Ok, not exactly the Julio-Claudian Tiberius, but rather the less-famous yet still very interesting Maurice Tiberius.
I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the solidii after Justinian, since many seem to have something I don't like (bad style, clipped, slightly off-center, bent, incomplete legends), and while the reverse isn't completely perfect, it is very passable, and the obverse even more so. The nice bust style and the almost 100% complete legends (the reverse is missing an "I" and most of an "A" ) are what sold this coin for me. And it was at a pretty decent price for a solidus!
Make some noise for M-Tibs!
Maurice Tiberius, Byzantine EmpireAV solidus
Obv: D N mAVRC TIb PP AVI, diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger in left hand
Rev: VICTORI-A AVGG #8710;, Victory standing facing, holding long staff surmounted with staurogram in left hand and globus cruciger in right hand
Mint: Constantinople
Mintmark: CONOB
Ref: SB 476
Size: 4.29 g., 21 mm wide
Facts & History:
Maurice's full name was Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus, and he was born in Arabissus, Cappadocia in 539 AD.
His first language was Greek, but during his rule, Latin was still the dominant language of the government. This situation remained until the Emperor Heraclius later implemented Greek as the empire's official language.
Maurice ruled the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire from 582-602 AD. He was preceded by Tiberius II Constantine and succeeded by Phocas.
Before becoming emperor, Maurice was a notarius (a public secretary), and later, the secretary to Tiberius, the commander of the imperial guard (the same Tiberius that became Tiberius II Constantine).
Before and during his reign, the empire once again went to war with Sassanian Persia, starting in 572. The war began after several years of dealing with each other's enemies and fighting proxy wars, and was fought in Mesopotamia, Syria, and Armenia. The turning point came when the Byzantines won at Solachon in 586. Towards the end of the war, in 589, a civil war erupted in Persia, and the Byzantines backed the Persian rebels led by Khosrau II against the reigning Sassanian king.
Maurice also went to war against the Avars and the Slavs, two barbarian tribes terrorizing the Byzantine Balkans. The campaigns against these two adversaries ended up being the very last time that the Roman Empire would fight barbarian tribes coming from across its borders. With the empire preoccupied with Persia, the Avars and Slavs gained the upper hand, taking many Roman settlements including Sirmium (which was totally destroyed) and Singidunum. After the Byzantine victory in the Persian war, Maurice refocused and doubled his efforts in containing the barbarian threat. His victory, and his work in strengthening the Balkan frontier was undone with his death.
The Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa were founded under Maurice's rule. These were special provinces were the exarch held both ultimate civil and military authority. The Exarchate of Ravenna was vital in curbing the Lombards (a Germanic tribe) in Italy.
The Strategikon was written while Maurice was emperor. Often attributed to him, but possibly written by someone else under his authority, this manual of war details the many facets, strategies, and other related topics on the Eastern Roman military, and details several enemies of the Byzantines, such as the Lombards, Franks, Avars, Slavs, and Turks.
In 602 AD, troops defending the Danube frontier rebelled and proclamed the officer Phocas as emperor. Maurice and his family fled but were soon captured by Phocas's men. Maurice watched as his sons were executed, and the deposed emperor himself was beheaded.
Phocas's murder of Maurice led the Sassanian king Khosrau to declare war against the Byzantine Empire. Maurice had backed Khosrau, and the latter considered him his "friend and father", but his death was merely an excuse for Khosrau to enlarge the Sassanian Empire. The war that resulted became the longest-lasting and most devastating of conflicts between the Romans and the Persians. The Romans /Byzantines ultimately won in 628 AD, but both empires were greatly weakened, and this allowed the Muslim Arabs to quickly expand and gain dominance when they embarked on their conquests.
Roman Empire (and surrounding areas) during Maurice's reign, in 600 AD:
Posted 07/18/2016 9:40 pm
