Portraits Of Power - The Faces Of Imperial Rome

Pupienus, 22 April - 29 July 238


AR Antoninianus
IMP CAES PVPIEN MAXIMVS AVG, Radiate, draped bust right
CARITAS MVTVA AVGG, Clasped hands


Born between 165-170, Pupienus and his colleague Balbinus were the last Roman emperors to have lived during the Nerva-Antonine period. Little is known with certainty of Pupienus' early life, except that he was a relatively minor member of the aristocratic class. Attaining maturity early in the Severan period, Pupienus was promoted through the ranks and was granted a suffect consulship in 207, after which he was sent to serve as the governor of Germania, where he secured victory over the Sarmatians and other minor tribes. He held the full consulship twice, in 222 and 234, and also served as Urban Prefect over Rome, where he was recognized for capable but at times excessively strict rule.

He was among the senators wholly dissatisfied with the rule of Maximinus Thrax, and was an avid supporter of the Gordians, serving on a panel of twenty senior senators to safeguard the city as they waited for their emperors to arrive. Gordian and his son were killed, however, and Maximinus was now on the war path to Rome. In a near-panic, the senators elected Pupienus and Balbinus as co-emperors and granted them both the title of Pontifex Maximus. The memory of his harsh term as Urban Prefect still fresh in the minds of the populace, rioting broke out among the citizens of Rome. Leaving Balbinus in Rome to deal with the unrest, Pupienus marched to Ravenna to prepare for the arrival of Maximinus, but Maximinus and his son were murdered by their own soldiers the following month, leaving Pupienus and Balbinus unchallenged. Despite the lack of a competing Imperial claimant, the former armies of Maximinus had to be bought, and it is probably for this purpose that the Antoninianus was reintroduced, which had been abolished about 18-19 years prior under Elagabalus.

The situation was no less deadly, however. Although little detail survives, there seems to have been a deeply seated rivalry between the disciplinarian Pupienus and his more amicable Balbinus, and both suspected the other of treachery; steps taken to safeguard one were seen as preparations for a coup by the other. Under pressure from the public and Senatorial factions who were loyal to the Gordians, both emperors adopted the teenaged Gordian III as their Caesar. The Praetorians meanwhile came to resent their aristocratic emperors, and hoped that the young Gordian would make a more suitable and pliable emperor. Pupienus begged Balbinus to call for the loyal German bodyguard, but Balbinus refused, suspecting that he would be murdered as soon as they arrived. The two emperors were arguing when the Praetorians burst in, dragged both of them away, and hacked them to bits. Pupienus was about 73 years old.

Wow Steve!....Lovely portraits on the Balbinus and Pupienus 'pricey coins'!.Congrats on obtaining these tough rulers in such nice condition.....Like the run through on the Thrax coins too..

RIC 7A Minted AD 235-236

Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III


AE23 Hadrianopolis, Thrace
CAB TRANKYΛΛEINA CEB, diademed and draped bust right
AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Artemis running right, holding bow, drawing arrow from quiver behind shoulder, dog running at her feet.


AE23 of Deultum, Thrace
SAB TRANQVILLINA AVG, Draped bust right
CO FL PAC DEVLT, Artemis advancing left, holding bow and arrows, dog at feet
(Due to the extreme rarity of Tranquillina's imperial issues, these AEs of Deultum are about the closest we can get!)

Tranquillina was the daughter of Praetorian Prefect Timesitheus, and married emperor Gordian III in 241, when they were both about 16 years old. Very little detail survives of her life, but their marriage of three years did not produce an heir. She and Gordian were still married when the latter died in 244, and she appears to have returned to life as a private citizen.

Inexplicably, imperial coins of Tranquillina are among the rarest and most coveted of all Roman empresses, commanding thousands of dollars for even modest examples, which seldom appear more than once every few years. While not common by any means, provincial coins of Tranquillina are much more plentiful, and variously feature both the married couple and Tranquillina alone.

Good update, Steve. I know that busts on Gordian III ants are often of superior style, but that last coin of yours (the second ant) is exceptional. And the same can be said of the Balbinus and Pupienus ants from a couple weeks back. Wow.

