Britannicus: The story of a wicked mom, an even more wicked step mom and the death of a young Caesar

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ryro, Apr 19, 2022.

  1. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    My latest rarity showing Britannicus and his killer:
    2646132_1647268018.l-removebg-preview.png
    Britannicus and Nero
    as Caesars, Æ17 of Pergamum, Mysia. Struck under Claudius I, AD 50-54.
    BPЄTANNIKOC KAICAP, bare-headed and draped bust of Britannicus right / [NЄPΩN KAICAP], bare-headed and draped bust of Nero right. 2.9g 16.3mm
    Purchased from N&N London April 2022

    [​IMG]
    (Due to Britannicus youth many coins & busts are debated as of being his or a young Nero)

    Britannicus was born in 41 CE just under a month after his father, Claudius, reign began. His mother was Messalina. Yeah, that Messalina. The messy Messalina that left such a mess living a debauched double life and marrying an actor (ew, gross!) behind Claudius back that the emperor would say to the Praetorian Guard if he ever married again to please stab him to death. As we would find out later, for the sake of his son's life, it's a shame the Guard didn't listen.
    Screenshot_20220419-100153_PicCollage-removebg-preview.png
    Claudius
    Plated Wreath Denarius. 46-47 AD. Lugdunum mint. Obv: TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI legend with laureate bust righ. Rev: S P Q R / P P / OB C S in three lines within wreath. RIC 41; BMC 45; RSC 87; Sear 1848.2.03 grams.Property of a Middlesex gentleman.[No Reserve]
    Very fine; large fragment. Ex Timeline

    portrait-bust-of-emperor.jpg
    (The Julio/Claudian line was a group of powerful and ugly men...poor Claudius, described by his own mother as a monster, may have been outwardly the hardest to look at)

    Born with the agnomen Germanicus (conqueror of the Germans) from his grandfather, much like his older half brother, Lucius Domitius, the boy wouldn't be known to posterity by the name he was born with. When they Britannicus was just two his father would conquer Britannia. Much like when nearly 100 years before Julius Caesar would conquer the island. And rather than take the name for himself, Claudius lavished his son with the honorific title.
    Britannicus had a childhood free of want growing up as part of the Julio-Claudian line. He had the finest tutors and was even friends and school mates with Titus Vesapsianus, future hero and short lived emperor of Rome.
    However, the boy was just 7 when his mother's attempted coup was found out. The Praetorian Guards were in a hurry to get rid of her out of fear that Claudius would change his mind and forgive her. Claudius:bucktooth: truly was always a push-over when it came to women. She was given a knife to kill herself with. When she couldn't/wouldn't one of the Praetorian Guardsmen put it through her neck for her.
    Capture.PNG (Britannicus grandmother trying to protect his hot mess of a mom before the inevitable)

    Despite all of that, or because of it, within a year Claudius (who was never adopted into the Julii) would marry his niece:yack: and create a direct connection for himself and the revered house who's lineage could get traced all the way back to Venus herself! And in doing so unleashed one of the most diabolical and controlling women ever in power on Rome and sowed the seeds for Britannicus demise:oops:
    In short order Agrippina the younger would user her allies...and assets:kiss: to get Claudius to adopt her son from a previous marriage Lucius Domitius, who would from then on be known as fiddling, dancing, prancing, 666, mother loving/killing Nero:nailbiting:
    And just like Britannicus had a co-heir to the empire:sorry:
    1787244_1616945328.l-removebg-preview.png
    (Nero as Caesar)

