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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ValiantKnight, post: 1877423, member: 44210&quot;]Kind of bored so I thought this might make for a good and interesting thread, to post coins of two rulers/important figures that were enemies of one another, and why they were hostile towards each other.</p><p><br /></p><p><u><font size="4"><b>Justinian</b>, Byzantine Emperor&nbsp; VS&nbsp; <b>Totila</b>, Ostrogothic King</font></u></p><p><br /></p><p>During the course of the Roman reconquest of Italy in the 6th century AD, known as the Gothic War, Justinian&#039;s legions faced off against the forces of a succession of Ostrogothic kings trying to defend their adopted homeland. But the Gothic leader that gave the hardest time for the Eastern Roman emperor bent on restoring Rome&#039;s old territories was Totila.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>At the time of his ascension to the throne, Totila (whose original name was Baduila) had been the garrison commander of Treviso and had inherited an Ostrogothic realm confined to northern Italy, a realm that was shrinking fast. Marching out of the north with the small Ostrogoth army, Totila came upon a larger Roman force at Faventia and destroyed it, enabling him to move further south. As part of his strategy, Totila skipped over the fortified cities and took control of the countryside, and soon had nearly the whole of the peninsula back in Gothic hands. Totila&#039;s successes and the lack of cooperation between the emperor and his best general Belisarius helped to extend the conflict for another decade. He even managed to take Rome twice, the second time holding it for two years from 550-552 AD. </p><p><br /></p><p>By this point, Justinian had had enough, and sent a great force of 35,000 under the general Narses to Italy. The main Ostrogothic army was soon defeated, and Totila killed. His successor Teia died in battle not long afterwards, and Justinian was left as the new master of the old Roman heartland.</p><p><u><b><br /></b></u></p><p><u><b>Justinian I</b></u></p><p>AE Follis (40 nummi)</p><p>Obv: helmeted, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield, cross to right</p><p>Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, regnal year XIII to right, cross above, officina letter B below</p><p>CON in ex, Constantinople mint, struck 541 AD</p><p>Ref: SB 163</p><p>40.4 mm, 21.70 gr.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa429/LurkingNinja/JustinianIfollis2_zpsb42de243.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>Baduila (Totila)</b></u></p><p>AE Decanummium</p><p>Obv: DN BADV-ILA REX, crowned, draped, bust facing</p><p>Rev: DN B/ADV/ELA/REX in four lines within wreath</p><p>Rome mint, struck 550-552 AD</p><p>Ref: MIB 89a</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa429/LurkingNinja/Baduila_zps812bb61c.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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