By Mike Markowitz with Charles Morgan for CoinWeek …..
Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to his movie Gladiator (2000), was launched to almost common derision by classicists. Put bluntly, the historical past within the movie is a scorching mess. Nevertheless, whereas few folks go to the films to be taught historic historical past, the looks of one other Hollywood sword-and-sandal epic could stimulate better curiosity within the precise Roman rulers represented so inaccurately on the display.
The brothers Caracalla and Geta–and their successor Macrinus–are main characters within the 2024 sequel. The intensive coinage of their reigns helps us to grasp the dramatic occasions of the early third century.
To begin, “Caracalla” was not his identify. His troops gave him this nickname and it has caught for nearly 2,000 years. A caracallus was a colourful hooded cloak worn by the Celts of Gaul the place Septimius Bassianus was born on April 4, 186 CE. Younger Caracalla grew up amongst these folks and tailored a few of their customs (akin to sporting a caracallus) whereas his father, the long run emperor Septimius Severus, served there because the Imperial governor. Elite Romans might change their names as simply as they modified togas, and in homage to the revered late emperors Antoninus Pius (dominated 138-161) and Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180), the younger man was renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus–names that will at some point seem on his cash.
His youthful brother Geta was born a couple of yr later. From early childhood, the 2 boys hated each other (within the movie, they’re incorrectly described as twins).
Father and Sons
In 193, Septimius Severus was the last word victor in a fancy civil struggle that noticed 5 rival emperors take energy in a single yr. On his coinage, Severus typically depicted members of his household, together with his extremely educated and succesful Syrian spouse, Julia Domna, and his squabbling sons. On the reverse of a uncommon gold aureus issued in regards to the yr 200, the 2 boys face each other, with the hopeful inscription “Eternity of the Empire.”[1]
Caracalla as Caesar Aureus
In December 195, after his father defeated the usurper Pescennius Niger[2], Caracalla, aged 9, was given the rank of Caesar, designating him an imperial successor. An in depth coinage in gold, silver, and bronze of Caracalla as Caesar bears his youthful portrait. A silver denarius[3] from the mint of Laodicea in Syria additionally consists of his title as Pontifex, excessive priest of the Roman state faith. The coin bears a standing determine of the goddess Minerva on the reverse with the inscription SECVRITAS PERPETVA (“Perpetual Safety”).
Caracalla as Caesar Sestertius
Valued at one-quarter of a denarius, the sestertius, a considerable brass coin of about 27 grams, was a mainstay of the Roman financial system. As a result of small change was in power quick provide, these cash typically remained in circulation till they wore flat. Because of this, well-preserved examples command a excessive premium from collectors. A really advantageous sestertius of Caracalla as Caesar[4], issued c. 196 CE, has a reverse depicting “priestly implements” of the Roman state faith. These embrace a jug for pouring choices, a sacrificial knife, and the spiral wand known as a lituus[5]. The Latin inscription hails the “Dutiful Sons of Emperor Severus.”
Geta as Caesar Aureus
Born on Could 27, 189, at Mediolanum (now Milan, Italy), Publius Septimius Geta was given the rank of Caesar on the age of 9. His boyish face seems on an excellent gold aureus struck in 201. On the reverse, his mother and father seem aspect by aspect, uncommon on Roman cash, indicating the excessive respect that emperor Severus had for his spouse. Described as “three portraits of beautiful fashion completely struck and centred [sic] on a full flan,” this uncommon coin introduced over $154,000 in a current Swiss public sale.[6]
Geta as Caesar Sestertius
By the age of 18, Geta had grown a beard (in Gladiator II, each Caracalla and Geta are inaccurately depicted as beardless). A really uncommon sestertius of Geta as Caesar struck at Rome across the yr 208 options his bare-headed portrait[7]. On the reverse, the 2 brothers are proven pouring choices over an altar, emphasizing their priestly duties. The hopeful inscription is “Harmony of the Emperors,” however it was to not be.
Younger Caracalla as Emperor Denarius
On the age of 10, Caracalla was raised to the rank of Augustus (successfully co-emperor) in January 198 following the Roman seize of Ctesiphon, the capital of the Parthian Empire. On cash, his identify now seems as ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, a possible supply of confusion with cash of emperor Antoninus Pius, although the portraits of the 2 rulers are fully totally different. An early denarius of Caracalla as Augustus bears a galley on the reverse, with the inscription “Arrival of the Emperor.”[8]
Geta as Emperor Denarius
Geta was not promoted to Augustus till 209, one thing he bitterly resented.
On his deathbed, Septimius Severus gave his sons this recommendation:
Be on good phrases with one different, be beneficiant to the troopers, and don’t care about anything (Hoover, 27).
