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<p>[QUOTE="savitale, post: 8601357, member: 95284"]A recent purchase: a flashy Maximinus I denarius. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1513833[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Maximinus I (AD 235-238). AR denarius (21mm,3.00gm 6h). NGC MS 5/5 - 5/5. </b>Rome, AD 235-236. IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right, seen from behind / SALVS AVGVSTI, Salus seated left, feeding serpent rising from altar at left. RIC IV 14. [Description from Heritage Auctions, lot 61256, February 2, 2022.]</p><p><br /></p><p>Below is a summary of one account of the rise and fall of Maximinus, as told by Herodian in his <u>Roman History</u>. There are several other textual sources for Maximinus, which I have not fully investigated. So this post represents one author’s view of the story of Maximinus, which may or may not be completely historically accurate. But Herodian’s account is a good read.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Maximinus was raised as a shepherd-boy in a semi-barbarous tribe in the interior of Thrace. Due to his enormous size and strength he was drafted into the army and quickly rose through all the ranks. He became very popular among the troops as a teacher of military skill and as someone who always took the lead in every task. The soldiers admired Maximinus for his strength and courage. (Herodian VI. 8) In contrast, the emperor Severus Alexander is portrayed as a weak individual under the constant control of his malevolent and domineering mother. In the 14th year of his reign, 235 CE, Alexander found himself leading the Roman army against Germanic tribes which were causing trouble at the borders of the empire. Uncomfortable with war, Alexander decided to try to make peace with the Germans by paying them off with gold. This did not sit well with the army who instead wanted to “punish the Germans for their insolence”, and, presumably, to bring home spoils of war. In their eyes, Alexander “preferred chariot racing and a life of ease” over battle. (Herodian VI. 7)</p><p><br /></p><p>As you might guess, bereft of the respect of the troops, things soon turned ugly for Alexander. In approximately April of 235 the army declared Maximinus emperor. The new emperor immediately doubled their salary but required that they prove their allegiance by killing Alexander.</p><p><br /></p><p>Upon hearing news of the mutiny Alexander roused his personal guard who had served him for the past fourteen years. But his own troops began to grumble and blame him for avaricious acts he committed on account of his mother’s miserliness. They could also hear Maximinus’ troops in the distance urging them to abandon their “mean little sissy” and join the army led by one of their own, a brave soldier. Once inside Alexander’s tent, Maximinus’ soldiers slaughtered him, his mother, and his close companions. (Herodian VI. 9)</p><p><br /></p><p>Though tainted by the shadow of his wicked mother, Alexander had been inclined toward benevolent and humane behavior. By many measures his reign could be seen as benign if not successful, (Herodian VI. 9) though by his nature he was the wrong emperor at the wrong time as the empire came under attack from all sides. The murder of Alexander and the ascent of Maximinus marks the beginning of the crisis of the 3rd century as well as the 50-year span of short-lived “barracks emperors”. </p><p><br /></p><p>There could not have been a greater contrast between Alexander and Maximinus, who, on account of the “bloodthirsty temperament derived from his [barbarian] ancestors,” exercised power through cruelty and fear. (Herodian VII. 1) He dismissed, or killed, all the remaining members of Alexander’s administration and surrounded himself by his army. Many feared Maximinus, his vicious behavior being reinforced by the man’s colossal size and frightful appearance. (Herodian VII. 1) After dispatching a couple coup attempts, Maximinus led a great army against the Germans, himself fighting at the fore and killing many enemies. His troops won many victories and it is said that he would have subdued the entirety of the Germanic tribes if he had continued. (Herodian VII. 2)</p><p><br /></p><p>Though he was a successful military leader, Maximinus’ domestic policy was by no means popular. He seized the fortunes of wealthy aristocrats based on false charges and used the money to pay the army. The victims were either exiled or put to death. When that source of money ran low, he raided the public treasury, including money intended for the public dole. Furthermore, statues, architectural decorations, and other objects of precious metal were melted down and turned into coin. While the common Roman man might choose to turn a blind eye to the dispatching of a few wealthy families, when their temples became at risk they became resentful of Maximinus’ pillaging of their cultural heritage. Even the allegiance of some of the army started to faulter as their families began to suffer the effects. (Herodian VII. 3)</p><p><br /></p><p>The widespread discontent among the people of both Rome and of some provinces led to several revolts, and eventually to the people of Libya declaring Gordian I emperor. Such was the unpopularity of Maximinus among the Romans that the Senate confirmed Gordian I and his son Gordian II as co-emperors. The people of Rome then turned to violence, slaughtering those who had carried out Maximinus’ orders as well as those with only weak ties to the tyrant. Determined to erase his name, throughout Rome dedications and monuments to Maximinus were torn down. (Herodian VII. 5-11)</p><p><br /></p><p>While all this was going on, Maximinus and his army were still fighting in Germany. But after hearing that he had been effectively stripped of his title by the Senate, he quickly ordered his troops to pull out and march toward the city of Rome. He led an enormous force, supplemented by Germans who had been captured or who had made peace, as well as artillery and mechanical devices of war.