Commodus. His reign put an end to the era of the "five good emperors" of the Antonine dynasty. His death opened a period of crisis known as the second year of the four emperors. He was the SARS-CoV-2 of his time ! He ruled the world for 12 long years. I am confident that we will defeat the virus in much less time. I could't resist this big provincial bronze coin in an auction last week-end. It is also my first one from Caesarea. Please show me your big bronzes of Commodus or anything you want from Cappadocia area! Commodus Ae 29 Caesarea Cappadocia Altar surmounted by sacred image of Mount Argaios Μ AYPH ΚΟΜ ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟ ΚΑΙϹΑΡƐΙΑϹ ƐΤ Α (date on altar)=190AD 29mm 16.31g RPC IV 10082
I read this as ET lambda. Commodus usually dated his coins from the start with his father so year 30 was was 190 AD. ET abbreviates 'year'. The type was used by everyone. I have a Septimius Severus year 2 (194) and an Elagabalus year 3.
No big bronze but here's an Alexandrian tet. Also, for all his philosophical musings Marcus Aurelius failed to "adopt" a man of high standing and abilities as his successor, instead leaving his position to Commodus. Thus, it was the end of the period of the five "good" emperors. We all know what happened next. Chaos, followed by the somewhat destructive "meh" reigns of the Severan dynasty for the next 45 years. As Gibbon says: "If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus. Commodus (180-192. A.D.) Type: Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 11.06 grams Obverse: M AVΡ KOMMO ANTΩNINOC CE, Laureate bust of Commodus right Reverse: VΠAT OCTOΔ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt, K theta in field Reference: Emmett 2567
Interesting one, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! Here's a Severus Alexander one ... Severus Alexander, AD 222-235. Roman Provincial AE 25.0 mm, 10.37 g. Cappadocia, Caesarea, AD 222/3. Obv: ΑV Κ Μ ΑVΡ ϹЄΟΥ ΑΛЄΞΑΝΔΡ, laureate head, right; uncertain c/m behind. Rev: ΜΗΤΡΟΠ ΚΑΙϹΑΡΙ, agalma of Mount Argaeus surmounted by star, atop altar inscribed ЄTA (= year 1). Refs: RPC VI 6735; Sydenham 537-38; BMC 298; SNG von Aul 6510.
Commodus."My Ninth year as Emperor" denarius, Mars Reverse..Lucius Verus bronze Mt. Argus, Cappadocia
Will the virus try to rename the city of Wuhan "Colonia Lucia Annia Covidiana"?? Here's my representation of the Commodus virus at its most virulent stage: And I just picked up this passel of Commodiana from CNG: Interestingly, the rare IOVI DEFENS SALVTIS reverse (top right), with Jupiter and seven stars (the Pleiades?) might be a reference to the Antonine plague, finally overcome at around the time of issue.
Nice examples all. Commodus did have some interesting coins though... Some photos I took at the Capitoline Museum of the famous Commodus as Hercules statue.
Commodus (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius M COMMODVS ANT [P FELIX] AVG BRIT - laureate head right LIBERAL AVG VI [P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P] S C - Commodus seated left on curule chair atop platform, officer standing left behind him, Liberalitas standing left before him, holding abacus and cornucopiae, citizen mounting stepsof platform on left, about to receive largess Mint: Rome (186 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 21.00g / 31mm / - Rarity: Scarce References: RIC 471a
only have one large bronze, not from Capadoccia but from Rome, and the reverse is not good :-( Commodus, Æ Sestertius Rome, 190 AD 27.5 x 29 mm, 19.608 g Ref.: RIC III Commodus 563; Cohen 320; Ob.: (M CO)MMOD ANT P F / ELIX AVG BRIT PP Head of Commodus, laureate, right Rev.: LIBERAL AVG VII PM TR P XV IMP VIII COS V I Liberalitas, draped, standing left, holding coin-counter in right hand and cornucopia in left hand; across field S C
I need a better photo of this one Phrygia. Hierapolis . Commodus Bronze. Ca. 188 - 192 ΑVΤ ΚΑΙ Μ ΑΥΡ ΚΟΜΜΟΔοϹ; laureate-headed bust of Commodus wearing cuirass and paludamentum, r., seen from rear ΙƐΡΑΠοΛƐΙΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ ϹΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ; to l., Apollo standing, r., holding plectrum and lyre; to r., cult statue of Kore of Sardis standing, facing, wearing tall crown surmounted by crescent; between poppy and ears of corn 39 mm. 27,32 g. RPC online 2019
There was indeed an epidemic in 191–193 AD, which is commonly known as "the plague of Commodus" and had a disastrous impact on the Roman city populace. Commodus did little to nothing to help the situation, and he might even have caused or worsened the crisis with his reckless experiments with Rome's grain supply and storage. Morris Silver at least argues that the extent and spread of this epidemic were caused by Commodus' economic measures, and concludes that "what superficially appears to be an exogenous shock to a society's economy, like the outbreak of bubonic plague, is actually a predictable, albeit probabilistic, result of that society's misguided economic policy" (M. Silver: "The Plague under Commodus as an Unintended Consequence of Roman Grain Market Regulation", in: The Classical World 105.2, 2012, pp. 199–225, p. 216). Well, I won't start comparing Commodus to some of our own political leaders. That would violate forum rules, so I'll post two sestertii instead. But you can think your part. Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 177 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP L AVREL COMMODVS AVG [GERM] SARM; laureate and draped bust of Commodus r. Rev: T[R P] II COS [P]P; pile of Germanic arms; in fields, S-C; in exergue, DE GERMANIS. 31mm, 21.84g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1570. Ex CNG, e-auction 142, lot 134; ex CNG, e-auction 447, lot 471. Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 183 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG PIVS; laureate head of Commodus r. Rev: P VIII [IMP VI] COS IIII P P; Roma, helmeted, draped, seated l. on shield, holding Victory in extended r. hand and vertical spear in l. hand; in fields, S-C. 30mm, 25.14g. Ref: RIC III Commodus 369. Ex André Cichos.
