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<p>[QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 4004568, member: 96898"]Oh, that's a hard choice. Few obvious candidates come to mind:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Caligula</b></p><p>Had half of the Roman aristocracy murdered, squandered most of the Roman state coffers, allegedly planned to raise his favorite horse to the rank of consul, and slept with his sisters. Suetonius also ascribes some memorable and telling one-liners to him, including "Let them hate me, as long as they fear me" (<i>Oderint, dum metuant</i>), and "Would that the Roman people had but one neck!" (<i>Utinam populus Romanus unam cervicem haberet!</i>).</p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1054331[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Caligula, Roman Empire, As, 37–38 AD, Rome mint. Obv: C CAESAR GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare-headed head left. Rev: VESTA, Vesta seated left holding patera and sceptre. S–C. 28 mm, 10.18 g. Ref: RIC I Gaius Caligula 38.</font></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Commodus</b></p><p>According to Dio Cassius, his reign marked the transition "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust." Had various senators, his wife Crispina, and his sister Lucilla murdered. Suffered from serious megalomania: for example, he declared himself the new Romulus as well as the Roman Hercules, fought in staged gladiatorial fights, and named all (!) months of the year after himself.</p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1054333[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Commodus, Roman Empire, denarius, 182 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M COMMOD[VS ANTON]INVS AVG, laureate head of Commodus right. Rev: LIB AVG V TR P VII IMP IIII COS III PP, Liberalitas standing left holding counting board and cornucopiae. 18mm, 2.24g. Ref: RIC III Commodus 36A.</font></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Caracalla</b></p><p>Upon asceending to the throne, he had his brother Geta along with an estimate of about 20.000 Roman subjects murdered. Frequently reacted to conflicts, turmoils, public discontent etc. with ordering massacres. Historian Edward Gibbon labelled him "the common enemy of mankind," which might not have been too far away from the truth.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1054332[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">Caracalla, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 213–217 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM; bust of Caracalla, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VENVS VICTRIX; Venus, draped, standing l., holding Victory in extended r. hand and spear in l. hand, leaning on shield. 23mm, 4.60g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 311C. Ex JAZ Numismatics, Ex Mat collection.</font></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Charles VI. "the Mad" of France</b></p><p>Not malevolent per se, just a fully incapable nutter. His reign had devastating results, though: the English invaded without encountering much resistance worth mentioning and plundered their way through much of France. Charles reacted to this by naming the English royal family his successors...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1054330[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="3">Kingdom of France, Charles VI "the Well Liked" or "the Mad," AR blanc guénar, 1389 AD, Tournai mint, 2nd emission. Obv: +KAROLVS FRANCORV REX; coat of arms. Rev: + SIT NOME DNI BENEDICTV, Cantoned cross with two crown and two lis in angles. "Secret dot" under 16th letter of legends. 27.5mm, 2.55g. Ref: Duplessy 377A. Ex Numis Collection; ex Orfew collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 332.</font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 4004568, member: 96898"]Oh, that's a hard choice. Few obvious candidates come to mind: [B]Caligula[/B] Had half of the Roman aristocracy murdered, squandered most of the Roman state coffers, allegedly planned to raise his favorite horse to the rank of consul, and slept with his sisters. Suetonius also ascribes some memorable and telling one-liners to him, including "Let them hate me, as long as they fear me" ([I]Oderint, dum metuant[/I]), and "Would that the Roman people had but one neck!" ([I]Utinam populus Romanus unam cervicem haberet![/I]). [SIZE=3] [ATTACH=full]1054331[/ATTACH] Caligula, Roman Empire, As, 37–38 AD, Rome mint. Obv: C CAESAR GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare-headed head left. Rev: VESTA, Vesta seated left holding patera and sceptre. S–C. 28 mm, 10.18 g. Ref: RIC I Gaius Caligula 38.[/SIZE] [B]Commodus[/B] According to Dio Cassius, his reign marked the transition "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust." Had various senators, his wife Crispina, and his sister Lucilla murdered. Suffered from serious megalomania: for example, he declared himself the new Romulus as well as the Roman Hercules, fought in staged gladiatorial fights, and named all (!) months of the year after himself. [SIZE=3] [ATTACH=full]1054333[/ATTACH] Commodus, Roman Empire, denarius, 182 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M COMMOD[VS ANTON]INVS AVG, laureate head of Commodus right. Rev: LIB AVG V TR P VII IMP IIII COS III PP, Liberalitas standing left holding counting board and cornucopiae. 18mm, 2.24g. Ref: RIC III Commodus 36A.[/SIZE] [B]Caracalla[/B] Upon asceending to the throne, he had his brother Geta along with an estimate of about 20.000 Roman subjects murdered. Frequently reacted to conflicts, turmoils, public discontent etc. with ordering massacres. Historian Edward Gibbon labelled him "the common enemy of mankind," which might not have been too far away from the truth. [ATTACH=full]1054332[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]Caracalla, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 213–217 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM; bust of Caracalla, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VENVS VICTRIX; Venus, draped, standing l., holding Victory in extended r. hand and spear in l. hand, leaning on shield. 23mm, 4.60g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 311C. Ex JAZ Numismatics, Ex Mat collection.[/SIZE] [B]Charles VI. "the Mad" of France[/B] Not malevolent per se, just a fully incapable nutter. His reign had devastating results, though: the English invaded without encountering much resistance worth mentioning and plundered their way through much of France. Charles reacted to this by naming the English royal family his successors... [ATTACH=full]1054330[/ATTACH] [SIZE=3]Kingdom of France, Charles VI "the Well Liked" or "the Mad," AR blanc guénar, 1389 AD, Tournai mint, 2nd emission. Obv: +KAROLVS FRANCORV REX; coat of arms. Rev: + SIT NOME DNI BENEDICTV, Cantoned cross with two crown and two lis in angles. "Secret dot" under 16th letter of legends. 27.5mm, 2.55g. Ref: Duplessy 377A. Ex Numis Collection; ex Orfew collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 332.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
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