Philip I "The Arab", 244-249


AR Antoninianus
IMP C M IVL PHILIPPVS PF AVG P M, Radiate draped bust right
PAX FVNDATA CVM PERSIS, Pax standing left, holding scepter and olive branch
*Minted as propaganda following Philip's surrender to the Persians - urging the population to see the large indemnity paid not as tribute, but as the price of a lasting and amicable peace


AR Antoninianus
IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, Radiate, draped bust right
AEQVITAS AVGG, Equity standing left, holding scales and cornucopia
*Minted to celebrate the elevation of Philip II to Augustus


AE Sestertius
IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right
SAECVLARES AVGG SC, She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus
*Minted to celebrate the Ludi Saeculares, 248 AD to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Rome


AE As
IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, Larueate, draped bust right
SAECVLARES AVGG S C, Cippus inscribed COS III
*Also minted for the Secular Games, and likely distributed to the crowds as a prize, as the As was a nearly-worthless denomination by this point!

Born in about 204 in Arabia Petraea, Philip I "The Arab" came from humble provincial origins. Coinage attests his father as Julius Marinus for whom a limited deification issue exists. He began his career as a soldier, and suddenly found himself as the emperor Gordian III's right hand man when his brother was elevated to the office of Praetorian Prefect, but stepped down in favor of Philip. Philip succeeded the teenaged Gordian III in early 244; historians are deeply divided on whether Philip was behind the death of his predecessor. At any rate, Philip saw the campaign against Shapur I as lost, and negotiated a peace treaty on terms humiliating to Rome: half a million aureii and severance of ties with Armenia in exchange for the cessation of hostilities.

Sending the ashes of Gordian III ahead of him, Philip then made haste to Rome, to ensure he arrived before any potential rivals. On his arrival, he was ratified by the Senate, and elevated his young son Philip II to Caesar and his wife Otacilia Severa to Augusta. Already under great financial stress from the peace treaty, Philip futher stretched his money to re-found his home town as Philippopolis. He was in great need of revenue at this point, so he was forced to increase taxes across the empire, and stopped sending money to keep peace with the barbarian tribes to the north. He successfully pushed back invasions by the Carpi in 246 and 247 as a result of the cessation of subsidies.

In 248 AD, Rome celebrated the 1000th anniversary of her founding by Romulus and Remus, and Philip organized lavish Secular games for the occasion. Things soon began to fall apart, however, as barbarian raids over the Limes became more frequent, and usurpers started coming out of the woodworks, with Pacatian and Jotapian being the most pressing threats. The revolt of Jotapian fizzled out due to a lack of funds, but Pacatian presented a major threat to Philip's power. Overwhelmed, Philip offered to abdicate power to the Senate, but was pressured into sending Decius to deal with the revolt of Pacatian. Decius was successful, and unexpectedly was proclaimed emperor by his troops. He reluctantly accepted, and in 249 marched on Rome. Philip was killed in the resulting battle near Verona, aged about 45.

Philip is notable among the rulers of this time period for being extremely lenient towards Christians; he communicated openly with Origen, and is said to have attended at least one Easter mass. Some go on to claim Philip was the first Christian emperor, although his holding of the office of Pontifex Maximus seems to discredit that claim.

Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip I


AR Antoninianus
MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right, on crescent
PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia (modesty) seated left, holding scepter and drawing veil away from face

Hailing from an old and established Marcia family, Otacilia Severa was the daughter of Otacilius Severus, governor of Macedon and Moesia. She does not appear to have been related to the Severan dynasty, despite her name. She married Philip I in 234 and they had Philip II three years later in 237. Like her husband, it was rumored that she was a Christian, although evidence falls short of proving she was anything more than merely sympathetic toward the religion. Very little detail survives of her personality or life. After the death of her husband and son in 249, her life was spared and she retired to obscurity.

Yep a lovely run of coins Steve!....
Really do like the strong portrait on your first Ant of Philip I..
I don't know about you but imo Maximinus Thrax and Philip I coins, for anyone on a budget, are the best looking portraits you can find for the bucks....
Here's my Philip father-son combo....


PS....Sweet looking OS too!