Valentinian III (425-455 AD), AV Solidus, Ravenna mint, c. 426-430 AD, C 19, RIC 2011

My first Solidus.


Valentinian III, born in 419 AD, ascended to the Roman throne in 425 AD at the tender age of six. His reign was marked by political turmoil, military conflicts, and a tragic end that would leave a lasting impact on the Western Roman Empire.

Valentinian III's sister, Honoria, played a pivotal role in the events that unfolded during her brother's reign. In 450 AD, facing an unwanted marriage, Honoria sent a letter to Attila the Hun, proposing an alliance and seeking his assistance. This gesture was misconstrued by Attila as a proposal for marriage, and he seized upon the opportunity to claim half of the Western Roman Empire as his dowry!

In 451 AD, Attila amassed a formidable army and invaded the Western Roman Empire. The invasion was marked by destruction and chaos as Attila's forces swept through Gaul, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. The Roman military, led by the skilled general Flavius Aetius, mounted a fierce defense, culminating in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains in 451 AD. The Romans, allied with various Germanic tribes, managed to repel Attila's forces in a significant setback for the Hunnic leader.

Despite the victory at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, internal strife persisted within the Roman Empire. Aetius, the military mastermind behind the successful defense against Attila, found himself caught in political intrigue. On September 21, 454 AD, Valentinian III, egged on by Petronius Maximus, a high ranking senator who bore Aetius a personal grudge, and his chamberlain, the eunuch Heraclius, murdered Aetius. According to the accounts of the ancient historian Priscus, the gruesome incident unfolded as Aetius presented a financial report to the Emperor. Abruptly, Valentinian, in a fit of rage, leapt from his throne, accusing Aetius of drunken misconduct and blaming him for the empire's troubles. Alleging a conspiracy to usurp the throne, Valentinian drew his sword and, alongside Heraclius, assaulted the unarmed Aetius, delivering a fatal blow to his head. Later, when Valentinian proudly remarked on disposing of Aetius in such a manner, a counselor poignantly retorted, "Whether well or not, I do not know. But know that you have cut off your right hand with your left."

On March 16 of the subsequent year, fate dealt a grim hand as the emperor met his end in Rome at the hands of two Scythian associates of Aetius—Optelas and Thraustelas. As detailed by Priscus, these individuals were incited to commit the act by Petronius Maximus. The assassination unfolded on the Campus Martius as Valentinian dismounted from his horse to practice archery. Seizing the moment, the conspirators struck, with Optelas delivering a decisive blow to the emperor's head. As Valentinian turned to identify his assailant, Optelas administered the fatal blow. Simultaneously, Thraustelas took the life of Heraclius. In a peculiar turn of events reported by Priscus, a swarm of bees appeared as the emperor lay lifeless, seemingly drawn to his spilled blood.

The day following the assassination saw Petronius Maximus seizing the imperial mantle, proclaimed by the remnants of the Western Roman army, facilitated by a substantial donative. However, Maximus's assumption of power revealed a lack of readiness to navigate and stabilize the beleaguered empire. After a brief 11-week reign, the Roman populace, discontented and incensed, stoned Maximus to death. In the wake of this internal turmoil, King Gaiseric and his Vandals seized Rome, subjecting it to a ruthless two-week sack. The intricate tapestry of events surrounding Valentinian's demise reflected the fragility and chaos that characterized the final chapters of the Western Roman Empire's decline.

Roman Empire: Valentinian III (425-455 AD), AV Solidus, Ravenna mint, c. 426-430 AD, C 19, RIC 2011, LRC 842, Depeyrot 17/1 (4.43 g, 21 mm)

Obverse: D N PLA VALENTI-NIANVS P F AVG. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: VICTORI-A AVGGG. Emperor standing facing., holding standard and Victory on globe, r. foot on man-headed serpent; in field, R – V and in exergue, COMOB.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

thats gorgeous, congrats, i myself also trying to find myself a first ancient coin, not expensive but on the cheap end but is still easy to see detail, ive been looking at ebay but after reading about how counterfeits look such as perfect trial cuts and stuff im struggling to find one that'll be a legit seller anybody got any recommendations?

 

Hello @Gunnerman1212. Welcome to Coin Talk Ancients.
Vcoins is a good web site, for buying ancient, medieval, and modern coins : https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx
There are also many auction houses, which auction ancient coins. CNG, NAC, Tiber, Stephen Album, Heritage, and Savoca are all good auction houses.
It's good that you are planning to start with inexpensive coins. That way, if you accidentally buy a fake coin, or a coin that you later don't like, then it's a small mistake.
Many ancient coins cost less than $50.

 

Hey, welcome to CT. I was at a coin show this weekend and was asking about and looking at ancients. First thing, most dealers won't have any. However one dealer had a box with some in 2x2 holders. Looking through them, I don't think any were more than $50 or so. I spotted a Carinus and in my memory he is one of the scarcer emperors. Coin marked $28 and he gave it to me for $25. I'll post pics later. Another dealer had a nice Constantine 2 camp gate for $10 and another small coin for $10. Both are now with me. Happy collecting!

 

If you catch any pictures, put them on here and you will get good advice (not necessarily from me though).

 

yah i seen one long while at my first coin show but that was before i was really collecting yet and was just there checking it out, kinda sucks i wasnt collecting back then lol, but my problem is that dont have alot of shows in my city for some reason but thx for the info ill be sure to post pics when i get my hands on 1

 

thanks for the info ill be sure to check these houses out.