</p><p><br /></p><p>Meanwhile, the empire devolved into a state of civil war. In Carthage, troops loyal to Maximinus defeated the supporters of the Gordians, in part because the common Carthaginian people had little military experience at this time. By the end of the battle both Gordians were dead. Acting quickly in the face of the advancing threat, the Senate elected two of their own, Balbinus and Pupienus, as co-emperors. They rapidly conscripted an army of young men. But many of the people, particularly the experienced soldiers, were still loyal to Maximinus. Fighting between these two sides broke out everywhere, many were killed, and much wealth was plundered. A large section of Rome was consumed in a great fire. (Herodian VII. 12) With Maximinus’ huge army still approaching the situation in Rome was now dire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Maximinus marched into Italy and across the Alps encountering no resistance. Upon reaching the city of Aquileia, a large Italian city, he found the gates closed against him. Maximinus decided that to break the will of the Romans, he needed to conquer the city. Aquileia was a large city to begin with, but now its population was swelled by residents of the countryside who came inside for the protection offered by the strong city walls. On account of the ample notification of Maximinus’ approach, the city had been well provisioned for siege and possessed many wells with a prodigious water supply. But the army of Maximinus encircled the city with an enormous number of men and many engines of war and began to attack. (Herodian VIII. 1-6)</p><p><br /></p><p>The Aquileians responded by pouring a burning mixture of pitch, oil, bitumen and sulfur down upon the attacking soldiers. They shot arrows lit aflame into the wooden siege engines which immediately set them on fire. For several days fighting continued, with the spirits of the Aquileians rising on account of their successes and the spirits of the besieging army dropping because they had not expected such fierce resistance. Furthermore, the army, though very large, was not well provisioned for its size, as they had prepared for march in haste, and had to rely upon scavenging in the countryside for food and supplies. (Herodian VIII. 7)</p><p><br /></p><p>The Senate had all the roads and ports blockaded to prevent supplies from reaching Maximinus’ army and to prevent them from sending out ships. Though they could not help defend Aquileia directly, the Roman people had essentially besieged the besiegers. (Herodian VIII. 7) The army began to run out of food for people and for animals, as well as fresh water, for the local river was contaminated by dead bodies thrown into the river by both sides.</p><p><br /></p><p>With morale low, there was a break in fighting for a day during which the soldiers and guards rested in their tents. Men from Mount Alba near Rome then hatched a daring plan. They entered Maximinus’ camp and murdered the emperor and his son. Maximinus’ army, in distress due to the lack of provisions, chose to make peace with Aquileians in return for food which was delivered over the walls; the army never succeeded in entering city. The heads of the deposed emperor and his son were cut off and sent to Rome, and so ended the reign of the disgraceful tyrant Maximinus. (Herodian VIII. 7)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="savitale, post: 8601357, member: 95284"]A recent purchase: a flashy Maximinus I denarius. [ATTACH=full]1513833[/ATTACH] [B]Maximinus I (AD 235-238). AR denarius (21mm,3.00gm 6h). NGC MS 5/5 - 5/5. [/B]Rome, AD 235-236. IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right, seen from behind / SALVS AVGVSTI, Salus seated left, feeding serpent rising from altar at left. RIC IV 14. [Description from Heritage Auctions, lot 61256, February 2, 2022.] Below is a summary of one account of the rise and fall of Maximinus, as told by Herodian in his [U]Roman History[/U]. There are several other textual sources for Maximinus, which I have not fully investigated. So this post represents one author’s view of the story of Maximinus, which may or may not be completely historically accurate. But Herodian’s account is a good read. Maximinus was raised as a shepherd-boy in a semi-barbarous tribe in the interior of Thrace. Due to his enormous size and strength he was drafted into the army and quickly rose through all the ranks. He became very popular among the troops as a teacher of military skill and as someone who always took the lead in every task. The soldiers admired Maximinus for his strength and courage. (Herodian VI. 8) In contrast, the emperor Severus Alexander is portrayed as a weak individual under the constant control of his malevolent and domineering mother. In the 14th year of his reign, 235 CE, Alexander found himself leading the Roman army against Germanic tribes which were causing trouble at the borders of the empire. Uncomfortable with war, Alexander decided to try to make peace with the Germans by paying them off with gold. This did not sit well with the army who instead wanted to “punish the Germans for their insolence”, and, presumably, to bring home spoils of war. In their eyes, Alexander “preferred chariot racing and a life of ease” over battle. (Herodian VI. 7) As you might guess, bereft of the respect of the troops, things soon turned ugly for Alexander. In approximately April of 235 the army declared Maximinus emperor. The new emperor immediately doubled their salary but required that they prove their allegiance by killing Alexander. Upon hearing news of the mutiny Alexander roused his personal guard who had served him for the past fourteen years. But his own troops began to grumble and blame him for avaricious acts he committed on account of his mother’s miserliness. They could also hear Maximinus’ troops in the distance urging them to abandon their “mean little sissy” and join the army led by one of their own, a brave soldier. Once inside Alexander’s tent, Maximinus’ soldiers slaughtered him, his mother, and his close companions. (Herodian VI. 9) Though tainted by the shadow of his wicked mother, Alexander had been inclined toward benevolent and humane behavior. By many measures his reign could