PKennett
Jr. Member
Last Thursday's Roman Hunt
I took the day off last Thursday as the weather was fantastic, and went up to my usual hunting grounds about an hour from home. But this time, I moved over into a newly plowed field and searched it for about two hours. I found two Roman coins and an intact set of Roman cosmetic tweezers.
The larger coin needed the most work, and it took me four days to clean it, as it had been through a high temp fire (probably a funeral pyre) and had quite a lot of calcium crystals, and some iron contamination.
But after careful work, I managed to get it cleaned up enough to warrent doing the historical research and telling its story. The coin belonged to Roman emperor Hostilian and was minted in 251 AD.
The coin’s full ID is:
Hostilian silver Antoninianus (3 grams, 20 mm)
Co-Emperor with Trebonian Gallus in AD 251 as Caesar.
Full Latin name: Carus Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus)
Obverse: C.VALENS HOSTIL.MES.QVINTVS N.C, Radiate and draped bust facing right
Reverse: MARTI PROPVGNATORI, Mars advancing right holding spear and shield
(Marti Propugnatori translates to "To Mars, the Protector.")
Hostilian
Hostilian was Roman emperor in 251. Hostilian was born in Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) sometime after 230, as the son of the future emperor Decius. He was the younger brother of future emperor Herennius Etruscus. Following his father's accession to the throne, Hostilian received the treatment of an imperial prince, but was always kept in the shade of his brother Herennius, who enjoyed the privileges of being older and heir.
In the beginning of the year 251, Decius elevated his son Herennius to co-emperor and Hostilian succeeded him in the title of princeps iuventutis (prince of youth). Decius and oldest son Herennius then set out on campaign against king Cniva of the Goths, to punish him for raids on the Danubian frontier. Hostilian remained in Rome due to his inexperience.
Probably in July or August of 251, the Roman army engaged the Scythians under King Cniva near Abritus (northeastern Bulgaria). The strengths of the belligerent forces are unknown, but we know that Cniva divided his forces into three units, with one of these parts concealed behind a swamp. Modern estimates have shown that the Gothic force was probably between 30,000 and 40,000 troops. Decius' own army consisted of 4-6 legions from the Danube frontier, along with available auxiliaries and cavalry, and was probably estimated to be no more than 20-30,000 soldiers in total. Decius felt extremely confident that he would be able to crush the Goths in one final assault, but he would soon underestimate his enemy. It seems that Cniva was a skilled tactician and that he was very familiar with the surrounding terrain. Hostilian's brother Herennius was killed by an arrow during a skirmish before the outset of the battle and his father addressed his soldiers as if the loss of his son did not matter. He allegedly said, "Let no one mourn. The death of one soldier is not a great loss to the Republic".
The maneuver of the Scythians was ultimately successful. Decius' forces initial pushed the enemy back from the front line, but made the fatal mistake of pursuing their fleeing enemy into the swamp, where they were ambushed and routed. The immense slaughter marked one of the most catastrophic defeats in the history of the Roman Empire and resulted in the death of Emperor Decius (along with his eldest son). It was later chronicled that "he and his son and a large number of Romans fell into the marshland; all of them perished there, none of their bodies to be found, as they were covered by the mud." (note: I want to bring my V3i to that swamp!!!).
When Herennius and Decius died in that battle, they became the first two emperors to be killed by a foreign army in battle. The armies in the Danube acclaimed renowned military commander Trebonianus Gallus as emperor, but Rome still acknowledged Hostilian's right to the throne. Since Trebonianus was a respected general, there was some fear of another civil war of succession, but instead he chose to respect the will of Rome and adopted Hostilian as co-emperor.
Later that same year, the Plague of Cyprian broke out in the empire. The pandemic, probably of smallpox, afflicted the Roman Empire from AD 250 onwards during the larger Crisis of the Third Century. It was still raging in 270, when it claimed the life of emperor Claudius II Gothicus. The plague caused widespread manpower shortages in agriculture and the Roman army. Its modern name commemorates St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. From 250 to 266, at the height of the outbreak, 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome. Cyprian's biographer, Pontius of Carthage, wrote of the plague:
"Afterwards there broke out a dreadful plague, and excessive destruction of a hateful disease invaded every house in succession of the trembling populace, carrying off day by day with abrupt attack numberless people, every one from his own house. All were shuddering, fleeing, shunning the contagion, impiously exposing their own friends, as if with the exclusion of the person who was sure to die of the plague, one could exclude death itself also. There lay about the meanwhile, over the whole city, no longer bodies, but the carcasses of many, and, by the contemplation of a lot which in their turn would be theirs, demanded the pity of the passers-by for themselves. No one regarded anything besides his cruel gains. No one trembled at the remembrance of a similar event. No one did to another what he himself wished to experience."