    As Nero was fast tracked Britannicus was sidelined. Agrippina would replace all of Britannicus tutors and even a few members of the Guard with men that were loyal to her. She made sure that Nero was seen as a young man while Britannicus was still just a boy in public.
    2357747_1636989725.l-removebg-preview.png
    PHRYGIA, Apamea. Agrippina II and Nero. (54-68). Ae.
    Obv : ΝΕΡΩΝ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ ΑΓΡΙΠΠΙΝΑ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ.
    Draped bust of Agrippina and bareheaded and cuirassed bust of Nero facing one another.
    Rev : ΕΠΙ ΜΑΡΙΟΥ ΚΟΡΔΟΥ ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΦΡΥΓΙΑΣ ΑΠΑΜΕΙΣ.
    Eagle standing on wreath, left, head right, with wings spread.
    RPC I online 3136; BMC 143-145.
    Condition : Very fine.
    Weight : 9.3 gr
    Diameter : 25 mm

    It is reported that towards the end Claudius was encouraging his son to "grow up quickly" so that he could wear the toga of manhood and put the talk of Nero being the heir apparent behind. It is even said , by Suetonius mind you, that he was thinking about divorcing Agrippina shortly before his untimely demise/poisoning(?).
    Even if the poisoning of Claudius is up for debate, all of our sources agree that Britannicus was poisoned on the insistence of Nero.
    DP134855.jpg

    And so, just 4 months after the death of his father and only a few days away from his 14th birthday, when in Roman terms he would have become a man and rival for the throne, Britannicus was dead.

    A few more coins of those involved :
    IMG_0800.JPG
    Britannicus, with Octavia and Antonia
    Mysia, Kyzikos, AD.41-55. AE (12mm, 1.29g). NЄOC ΓЄPMANIKOC / K - Y. Bare head of Britannicus right. / AN OKTA. Confronted and draped busts of Antonia and Octavia. RPC 2248. Rare! Former Kairos Numismatik

    1859577_1619351691.l-removebg-preview.png
    Koinon of Macedon. Claudius. A.D. 41-54. Æ. 9.43 gm. 23 mm. Beroea mint. His bare head left; TI KΛΑYΔΙΟC KAICAP / Macedonian shield; MAKEΔΟΝΩΝ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ. RPC I 1612. SNG Copenhagen 1334. Varbanov 3005. Very Fine; pleasing dark green patina. Purchased from Savoca May 2021
    "The Koinon of the Macedonians was a confederation of Macedonian cities under a central government or king (or, under Roman rule, the Roman emperor). Rooted in the Hellenistic period, this central administration handled diplomatic issues both between member city-states and with foreign bodies. Coins issued in the name of the 'Macedonians' first appear during the reigns of Philip V and Perseus, and continued to appear under Roman rule. The Romans reorganized the Koinon around the imperial cult and put members of the local elite in charge. They organized and financed festivals and games, and were awarded Roman citizenship in return. The iconography of the Koinon issues (Alexander the Great, the Macedonian shield, and so on) reflect a powerful ethnic and civic identity that, as it was no longer a threat to Roman control, was allowed to flourish. (Howgego, Christopher; Heuchert, Volker; Burnett, Andrew, Coinage and Identity in the Roman Provinces. 2005.)"

    1759077_1615408029.l-removebg-preview.png
    Macedon. Koinon of Macedon. Beroea mint. Nero AD 54-68.
    Bronze Æ, 30 mm, 15,68 g
    Obv: Nero facing left. ΝΕΡΩΝ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ
    Rev: Mars standing, l., holding wreath and spear; to r., Macedonian shield. ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ
    Axis: 1, 12
    Reference: AMNG 240–1, BMC 147. RIC I, 1613
    nearly very fine
    11 known specimens
    Savoca listed as Unpublished variety. Purchased Savoca March 2021

    A sad song for a sad life...


    So please, help me celebrate the sad life of this would be emperor by posting coins of his, his family, thoughts or anything
     
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  3. Numisnewbiest

    Numisnewbiest Well-Known Member

    Great writeup, as always!

    To me, Claudius is such a frustrating emperor, just for the way he doomed his son Britannicus and daughter Octavia to short lives, especially Octavia's agonizing death. How Claudius could be so absolutely blind to the ambitions of Agrippina is baffling. And then to be so idle when her intentions first began to show themselves, when as emperor he could have "dealt with" Agrippina and Nero both so easily...aaarrrgh!
     