be seen as benign if not successful, (Herodian VI. 9) though by his nature he was the wrong emperor at the wrong time as the empire came under attack from all sides. The murder of Alexander and the ascent of Maximinus marks the beginning of the crisis of the 3rd century as well as the 50-year span of short-lived “barracks emperors”. There could not have been a greater contrast between Alexander and Maximinus, who, on account of the “bloodthirsty temperament derived from his [barbarian] ancestors,” exercised power through cruelty and fear. (Herodian VII. 1) He dismissed, or killed, all the remaining members of Alexander’s administration and surrounded himself by his army. Many feared Maximinus, his vicious behavior being reinforced by the man’s colossal size and frightful appearance. (Herodian VII. 1) After dispatching a couple coup attempts, Maximinus led a great army against the Germans, himself fighting at the fore and killing many enemies. His troops won many victories and it is said that he would have subdued the entirety of the Germanic tribes if he had continued. (Herodian VII. 2) Though he was a successful military leader, Maximinus’ domestic policy was by no means popular. He seized the fortunes of wealthy aristocrats based on false charges and used the money to pay the army. The victims were either exiled or put to death. When that source of money ran low, he raided the public treasury, including money intended for the public dole. Furthermore, statues, architectural decorations, and other objects of precious metal were melted down and turned into coin. While the common Roman man might choose to turn a blind eye to the dispatching of a few wealthy families, when their temples became at risk they became resentful of Maximinus’ pillaging of their cultural heritage. Even the allegiance of some of the army started to faulter as their families began to suffer the effects. (Herodian VII. 3) The widespread discontent among the people of both Rome and of some provinces led to several revolts, and eventually to the people of Libya declaring Gordian I emperor. Such was the unpopularity of Maximinus among the Romans that the Senate confirmed Gordian I and his son Gordian II as co-emperors. The people of Rome then turned to violence, slaughtering those who had carried out Maximinus’ orders as well as those with only weak ties to the tyrant. Determined to erase his name, throughout Rome dedications and monuments to Maximinus were torn down. (Herodian VII. 5-11) While all this was going on, Maximinus and his army were still fighting in Germany. But after hearing that he had been effectively stripped of his title by the Senate, he quickly ordered his troops to pull out and march toward the city of Rome. He led an enormous force, supplemented by Germans who had been captured or who had made peace, as well as artillery and mechanical devices of war. Meanwhile, the empire devolved into a state of civil war. In Carthage, troops loyal to Maximinus defeated the supporters of the Gordians, in part because the common Carthaginian people had little military experience at this time. By the end of the battle both Gordians were dead. Acting quickly in the face of the advancing threat, the Senate elected two of their own, Balbinus and Pupienus, as co-emperors. They rapidly conscripted an army of young men. But many of the people, particularly the experienced soldiers, were still loyal to Maximinus. Fighting between these two sides broke out everywhere, many were killed, and much wealth was plundered. A large section of Rome was consumed in a great fire. (Herodian VII. 12) With Maximinus’ huge army still approaching the situation in Rome was now dire. Maximinus marched into Italy and across the Alps encountering no resistance. Upon reaching the city of Aquileia, a large Italian city, he found the gates closed against him. Maximinus decided that to break the will of the Romans, he needed to conquer the city. Aquileia was a large city to begin with, but now its population was swelled by residents of the countryside who came inside for the protection offered by the strong city walls. On account of the ample notification of Maximinus’ approach, the city had been well provisioned for siege and possessed many wells with a prodigious water supply. But the army of Maximinus encircled the city with an enormous number of men and many engines of war and began to attack. (Herodian VIII. 1-6) The Aquileians responded by pouring a burning mixture of pitch, oil, bitumen and sulfur down upon the attacking soldiers. They shot arrows lit aflame into the wooden siege engines which immediately set them on fire. For several days fighting continued, with the spirits of the Aquileians rising on account of their successes and the spirits of the besieging army dropping because they had not expected such fierce resistance. Furthermore, the army, though very large, was not well provisioned for its size, as they had prepared for march in haste, and had to rely upon scavenging in the countryside for food and supplies. (Herodian VIII. 7) The Senate had all the roads and ports blockaded to prevent supplies from reaching Maximinus’ army and to prevent them from sending out ships. Though they could not help defend Aquileia directly, the Roman people had essentially besieged the besiegers. (Herodian VIII. 7) The army began to run out of food for people and for animals, as well as fresh water, for the local river was contaminated by dead bodies thrown into the river by both sides. With morale low, there was a break in fighting for a day during which the soldiers and guards rested in their tents. Men from Mount Alba near Rome then hatched a daring plan. They entered Maximinus’ camp and murdered the emperor and his son. Maximinus’ army, in distress due to the lack of provisions, chose to make peace with Aquileians in return for food which was delivered over the walls; the army never succeeded in entering city. The heads of the deposed emperor and his son were cut off and sent to Rome, and so ended the reign of the disgraceful tyrant Maximinus. (Herodian VIII. 7)[/QUOTE]
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