Featured The TRUTH about MARTINIAN

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, Feb 28, 2020.

  1. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

    "THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH"

    About the history
    Martinian
    the usurper. Emperor for only 3 months in 324 AD. We know nothing about his origins. He was the magister officiorum of Licinius I, in other words his bodyguard. During the civil war between Constantine and Licinius, Martinian was appointed co-emperor by Licinius after the defeat at the battle of Adrianople. He was then sent to Lampsacus with his army to try to stop Constantine's armada, without any success. Licinius had to run away from Byzantium and was soon joined by Martinian for the Battle of Chrysopolis where they finally got crushed. Both Licinius and Martinian were later captured but had their lives spared by the intervention of Constantine's sister (and also Licinius'wife). But Constantine changed his mind and had them executed in 325 AD.
    This is the official version. In fact the only one told by modern historians. It is based on stories written by 2 historians, Zosimus and Aurelius Victor:

    Zosimus book 2 :2.25.2] He flattered himself that another army might be raised in Asia, which would enable him again to contend with his adversary. Arriving therefore at Chalcedon, and, having appointed Martinianus to the command of the court guards, whom the Romans call Magister officiorum, his associate in this dangerous enterprize, he declared him Caesar, and sent him with an army to Lampsacus, to hinder the passage of the enemy from Thrace into the Hellespont. He posted his own men on the hills and passes about Chalcedon.

    2.26.2] Licinius, though he then saw that Bithynia was already in the hands of his enemy, was rendered so desperate by danger, that he sent for Martinianus from Lampsacus, and in order to encourage his men to fight, told them that he himself would lead them. Having said what he thought necessary to encourage them, he drew them up in order of battle, and marching out of the city, met the enemy, who were prepared for him.

    2.28.2] He presumed that he certainly should escape with life, because Constantine had sworn to his wife that he would spare him. But Constantine delivered Martinianus to the guards that they might put him to death, and sent Licinius to Thessalonica, as if he were to live there in security. However, he afterwards broke his oath, which was usual with Constantine, and caused him to be executed.


    Aurelius Victor De Caesarib XLI : Constantine forces the entrenchments of Licinius at night, who flees, and rushes to Byzantium. There, he created Caesar Martinian, head of the palace servants. Constantine, victorious a second time on the battlefield, forced in Bithynia Licinius, to which he undertakes to give life, to give him, by the hands of his wife, the insignia of imperial power. He then relegated him to Thessaloniki, and soon he killed him with Martinian.

    [​IMG]
    A drawing of Martinian (1583 AD)

    But is it the whole truth? Let's talk about another possibility: Theophanes the Confessor (758 AD- 818 AD) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy, who became a monk and chronicler. He considers Martinianus as a usurper who would have proclaimed himself emperor shortly AFTER the death of Licinius and whose power would have lasted three months.
    [​IMG]
    Theophanes the Confessor

    Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus.
    According to a fragment of the history of Ammianus Marcellinus, Martinian, named Caesar in Byzantium, would have had, like Licinius, life saved after the lost war in Chalcedon, and Constantine would have killed them only AFTER A NEW REVOLT, Licinius in Thessaloniki and Martinian in Cappadocia:

    F2EF4FC8-C237-499F-B864-025059EF3AAC.jpeg
    By bringing the two stories together, we come to the conclusion that Martinian would have tried to resume the fight, and would even have remained completely independent in his revolt for some time. Can anyone tell me why nobody's considering this hypothesis?

    About the unknown origins of Martinian, it is interesting to notice that Cassius Dio mentionned a character named Martinianus in his Historicorum Graecorum Fragmenta : "At the news of Carus' revolt, Probus deliberated in council on the course to take. All remained silent; only a tribune named Martinian allowed himself to reproach Probus for his hesitation who put public affairs at risk, and persuaded him by the vehemence of his language to march without delay with his army against the rebel."
    This anecdote happened around 282 AD, about 42 years before the lost Battle of Chrysopolis. If we consider that the title Tribunus Militum was given to soldiers at the age of 25 years old and exceptionally sometimes at the age of 20, is it possible that the man who dared to advise an emperor was the same individual who later became co-emperor? The age of 20 or 25 years old that he would have had at the time, added to the 42 years since, gives that of sixty years, most certainly compatible with the high grade he had before his elevation to the title of Augustus, and which, moreover, happens to be about the same as that of Licinius at the same time. So maybe I'm crazy, but I like to think that we're talking about the same guy...