Some modern scholars believe that this plague may have been a key driving force behind the spread of Christianity in the Empire. Cyprian drew moralizing analogies in his sermons to the Christian community and drew a word picture of the plague's symptoms in his essay De Mortalitate ("On the Plague"):
"This trial, that now the bowels, relaxed into a constant flux, discharge the bodily strength; that a fire originated in the marrow ferments into wounds of the fauces; that the intestines are shaken with a continual vomiting; that the eyes are on fire with the injected blood; that in some cases the feet or some parts of the limbs are taken off by the contagion of diseased putrefaction; that from the weakness arising by the maiming and loss of the body, either the gait is enfeebled, or the hearing is obstructed, or the sight darkened;—is profitable as a proof of faith. What a grandeur of spirit it is to struggle with all the powers of an unshaken mind against so many onsets of devastation and death! what sublimity, to stand erect amid the desolation of the human race, and not to lie prostrate with those who have no hope in God; but rather to rejoice, and to embrace the benefit of the occasion; that in thus bravely showing forth our faith, and by suffering endured, going forward to Christ by the narrow way that Christ trod, we may receive the reward of His life and faith according to His own judgment!"
Hostilian also died in the epidemic. He was the first emperor in 40 years to die of natural causes, one of only 13.
His death opened the way for the rule of Trebonianus Gallus with his natural son Volusianus.
Now I am working on the smaller coin - which has a better natural patina - but one that is exceptionaly thin. It appears there may have been some chemical fertiliers added to the field recently, as the patina is unusually soft and delicate. As many of you know I use a stereo microscope to carefully pick away at the dirt and clay using fine surgical needles. But if I just barely touch the patina on this coin it comes off. This is an example where using a brush or any chemicals is out of the question and would destroy the coin. I will continue to work it over the the next few days.
I have managed to clean enough of the legend to reveal that it was a Roman copper coin that belonged to Roman emperor Valentinian I or the II. This dates the coin to the 4th century from 368 to 392 AD. As I get more of this coin cleaned I will be able to narrow it down to the exact dates. The reverse shows the Emperor holding a standard with his left hand, and dragging a captive with his right - which was not an uncommon variety for Valentinian I or II.
I took the day off last Thursday as the weather was fantastic, and went up to my usual hunting grounds about an hour from home. But this time, I moved over into a newly plowed field and searched it for about two hours. I found two Roman coins and an intact set of Roman cosmetic tweezers.
The larger coin needed the most work, and it took me four days to clean it, as it had been through a high temp fire (probably a funeral pyre) and had quite a lot of calcium crystals, and some iron contamination.
But after careful work, I managed to get it cleaned up enough to warrent doing the historical research and telling its story. The coin belonged to Roman emperor Hostilian and was minted in 251 AD.
The coin’s full ID is:
Hostilian silver Antoninianus (3 grams, 20 mm)
Co-Emperor with Trebonian Gallus in AD 251 as Caesar.
Full Latin name: Carus Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus)
Obverse: C.VALENS HOSTIL.MES.QVINTVS N.C, Radiate and draped bust facing right
Reverse: MARTI PROPVGNATORI, Mars advancing right holding spear and shield
(Marti Propugnatori translates to "To Mars, the Protector.")
Hostilian
Hostilian was Roman emperor in 251. Hostilian was born in Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) sometime after 230, as the son of the future emperor Decius. He was the younger brother of future emperor Herennius Etruscus. Following his father's accession to the throne, Hostilian received the treatment of an imperial prince, but was always kept in the shade of his brother Herennius, who enjoyed the privileges of being older and heir.
In the beginning of the year 251, Decius elevated his son Herennius to co-emperor and Hostilian succeeded him in the title of princeps iuventutis (prince of youth). Decius and oldest son Herennius then set out on campaign against king Cniva of the Goths, to punish him for raids on the Danubian frontier. Hostilian remained in Rome due to his inexperience.
Probably in July or August of 251, the Roman army engaged the Scythians under King Cniva near Abritus (northeastern Bulgaria). The strengths of the belligerent forces are unknown, but we know that Cniva divided his forces into three units, with one of these parts concealed behind a swamp. Modern estimates have shown that the Gothic force was probably between 30,000 and 40,000 troops. Decius' own army consisted of 4-6 legions from the Danube frontier, along with available auxiliaries and cavalry, and was probably estimated to be no more than 20-30,000 soldiers in total. Decius felt extremely confident that he would be able to crush the Goths in one final assault, but he would soon underestimate his enemy. It seems that Cniva was a skilled tactician and that he was very familiar with the surrounding terrain. Hostilian's brother Herennius was killed by an arrow during a skirmish before the outset of the battle and his father addressed his soldiers as if the loss of his son did not matter. He allegedly said, "Let no one mourn. The death of one soldier is not a great loss to the Republic".