The reverse of a denarius issued shortly earlier than Geta’s homicide options Liberalitas[9], the Roman personification of generosity. Severus elevated the annual pay of the legionaries from 300 denarii to 400, and the brothers quickly raised it to 600. However the paternal admonition to get together with each other was ignored as quickly as Severus died on February 4, 211. The palace was divided into two hostile armed camps and the brothers deliberate to divide the Empire between them. In December 211, Caracalla invited Geta to a reconciliation assembly on impartial floor – their mom’s palace house. Caracalla’s guards stabbed Geta to demise, and he died in his horrified mom’s arms. Caracalla points an edict of damnatio memoriae and erased Geta’s identify and picture from Imperial inscriptions and works, and his followers had been rounded up and slaughtered. Nonetheless, the survival of so a lot of his cash signifies that this course of was incomplete.
Circus Maximus
Romans had been fanatical about chariot races held within the Circus Maximus[10], a stadium that would seat as many as 150,000 spectators. A brass sestertius of Caracalla dated to 213 depicts this facility in wealthy element.[11] This coin is #31 on Harlan J. Berk’s record of the 100 Best Historic Cash (Berk, 115).
The Antoninianus
Strapped for money to pay his troops, Caracalla launched a brand new denomination in 215 that was to have a disastrous impression on the Roman economic system for the remainder of the third century. The antoninianus was formally valued at two denarii however initially contained silver price solely about one-and-a-half. By accumulating taxes in denarii and making funds in antoniniani, the Imperial treasury realized a revenue. The temptation to debase the forex proved irresistible to subsequent rulers and the antoninianus finally declined to a bronze coin with only a hint of silver on the floor. Excessive-grade antoniniani of Caracalla are pretty scarce, maybe as a result of so many had been melted down through the ruinous inflation of the century.
The mark of the denomination was the spiky radiate crown worn by the emperor.[12] For empresses, the portrait is superimposed on a crescent.
Caracalla as Emperor Denarius
Cash of Caracalla’s final years present an more and more thick neck and heavy beard. Inscriptions hail his victories over Britons and Germans. A denarius dated to c. 215-217 bears a reverse picture of “Venus Victrix,” the goddess of affection depicted as a warrior.[13]
Plautilla
Born about 187 in Rome, Fulvia Plautilla was the daughter of the highly effective commander of the Praetorian guard. She married Caracalla in a lavish ceremony in April 202. It was not a cheerful marriage. In 205, after her father was executed for treason:
The proud and haughty younger Plautilla was instantly divorced by Caracalla and banished to the distant Lipari islands … Right here she survived for an additional six years… The couple had by no means had any affection for each other and it’s uncertain if the wedding was ever consummated… (Sear, 547)
Contemplating the quick length of the wedding, coinage within the identify of Plautilla is surprisingly widespread – the CoinArchives Professional database lists 4,784 examples! A gold aureus bearing her portrait depicts the standing figures of the couple on the reverse with the hopeful inscription “Propagation of the Empire.”[14]
Macrinus
Born about 164 of Berber ancestry in North Africa, Macrinus rose to the excessive rank of Praetorian Prefect beneath Caracalla. Macrinus seized the throne after arranging the homicide of Caracalla in Syria, the place the emperor was making ready a marketing campaign towards the Parthians (within the movie, Macrinus, performed by Denzel Washington, stabs Caracalla to demise within the Roman Colosseum’s Imperial field).
When Caracalla dismounted from his horse to alleviate himself, Martialis [a disgruntled officer, who had been passed over for promotion] approached him as if he wished to inform him one thing, after which stabbed him with a small dagger. This was the one approach that the knowledgeable martial-artist emperor might be killed by a suicidal coward. Martialis fled instantly, however was caught as a result of he didn’t throw away his dagger. One in every of Caracalla’s Scythian (i.e. Gothic) bodyguards, who was all the time in attendance along with his beloved emperor, famous the bloody dagger and ran Martialis by along with his spear (Syvänne, 270).
