizens, Gallus swiftly dealt with the epidemic, providing burial for the
victims. Gallus is often accused of persecuting the
Christians
, but the only solid evidence of this allegation is the
imprisoning of
Pope Cornelius
in 252.
Like his predecessors, Gallus did not have an easy reign. In
the East, Persian Emperor
Shapur I
invaded and conquered the province of
Syria
, without any response from Rome. On the Danube, the Gothic tribes were
once again on the loose, despite the peace treaty signed in 251. The army was
not long pleased with the emperor, and when
Aemilianus
,
governor of Moesia Superior and Pannonia, took the initiative of battle and
defeated the Goths, the soldiers proclaimed him emperor. With a
usurper
threatening the throne, Gallus prepared for a fight. He recalled
several legions
and ordered reinforcements to return to Rome from the
Rhine
frontier.
Despite these dispositions, Aemilianus marched onto Italy ready to fight for his
claim. Gallus did not have the chance to face him in battle: he and
Volusianus
were murdered by their own troops in August 253, in
Interamna (modern
Terni)
.
Bronze of Gallus dating from the time of his reign as
Roman Emperor, the only surviving near-complete full-size 3rd century Roman
bronze (Metropolitan
Museum of Art)[2]
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