    About the coinage
    All known folles of Martinian's coinage have the same reverse:
    IOVI CONS-ERVATORI
    Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe and eagle-tipped sceptre;eagle with wreath at foot left, captive right. X over II Mu in right field.
    Two cities were minting coins for this emperor; Nicomedia and Cyzicus (less than 10% of Martinian's coins are from Cyzicus). The mintmark are SMN (+ the officinae letter) and SMK ( + the officinae letter) for Cyzicus. Here are the 4 different issues of the usurper according to the RIC:

    RIC VII Nicomedia 45 : with the obverse legend DNM MARTINIANVS PF AVG
    RIC VII Nicomedia 46 : with the obverse legend DNM MARTINIANO PF AVG
    RIC VII Nicomedia 47 : with the obverse legend DN MARTINIANVS PF AVG
    RIC VII Cyzicus 16 : with the obverse legend IM CS MAR MARTINIANVS PF AVS

    Let's talk now about this last Cyzicus issue. The RIC, most of Museums and auction's houses had misread its obverse legend. The error AVS instead of AVG has been noticed a long time ago. But carefully examine those examples and try to find where a mistake is make 99% of the time.

    B2FEE023-3AE8-42FF-99CE-41C12DB7E476.jpeg
    Collection Münzkabinett Wien

    [​IMG]
    Leu Numismatik AG June 2019

    [​IMG]
    CNG Triton XXI January 2018

    Did you find it ? The legend should read : MARTINIANVΓ not MARTINIANVS ! Even Cohen misread it and catalog it as MARTINIANV. Also in the last few years, some specimen from Cyzicus (SMK...) have been sold with what seem to be Nicomedia's obverse legend. Can we call them mules ?

    3622A522-319A-4A30-AE40-C7675D1093B6.jpeg
    [​IMG]
    Roma numismatics Sep 2019
    DNM MARTINIANO PF AVG but...SMKA

    06725443-A034-4588-9E65-D2A4598514F8.jpeg
    MDC Monaco Nov 2018
    Maybe the first "real" Cyzicus IM CS MAR MARTINIANVS PF AVS

    Sadly I can't afford one of Martinian's examples when they come in auctions. At least I had a Licinius with the same reverse. But please show us your own specimen or tell us what you think about this mysterious and unknown usurper !

    DE3D209F-A054-4E06-91E5-5AE2DBDCC755.jpeg

























     
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  3. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Thanks for the interesting write-up and coins.
     
  4. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    My Martinian substitute is the Constantine from that issue at Cyzicus RIC 14 page 645. Martinian is RIC 16 with Licinius falling between the two at 15. I like the hairstyle on this portrait.
    rv5079fd3302.jpg

    I don't consider the AVS to be an error but just a different way of looking at the proper way to abbreviate Augustus using the first and last of the word. Also note that Martinian used IM CS rather than IMP C for IMPERATOR CAESAR. I would not be surprised to find that the Martinian coins were produced by a separate team in a different location copying the mint mark.

    I have a Septimius Severus that uses AVS. It is an early product of the 'Emesa' mint. You might call it an error but I see the error possibly as not understanding the convention as used in ordinary mints rather than a simple letter substitution.
    Reverse VICTOR IVST AVS
    rg0640b01799lg.jpg

    Note the first and last system is found on this Byzantine anonymous follis with IC - XC for Jesus Christ(us).
    rz0490bb1107.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2020
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  5. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

    That is not totally true. Last September this example was sold for 50 € as a modern forgery by Inasta Spa. I do not buy counterfeit coins. But was it really a fake?

    EFFBB847-C6C1-417C-A7D0-5F58FBB8AB23.jpeg
    I'm asking the question because this follis is a double die match with this one sold by CNG one month ago:

    30CB8E47-F1F2-4124-BDDA-CB249E1DFF12.jpeg



    And this other one sold by Künker in 2008 :

    31BB17B8-A2D6-4A99-AE61-D405B54C2E2A.jpeg



    So you tell me; did I lose the bargain of my life or 2 guys paid mucho money for forgeries ?
     
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2020
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  6. Ricardo123

    Ricardo123 Well-Known Member

    I not understand ? Can somebody have a explanation for real or fake ?
     
  7. Alegandron

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

    Nice info and write-up, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix . I hope you are successful finding a reasonable cost example.

    Martinian is on my hit list, and I am bummed that I do not have one.
     
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