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Posted 12/06/2011 9:49 pm
Galerius is the name modern folks choose to call Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus while we use the name Maximianus for Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus. Both men used the name Maximianus on their coins. Sometimes each used more of the name on coins making it clear but sometimes they used only the Maximianus portion leaving coin collectors to figure it out. The only real answer is to find a coin in the catalog. In some cases the scholars had to consider such things as weight standards to separate similar issues so this is a bit of a problem for a lot of us. Most are easy but some are not. I have a page:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/do...ith/max.html
This sort of thing sometimes leads us to assign numerals but why we didn't go with Maximianus II I can not say. Since there is also a Maximinus II (no a), that would have done little good when it comes to making all this easy.
Such matters are not limited to the Maxes. Consider there were two emperors who issued coins with legends reading Antoninus Pius (Caracalla and Elagabalus - neither of which names was ever written on coins) but the ruler we call Antoninus Pius used legends reading Antoninus Augustus Pius but not just Antoninus Pius. We need to remember that modern historians don't always choose the same names exactly as preferred in the day by the actual emperors but sometimes change things to make things easier for them.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/do...ith/max.html
This sort of thing sometimes leads us to assign numerals but why we didn't go with Maximianus II I can not say. Since there is also a Maximinus II (no a), that would have done little good when it comes to making all this easy.
Such matters are not limited to the Maxes. Consider there were two emperors who issued coins with legends reading Antoninus Pius (Caracalla and Elagabalus - neither of which names was ever written on coins) but the ruler we call Antoninus Pius used legends reading Antoninus Augustus Pius but not just Antoninus Pius. We need to remember that modern historians don't always choose the same names exactly as preferred in the day by the actual emperors but sometimes change things to make things easier for them.