Caracalla’s aunt, Julia Maesa, bribed the troops of the japanese legions to proclaim her 14-year-old grandson Elagabalus as emperor, utilizing the rumor that the boy was really Caracalla’s son. Defeated in battle close to Antioch on June 8, 218, Macrinus was captured and executed after a reign of about 14 months. Regardless of this temporary tenure, his coin output was surprisingly nice; one reference lists 18 varieties in gold, 52 in silver, 48 in brass, and 11 in copper (Sear, 578-592). A typical high-grade denarius auctioned for $542 in a current European sale.[15]
Diadumenian
Born about 208, Marcus Opellius Diadumenianus was the son of Macrinus. Nothing is understood about his mom besides the identify Nonia Celsa, and even that is unsure. On the age of eight, Diadumenian obtained the title of Caesar. Shortly after, Macrinus promoted his son to Augustus (co-emperor). After Macrinus was killed, Diadumenian fled with just a few trusted guards to hunt sanctuary within the Parthian Empire however was intercepted and beheaded. He was 10 years outdated. Diadumenian’s head was despatched as a trophy to Elagabalus, who himself was just a few years older.
Cash of Diadumenian as Caesar are scarce[16], however these of his temporary reign as Augustus (maybe lower than a month) are extraordinarily uncommon. In a 2014 Swiss public sale, a denarius – one in all simply 4 identified – bought for over $38,000.
Gathering the Cash of Gladiator II
Cash of Caracalla’s 19-year reign are pretty widespread in all metals. Geta was emperor for less than about two-and-a-half years, so his cash are much less widespread. Many had been melted down after his homicide. Cash of Macrinus’ 14-month reign are scarce, however just a few often seem in main coin auctions.
The usual reference for these cash is quantity 4 of The Roman Imperial Coinage (“RIC”), initially revealed in three components within the Thirties and reissued as a single guide in 1986. A extra handy reference that makes use of the RIC numbering system is On-line Cash of the Roman Empire (“OCRE”) maintained by the American Numismatic Society (ANS) in New York Metropolis.
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Notes
[1] NAC Public sale 143, Could 7, 2024, Lot 553. Realized CHF 36,000 (about $39,792 USD; estimate CHF 25,000).
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescennius_Niger
[3] Leu Internet Public sale 31, September 7, 2024, Lot 1274. Realized CHF 420 (about $498 USD; estimate CHF 75).
[4] NAC Autumn Sale, September 30, 2024, Lot 983. Realized CHF 1,700 (about $2,015 USD; estimate CHF 250).
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lituus
[6] NAC Public sale 146, Could 8, 2024, Lot 2372. Realized CHF 140,000 (about $154,168 USD; estimate CHF 150,000).
[7] CNG E-auction 277, 11 April 2012, Lot 266. Realized $1,700 USD (estimate $300).
[8] NAC Public sale 150, December 2, 2024, Lot 882. Realized CHF 550 (about $624 USD; estimate CHF 350).
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalitas. Many summary nouns in Latin are grammatically female, and are due to this fact represented in artwork as feminine figures.
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Maximus
[11] CNG Triton XV, January 3, 2012, Lot 1539. Realized $8,500 USD (estimate $10,000).
[12] NAC Spring Sale, Could 10, 2021, Lot 1396. Realized CHF 110 (about $122 USD; estimate CHF 75).
[13] NAC Public sale 143, Could 7, 2024, Lot 563. Realized CHF 160 (about $177 USD; estimate CHF 200).
[14] NAC Public sale 150, December 2, 2024, Lot 885. Realized CHF 8,000 (about $9,080 USD; estimate CHF 10,000).
[15] Numismatic Tremendous Artwork, Public sale 1, November 22, 2024, Lot 227. Realized CHF 480 (about $542 USD; estimate CHF 500).
[16] Numismatic Tremendous Artwork, Public sale 1, November 22, 2024, Lot 230. Realized CHF 410 (about $463 USD; estimate CHF 500).
References
Berk, Harlan J. 100 Best Historic Cash, third version. Whitman: Pelham, AL (2023)
Brauer, George C. The Decadent Emperors: Energy and Depravity in Third Century Rome. Barnes & Noble: New York (1967)
Harl, Kenneth. Coinage within the Roman Economic system: 300 BC to AD 700. Johns Hopkins College Press: Baltimore (1996)
Hoover, Oliver D. “The Recommendation of Severus as Mirrored in Coinage: Caracalla’s Cash”, Historic Historical past 2 (2015)
H. Mattingly, E. Sydenham, and C. Sutherland. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Quantity 4. spink & Son: London (1986)
Mann, Charlotte. “The importance of the navy illustration of Caracalla upon the coinage of his sole reign (212 – 217 CE)”, Journal of the Numismatic Affiliation of Australia 28 (2017)
Sear, David. Roman Cash and Their Values, Quantity 2. Spink: London (2002)
Suarez, Rasiel. Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Cash. Asheville, NC (2005)
Syvänne, Ilkka. Caracalla: A Navy Biography. Pen and Sword Navy: Barnsley, UK (2017)
Vagi, David. Coinage and Historical past of the Roman Empire. Sidney, OH (1999)
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