Had an itch for some Byzantine but at the same time I had to keep it cheap, so I ended up getting these two
great-looking 
folles of the emperors Phocas and Constans II. Two emperors not represented in my collection and a mint I didn't have before (Syracuse for Constans II) for $20 shipped. I think I did ok.
Phocas (aka Focas) became Roman emperor after rebelling against and deposing the previous emperor, Maurice Tiberius. At first he was well-liked, mainly due to his reforms and his support of the church, but this changed as he became more of a tyrant. His execution of Maurice gave the Sassanid Empire an excuse to break the peace treaty it had with the Byzantine Empire and start what was to be the last of the seven-centuries long Roman-Persian wars. It would be the revolt of Heraclius and his son Heraclius Constantine that would prove to be Phocas's downfall.
In 608 AD, the Column of Phocas was erected in Rome, becoming the last addition to the Roman Forum.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhocasPhocas, Byzantine emperor (ruled 602-610 AD)
AE Follis
Obv: DM FOCAE PP AVG, Phocas on left holding cross on globe, Leontia, nimbate, on right holding scepter topped with cross, both standing, cross between their heads
Rev: Large m, ANNO to left, I to right, cross above, CONA in ex
Constantinople mint, struck 603 AD
Ref: SB 639
(seller's photos)
Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), early 7th century AD (from Wiki):
The grandson of Emperor Heraclius, Constans II became the ruler of a much reduced and weakened Byzantine Empire: most of the Balkans had been taken by barbarians, and all its territories from Syria to Egypt were recently conquered by the Arabs; land that had belonged to the empire since the days of the first Roman emperors. After managing to defeat the former group and making peace with the latter, Constans turned his attention to matters of the church.
After having his brother executed (thinking he would have revolted against him eventually), he grew to be extremely disliked by the populace. Fearing the anger of the people and potential retaliation, Constans moved to Syracuse in Byzantine-controlled Sicily. During this time he became the only Roman emperor in two centuries to visit the city of Rome, by then a small (around 15-30,000 people), yet influential town in Byzantine Italy. Rumors that Constans was going to move the Byzantine capital to Syracuse probably led to his assassination in 668 AD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans_IIConstans II, Byzantine emperor (ruled 641-668 AD)
AE Follis
Obv: MPER CONST, Constans standing facing, no beard, holding cross on globe
Rev: Large m,
ANA to left, NEOC to right, epsilon SCs in ex
Syracuse mint
Ref: SB 1103
(seller's photos)
Byzantine Empire during Constans II's reign (from Wiki):
Posted 09/05/2013 12:47 am
