I was very fortunate to have picked up quite the rarity last week. Stumpf only cites one specimen of this type, Metcalf only two (!). Gaius Fabius Hadrianus is not attested for in the historical record. He evidently served as Praetor in 58 or 57 and was subsequently granted the proconsular command of Asia. Fabius seems to have been the son of Marcus Fabius Hadrianus, a legate of Sulla active during the third mithridatic war. We have very little to go by when it comes to Fabius' proconsulship. Brennan, in his work The Praetorship of the Roman Republic, claims there is no mention of Fabius outside of his coins. The source of Fabius' path from obscurity to proconsul in Asia might be found in his predecessor in the province, Titus Ampius Balbus. Balbus, having assumed command of Asia in 58, was only supposed to serve a single year as governor. However at the end of his term, he was prorouged by the senate and hastily transferred to the neigbouring province of Cilicia. Thus forcing the senate to assign Asia to someone else. Syme argues that this very odd sequence of events was caused by one of the incumbent Consuls, Aulus Gabinius. The senate had previously declared that Gabinius would be granted the command of Cilicia after his term as Consul was over. Not satisfied with this, he successfully lobbied his colleagues for the more prestigous proconsulship of Syria. Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus as Proconsul of Asia. Aristoboulos son of Iereous, magistrate. AR Cistophoric tetradrachm, Tralles, 24th march 57 BC - 24th march 56 BC. Serpents emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / [C•FABI•M•F] PROCOS, Two serpents entwined by bow case, eagle above. In the left field, zebu standing. TPAΛ. In the right field, Hermes standing right, holding caduceus. ARIΣTOBOΥΛOΣ / [IEΡΕΥΣ] in exergue. 28.10 mm, 12.41 g. Stumpf 31; Metcalf 329 (O5/R28) This type shares significant similarities with another type of Fabius', issued by the magistrate Pammenes (see below). The major difference between them is the figure to the right. On the above coin, Hermes is seen left, holding a caudecus. On the coin below, Apollo is standing, perhaps holding a bow. Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus as Proconsul of Asia. Pammenes, magistrate. AR Cistophoric tetradrachm, Tralles, 24th march 57 BC - 24th march 56 BC. Serpents emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / C•FABI•M•F PROCOS, Two serpents entwined by bow case, eagle above. In the left field, zebu over a meander, TPAΛ. In the right field, Apollo. ΠΑMMΕΝΗΣ in exergue. 26.90 mm, 12.20 g. Stumpf 32; Metcalf 325 (This coin, O4/R25) Ex NAC Sale 52, 2009, 832.