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  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Fun write-up, as usual, @Ryro!

    Here's Claudia Octavia, the sister of Britannicus.

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    Nero and Claudia Octavia.
    Roman provincial billon tetradrachm, 11.1 g, 25.0 mm.
    Egypt, Alexandria, AD 56-57.
    Obv: ΝΕΡ ΚΛΑΥ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ ΑΥΤΟ, laureate head of Nero, right.
    Rev: ΟΚΤΑΟΥΙΑ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ, bare-headed and draped bust of Octavia, right; L Γ before.
    Refs: RPC 5202; BMC 119; SGI 657; Cologne 122; Milne 133; Emmett 127.
     
  5. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Great write-up!

    I actually do have one coin that supposedly shows Britannicus (in miniature form!) together with his sister and mother:

    Claudius I, billon [Sear & others]/AR [RPC] Tetradrachm, Year 4 [43/44 AD], Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΤΙ ΚΛΑVΔΙ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙ ΑVΤΟΚΡ around, LΔ [Year 4] under chin / Rev. Messalina [Third wife of Claudius and mother of Britannicus] as Demeter, standing facing, head left, wearing long chiton, leaning left elbow on short column, holding grain ears in left arm and two standing children [representing Claudia Octavia and Britannicus*] on outstretched right hand; to left, lituus; ΜΕΣΣΑΛΙΝΑ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑΣ. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 5146 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5146; Emmett 74.4 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 93 at p. 3 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; K&G 12.36 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria (2008)]; Dattari (Savio) 126198 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; Köln 82 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band I (Augustus-Trajan) (Cologne, 1974); Sear RCV I 1869 [Year 6; ill. of Year 2 w/lituus at p. 369.] 23 mm., 13.02 g., 12 h.

    COMBINED NEW Claudius-Messalina.jpg

    *Her two children with Claudius, both born before Year 4 of Claudius’s reign; Claudia Octavia later became the Emperor Nero’s first wife. See note in Sear RCV I at p. 369.
     
  6. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    A very interesting time. Here's Claudius with his newly diefied "Father"

    Neo_Claudius_drachm.jpg

    NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERMA
    Laureate head of Nero right

    DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG
    Laureate head of Divus Claudius right.

    Caesarea, Cappadocia

    63-64 AD

    2.95g

    RPC I 3648; RIC 622.

    From the collection of K.M. Germany. Ex-Roma E-sale 43 lot 334

    Nicely centered drachm with double portraits of Claudius and Nero and full Latin legends.
     
  7. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    The whole fam.
    Tralleis2.jpg
    Lydia, Tralleis. Æ18. Claudius, Messalina & Britannicus.
    Æ18 Trichalkon of Tralleis in Lydia, A.D. 43-48.
    Obv: TI KΛAY KAI CEBAC. Confronted busts of Messalina and Claudius.
    Rev: BRETANNIKOΣ KAIΣAREΩN. Britannicus, togate, standing almost to front, head left, holding grain ears.
    18mm. 5.40gm.
    RPC 2654.
    Sold.
     
  8. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    Oops, I meant to write: Here's Nero with his newly diefied "Father"
     
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  9. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Great write up @Ryro . Nice read.

    [​IMG]
    Judaea Claudius w-Britannicus CE 41-54 Æ Prutah 17mm 2.8g Antonius Felix-procurator Dated RY 14 54 CE 2-crossed shields spears - Palm tree BPIT K AI L IΔ date Hendin 1348
     
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  10. octavius

    octavius Well-Known Member

    Aureus of Claudius with his newly adopted heir - a young Nero.

    oP9J2dEeG8fyQCp34jNsqg6Y5QbRBq.jpg
     
  11. Marsman

    Marsman Well-Known Member

    I have this type in silver :)

    921D1687-8513-4269-9564-645AE38985C4.jpeg
     
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