The maneuver of the Scythians was ultimately successful. Decius' forces initial pushed the enemy back from the front line, but made the fatal mistake of pursuing their fleeing enemy into the swamp, where they were ambushed and routed. The immense slaughter marked one of the most catastrophic defeats in the history of the Roman Empire and resulted in the death of Emperor Decius (along with his eldest son). It was later chronicled that "he and his son and a large number of Romans fell into the marshland; all of them perished there, none of their bodies to be found, as they were covered by the mud." (note: I want to bring my V3i to that swamp!!!).
When Herennius and Decius died in that battle, they became the first two emperors to be killed by a foreign army in battle. The armies in the Danube acclaimed renowned military commander Trebonianus Gallus as emperor, but Rome still acknowledged Hostilian's right to the throne. Since Trebonianus was a respected general, there was some fear of another civil war of succession, but instead he chose to respect the will of Rome and adopted Hostilian as co-emperor.
Later that same year, the Plague of Cyprian broke out in the empire. The pandemic, probably of smallpox, afflicted the Roman Empire from AD 250 onwards during the larger Crisis of the Third Century. It was still raging in 270, when it claimed the life of emperor Claudius II Gothicus. The plague caused widespread manpower shortages in agriculture and the Roman army. Its modern name commemorates St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. From 250 to 266, at the height of the outbreak, 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome. Cyprian's biographer, Pontius of Carthage, wrote of the plague:
"Afterwards there broke out a dreadful plague, and excessive destruction of a hateful disease invaded every house in succession of the trembling populace, carrying off day by day with abrupt attack numberless people, every one from his own house. All were shuddering, fleeing, shunning the contagion, impiously exposing their own friends, as if with the exclusion of the person who was sure to die of the plague, one could exclude death itself also. There lay about the meanwhile, over the whole city, no longer bodies, but the carcasses of many, and, by the contemplation of a lot which in their turn would be theirs, demanded the pity of the passers-by for themselves. No one regarded anything besides his cruel gains. No one trembled at the remembrance of a similar event. No one did to another what he himself wished to experience."
Some modern scholars believe that this plague may have been a key driving force behind the spread of Christianity in the Empire. Cyprian drew moralizing analogies in his sermons to the Christian community and drew a word picture of the plague's symptoms in his essay De Mortalitate ("On the Plague"):
"This trial, that now the bowels, relaxed into a constant flux, discharge the bodily strength; that a fire originated in the marrow ferments into wounds of the fauces; that the intestines are shaken with a continual vomiting; that the eyes are on fire with the injected blood; that in some cases the feet or some parts of the limbs are taken off by the contagion of diseased putrefaction; that from the weakness arising by the maiming and loss of the body, either the gait is enfeebled, or the hearing is obstructed, or the sight darkened;—is profitable as a proof of faith. What a grandeur of spirit it is to struggle with all the powers of an unshaken mind against so many onsets of devastation and death! what sublimity, to stand erect amid the desolation of the human race, and not to lie prostrate with those who have no hope in God; but rather to rejoice, and to embrace the benefit of the occasion; that in thus bravely showing forth our faith, and by suffering endured, going forward to Christ by the narrow way that Christ trod, we may receive the reward of His life and faith according to His own judgment!"
Hostilian also died in the epidemic. He was the first emperor in 40 years to die of natural causes, one of only 13.
His death opened the way for the rule of Trebonianus Gallus with his natural son Volusianus.
Now I am working on the smaller coin - which has a better natural patina - but one that is exceptionaly thin. It appears there may have been some chemical fertiliers added to the field recently, as the patina is unusually soft and delicate. As many of you know I use a stereo microscope to carefully pick away at the dirt and clay using fine surgical needles. But if I just barely touch the patina on this coin it comes off. This is an example where using a brush or any chemicals is out of the question and would destroy the coin. I will continue to work it over the the next few days.
I have managed to clean enough of the legend to reveal that it was a Roman copper coin that belonged to Roman emperor Valentinian I or the II. This dates the coin to the 4th century from 368 to 392 AD. As I get more of this coin cleaned I will be able to narrow it down to the exact dates. The reverse shows the Emperor holding a standard with his left hand, and dragging a captive with his right - which was not an uncommon variety for Valentinian I or II.
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