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Valentinian
I – Roman Emperor: 364-375 A.D. –
Bronze AE3 18mm (1.85 grams) Struck at the mint of Thessalonica
364-367 A.D.
Reference: RIC 18a.1 (Thessalonica), LRBC 1706 –
DNVALENTINIANVSPFAVG – Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
SECVRITASREIPVBLICAE Exe: TESA –
Victory
advancing left, holding wreath and
palm.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured,
provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of
Authenticity.
In
ancient Roman religion
, Victoria was the
personified
goddess of victory. She is the
Roman equivalent
of the
Greek goddess
Nike
, and was associated with
Bellona
. She was adapted from the
Sabine
agricultural goddess
Vacuna
and had a
temple
on the
Palatine Hill
. The goddess
Vica Pota
was also sometimes identified with
Victoria.
Unlike the Greek
Nike
, the goddess Victoria (Latin
for “victory”) was a major part of Roman society. Multiple temples were erected
in her honor. When her statue was removed in 382 CE by Emperor
Gratianus
there was much anger in Rome. She was
normally worshiped by
triumphant
generals returning from war.
Also unlike the Greek Nike, who was known for success in athletic games such
as
chariot races
, Victoria was a symbol of victory
over death and determined who would be successful during war.
Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewelry, architecture, and other
arts. She is often seen with or in a
chariot
, as in the late 18th-century sculpture
representing Victory in a
quadriga
on the
Brandenburg Gate
in
Berlin
, Germany; “Il Vittoriano”
in Rome has two.
Winged figures, very often in pairs, representing victory and referred to as
“victories”, were common in Roman official iconography, typically hovering high
in a composition, and often filling spaces in
spandrels
or other gaps in architecture. These
represent the spirit of victory rather than the goddess herself. They continued
to appear after Christianization of the Empire, and slowly mutated into
Christian angels
.
Flavius Valentinianus, known in English as
Valentinian I, (321
–
November
17
, 375
)
was Roman Emperor
from 364 until his death. Valentinian is often referred to as
the “last great western emperor”.[1]
Both he and his brother Emperor
Valens
were
born at
Cibalae
(modern days
Vinkovci
,
Croatia
), in
Pannonia
,
the sons of a successful general,
Gratian the Elder
.
//
Life
He had been an officer who served under the emperors
Julian
and Jovian
, and had risen high in the imperial service. Of robust frame and
distinguished appearance, he possessed great courage and military capacity.
After the death of Jovian, he was chosen emperor in his forty-third year by the
officers of the army at
Nicaea
in Bithynia
on
February
26
, 364, and shortly afterwards named his brother
Valens
colleague with him in the empire.
The two brothers, after passing through the chief cities of
the neighbouring district, arranged the partition of the empire at
Naissus
(Nissa) in Upper
Moesia
. As
Western Roman Emperor, Valentinian took
Italia
,
Illyricum
, Hispania
, the Gauls
,
Britain
and
Africa
, leaving to
Eastern Roman Emperor
Valens the eastern half of the
Balkan peninsula
,
Greece
,
Aegyptus
,
Syria
and
Asia Minor
as far as
Persia
. They were immediately confronted by the revolt of
Procopius
, a relative of the deceased Julian. Valens defeated his army at
Thyatira
in Lydia
in 366, and Procopius was executed shortly afterwards.
During the short reign of Valentinian there were wars in
Africa, in Germany
, and in Britain, and
Rome came into
collision with
barbarian
peoples, specifically the
Burgundians
and the
Saxons
.
Valentinian’s chief work was guarding the frontiers and
establishing military positions.
Milan
was at
first his headquarters for settling the affairs of northern Italy. The following
year (365) Valentinian was at
Paris
, and then
at
Reims
, to direct the operations of his generals against the
Alamanni
.
These people, defeated at Scarpona (Charpeigne) and Catelauni (Châlons-en-Champagne)
by Jovinus, were driven back to the German bank of the
Rhine
, and
checked for a while by a chain of military posts and fortresses. At the close of
367, however, they suddenly crossed the Rhine, attacked Moguntiacum (Mainz)
and plundered the city. Valentinian attacked them at Solicinium (Sulz
am Neckar, in the
Neckar
valley
, or
Schwetzingen
) with a large army, and defeated them with great slaughter. But
his own losses were so considerable that Valentinian abandoned the idea of
following up his success.
Later, in 371, Valentinian made peace with their king,
Macrian
, who
from that time remained a true friend of the
Romans
.
The next three years he spent at
Trier
, which he
chiefly made his headquarters, organizing the defence of the Rhine frontier, and
personally superintending the construction of numerous forts.
During his reign the coasts of Gaul were harassed by the
Saxon pirates, with whom the
Picts
and
Scots
of northern Britain joined hands, and ravaged the island from the
Antonine Wall
to the shores of
Kent. In 368
Count Theodosius
was sent to drive back the invaders; in this he was
completely successful, and established a new British province, called
Valentia
in honour of the emperor.
In Africa,
Firmus
raised the standard of revolt, being joined by the provincials, who
had been rendered desperate by the cruelty and extortions of
Comes
Romanus,
the military governor. The services of Theodosius were again requisitioned. He
landed in Africa with a small band of veterans, and Firmus, to avoid being taken
prisoner, committed suicide.
In 374, the
Quadi
, a
Germanic tribe
in what is now
Moravia
and
Slovakia
,
resenting the erection of Roman forts to the north of the
Danube
in what
they considered to be their own territory, and further exasperated by the
treacherous murder of their king,
Gabinius
,
crossed the river and laid waste the province of Pannonia. The emperor in April,
375 entered Illyricum with a powerful army. But during an audience to an embassy
from the Quadi at
Brigetio
on the Danube (near today Komárno in Slovakia), Valentinian
suffered a burst
blood
vessel
in the skull while angrily yelling at the people gathered. This
injury resulted in his death on November 17, 375.
Reputation
A.H.M. Jones
writes that though he was “less of a boor” than his chief rival
for election to the imperial throne, “he was of a violent and brutal temper, and
not only uncultivated himself, but hostile to cultivated persons”, as
Ammianus
tells us, ‘he hated the well-dressed and educated and wealthy and
well-born’. He was, however, an able soldier and a conscientious administrator,
and took an interest in the welfare of the humbler classes, from which his
father had risen. Unfortunately his good intentions were often frustrated by a
bad choice of ministers, and an obstinate belief in their merits despite all
evidence to the contrary.”[2]
According to the
Encyclopædia Britannica 1911
, he was a founder of schools, and provided
medical attendance for the poor of
Rome, by appointing
a physician for each of the fourteen districts of the city.
Valentinian was a
Christian
but permitted liberal religious freedom to all his subjects, proscribing only
some forms of rituals such as particular types of sacrifices, and banning the
practice of magic. Against all abuses, both civil and ecclesiastical (excepting,
of course, his own excesses), Valentinian steadily set his face, even against
the increasing wealth and worldliness of the clergy. His chief flaw was his
temper, which at times was frightful, and showed itself in its full fierceness
in the punishment of persons accused of witchcraft, some kinds of
fortune-telling or magical practices.”
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