Carthage And The Quinquegentiani

The Quinquegentiani (People of the Five Tribes) were a confederation of Berbers in North Africa. They were under Roman rule, but rebelled in A.D. 289 and were successful for a few years until Maximianus Herculius launched a series of devastating attacks starting in A.D. 296-297 and finishing in A.D. 298, after which, the Quinquegentiani were never heard of again. "On 10 March (A.D. 298) Herculius entered Carthage in triumph after the completion of his African campaign" RIC VI pg 23


The coinage from Carthage struck during this period references the campaign against the Quinquegentiani as the mint was only opened because of the war. When Maximainus arrived in Carthage sometime in 296- 297, he needed to open a mint to have funds to pay for the war. The types struck in Carthage were also specific to the city and not struck anywhere else in the Empire. The coin type commonly struck throughout the Empire at this time was the GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, a type which Carthage did not even strike. The types Carthage minted were specific to Carthage and current events, like FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN, SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS AVCTA KART and CONSERVATORES KART SVAE which all reference the campaign and demonstrate how grateful the citizens of Carthage were to Maximianus for their salvation from the Quinquegentiani.

"The reverses of either kind[referencing the SALVIS types], are to be referred to Herculius' presence in Africa, his successes against the Quinquegentiani, and in particular his final and triumphal prescence in Carthage itself, where he was in residence as late as March 298." RIC VI pg 415


Trier also issued a type which referenced these events- the FORTVNAE REDUCI reverse—"these should echo the successful termination of Constantius' Rhenish campaigns by 299 and of Herculius' African campaign (followed by his visit to Rome) in 298" RIC VI pg 149

below are some examples of the Carthage coinage for Maximianus, though these types were struck for all the Tetrarchy rulers.






Maximianus
A.D. 297- 298
30x31mm 9.9gm
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN; Africa standing left, holding labarum and tusk; at feet, lion with captured bull, in left field H
in ex. PKB
RIC VI Carthage 25b





Maximianus
A.D. 298- 9
26x27mm 10.4gm
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; Laureate head right.
SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS AVCTA KART; Carthage standing facing, head left, holding fruits in both hands.
In ex. B
RIC VI Carthage 27b





Maximianus
A.D. 307
24mm 7.3gm
IMP MAXIMIANVS SEN AVG; laureate head right.
CONSERVATORES KART SVAE; Carthage standing facing, head left, holding fruits in both hands, within hexastyle temple with plain pediment.
In ex. PKA
RIC VI Carthage 59