Browse Items (81 total)

We do not know much about Gaius Hosidius Geta, son of Gaius, the individual who minted this coin in 68 BCE. We know that he was a triumvir monetalis, one of the three men in charge of minting coins during the Roman Republic. The boar on the back is…

The story of Medusa as recounted by Ovid, first century BCE, is a sad one. Medusa starts out as a beautiful young maiden whose long, golden hair enticed the god Neptune. She was violated in the temple of Minerva - of course angering the chaste…

This coin marks a radical departure from the typical Roman Republican coinage that almost always featured the head of Roma on the obverse. Janus graces the obverse of this coin, and, after this point, it becomes more and more common to put different…

Magnentius began his career under Constantine the Great as a successful military general. He was very popular among his troops and, in response to the inattentive rule of Constans, was proclaimed emperor in 350 CE. Constantius II did not accept this…

Constans II was baptized as Herakleios and reigned under the name Constantine, but Constans II was used in older texts and is now his standard nickname. He was the last emperor to ever serve as consul, in 642 CE, and also the first emperor in over…

Constantine is one of the most famous emperors from Roman history. He was the first emperor to legalize Christianity and possibly the first to convert to it.

The famous story says that, just before the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 307 CE,…

Theodora was the second wife of Constantius I, father of Constantine the Great. (Constantine’s mother was Constantius I’s first wife, Helena, who is now considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church). Theodora was also the (step?) daughter of…

Tetricus is unique in the age of emperors who kill for power and are then killed for the same in return. After the death of Victorinus in 271 CE, Tetricus was called upon by Victorinus’ mother, Vitruvia (possibly Victoria), to take the throne. He…

Victorinus was consul under Postumus in 267 CE. After the death of Postumus, Victorinus was hailed as emperor by his troops who then moved against a rival, Marius, in 269 CE. Marius was soon defeated; regardless, Victorinus was murdered not long…

Maurice was appointed by Tiberius II to be his successor and he married Tiberius II’s daughter, Constantina. A successful general, he halted the advance of the Sassanid Persians, and for the first time in nearly two hundred years, the Romans no…