Herennius Etruscus - Closing The Gaps

Already had this package in flight a few weeks ago, and received it on Friday.

Herennius Etruscus as Caesar (249-early 251)
AR Antoninianus
Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C
PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Apollo seated, holding branch and resting elbow on lyre
RIC 146


 

Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius was about 22 years old when he took to the campaign trail with his father Trajan Decius to deal with the usurper Pacatianus on behalf of the emperor Philip I. Decius was victorious, and the army declared him emperor. He marched on Rome, soundly defeated Philip, and was ratified as emperor in 249. Decius nominated his older son  Herennius as Caesar to establish the dynasty he had envisoned.

Etruscus was named consul at the beginning of 251, and was elevated to co-Augustus with his father. In mid 251, he and his father set off on the campaign trail to punish the Gothic king Cniva for his raids on the Roman frontier. His mother Herennia Etruscilla and younger brother Hostilian were left behind in Rome. They enjoyed some initial success until the met the forces of Cniva at the Battle of Abrittus. Expecting to do battle against horde of barbarians, they met an organized army and were cornered against an impassable swamp. There Etruscus died of a fatal dose of arrow to the chest, being the first Roman emperor to die in battle against a foreign army. Decius rallied the remnants of his troops for a final stand, and met a similar fate.

As the news of this humiliating defeat spread, the armies in the provinces declared Trebonianus Gallus as emperor, while Hostilian was named Augustus as the rightful heir to the throne. Gallus adopted Hostilian to prevent a civil war. Hostilian died just two months later of a plague outbreak, and Gallus fell deeply out of favor for offering tribute to the barbarians for peace, which they accepted but continued their raids anyway. Regardless of whether Decius' planned reforms were setting Rome back on the right track, the deaths of Decius and Etruscus sent Rome spiraling out of control.

The coin was actually in a 4 coin lot that I won for $96, and contained a nice Otacilla Severa (another hole in my collection), a nice Gordian III (a flipper) and a rougher Valerian I (also a flipper). With this hole filled, I am only missing Florian (also in the mail), and Aemilian to complete the complete run of bona fide emperors of the Crisis.