was butchered near Spoletum, at a place thenceforward called the "bloody bridge.” Eutropius only remarks, that he died after an obscure reign of three months (Zonaras says four,) but does not hint that he was murdered; what he says, however, is sufficient to shew clearly that Emilian came between Gallus and Valerian, and vanished in A. D. 254. The character of this Prince labours under the same conflicting uncertainty as his end; but he must have had much personal merit, to have raised himself from the humblest to the highest stations. He seems to have been brave without rashness; and had he lived, would probably have accomplished the promises he made to the Senate, of clearing the empire from all its enemies, by driving the Goths out of Thrace, and the Persians out of Mesopotamia. According to some authors, he governed with mildness and moderation; according to others, he was arbitrary and tyrannical, acting more like a soldier than a prince, and doing many things highly unbecoming an Emperor. Pedrusi abuses him as barbarous and sordid; and, irritated at his vile extraction, asserts" non era capace di spiriti nobili, e generosi.” As these invectives go beyond what can be proved by evidence, I cannot agree with him; nor altogether with the peroration which a modern historian has delivered, in these words:" He got the empire by treachery and ingratitude, kept it without any reputation, and lost it shamefully.' دو Though some fastidious authors will hardly admit the title of this Emperor, his reign is one of interest to numismatists and antiquaries. The employment of Comes Domesticorum, so celebrated in the fourth century, now first appears as the Commander of the Domestici, or household guards; they were superior to the Prætorians in rank; and were, under the Christian Emperors, honoured with the sacred Labarum. Comes, (whence the modern term Count,) was therefore already a title of dignity, and does not, as some imagine, owe its original to Constantine. There is also some slight medallic evidence, that the despotic appellation of Dominus was assumed as a title by Emilian; though the "Domino Nostro Cæsari Æmiliano fortissimo principi" of Goltzius, seems rather suspicious. A Roman mintage in honour of Emilian took place, in each of the metals, and of the three general sizes; for there are even assaria with the S. C.; but they are all, together with the Colonial and Greek-Imperial coins, of great rarity, and, I believe, no Egyptian ones have been found. As the large-brass are especially valuable, and the head bears a considerable resemblance to that of Philip Senior, the falsarii have ingeniously, but roguishly, made some transformations to cheat the unwary. Yet about this time, strange mistakes occur, even on medals which are undoubtedly true; and such incongruous reverses appear, that it seems as if, on the accession of a new Emperor, only the portrait was shifted; as was the case, a few years ago, with the English local tokens. It is not in the close observance of such types as the Apollo, and Diana Venatrix, which might have been re-engraven, that this is so apparent, as in the legends" Concordia Augg." and "Eternitas Augg." which, from their plural form, if not relating to this Emperor's wife, must have belonged to Gallus, Hostilianus, or Volusianus. Emilian was married to Caia vel Cnea Cornelia Supera, a Princess known only by her medals, which, of the Latin mint, are restricted to silver and small-brass, and are of extreme rarity. She was formerly assigned as a wife to Valerian Junior; while others gave her to Gallus; but the judicious Eckhel produces medallic and irrefragable proof that those opinions are erroneous, and restores the lady to her true place. On a denarius shewn me, in the museum of the Benedictine Convent of S. Martino, near Palermo, she seems about 30 years of age, having good features, and her hair arranged somewhat similar to Etruscilla's, but with a band at the hinder part of the head. The bust is placed upon a crescent, perhaps in recollection of Cicero's " Infra Lunam jam nihil est nisi mortale et caducum, supra Lunam sunt æterna omnia." See note to p. 262. CCCCLXXXIV. Obverse. IMP. CAES. AEMILIANVS P. F. AVG. (Imperator Cæsar Emilianus, Pius, Felix, Augustus.) The laureated head of the Emperor, with short hair, a close but thick beard, and a sensible middle-aged countenance, with somewhat of a Moorish cast. This medal, though mishapen from the mint, is in very excellent preservation, and partially tinged with greenish patina; it was one of the Maltese hoard. See No. CCCXCV. Reverse. VICTORIA AVG. Victoria Augusti.) In the field S. C. A winged Victory in transparent robes-" tenues sinuantur flamina vestes "-marching across the field, with a palm-branch in one hand, and a laurel crown in the other. The decree which had declared Æmilian a public enemy, was now rescinded; he was invested with the imperial power and honours, and his late victory over the Goths celebrated by the medal before us. Some have supposed it to commemorate his advantage over Gallus, which is very unlikely, as there was no battle. Gibbon thinks the conflict was with new swarms of Barbarians, who did not hold themselves bound by the obligation into which their brethren had entered with the Romans; but Pomponius Lætus, self-styled Infortunatus, whose advantages were surpassed only by his enthusiasm. and diligence, expressly says-" Cum Scythæ, solertissimum latrocinandi genus, contenti pretio non essent." CCCCLXXXV. Obverse. IMP. CAES. AEMILIANVS P. F. AVG. (Imperator Cæsar Emilianus, Pius, Felix, Augustus.) The laurelled head of the Emperor, with details as before, but the expression more placid, and the robes over the shoulders better expressed. This medal, though mishapen, is in admirable perfection, and varnished with brown patina; it was obtained at Lepanto, in 1820. Reverse. SPES PVBLICA. In the field S. C. The figure of Hope, attired in transparent drapery, and holding the blossom, as on No. XXXIX. This device expresses the general wish for an auspicious government, and an anticipation of the fulfilment of the Emperor's promises. But the great and good Valerian was advancing with forced marches, and the hope faded before his approach, so that, according to Eutropius, "tertio mense extinctus est" that writer, however, must have reckoned Æmilian's reign only from the death of Gallus-and not from Obverse. IMP. CAES. AEMILIANVS P. F. AVG. (Imperator Cæsar Emilianus, Pius, Felix, Some difficulty occurs as to the date of these medals, from the circumstance of there being legends with TRIB. POT. I., which must have beeen in A. D. 253: but the coins which bear them were Colonial, as is evident from the numeral. And Æmilian having only reached Rome early in A. D. 254, we may safely assign all the Latin mintage to that year. It should be added that the three medals which record the Consulship, as mentioned by Angeloni, Tanini, and Mezzo-barba, are doubted. This circumstance of the Tribunitian Power appears to have escaped the recollection of the ablest forgers; and I have before me a coin which has been fabricated from a Philip Senior, with the portrait carefully tooled to resemble the Moorish expression of Emilian, and the legend apparently so perfect as to deceive any eye, but that of an experienced medallist-yet the reverse has been left P. M. TR. P. IIII. COS. II. P. P.! CCCCLXXXVII. Obverse. IMP. CAES. AEMILIANVS P. F. AVG. (Imperator Cæsar Emilianus, Pius, Felix, Augustus.) The laureated profile of the Emperor, with close hair and beard, and grave but intelligent features. This rare medal seems to have received a bruise in minting, but is otherwise in the highest perfection though scarcely patinated; it was one of those found at Malta, as described under No. CCCXCV. Reverse. APOLL. CONSERVAT. (Apollini Conservatori.) In the field S. C. Apollo Lyristes, beardless and crinite, stands, as the author of all harmony, with a branch of laurel in his right hand, and his left supporting a lyre which rests on a rock. See No. CCCCLXXX. Apollo was a most popular deity, though Lucian stigmatized him as a vain and lying fortune-teller. He appears upon the medals of all sizes and metals of this reign; not in the feminine apparel of the Palatine statue, but as a noble youth, delicate yet vigorous, with limbs free, and an attitude not very dissimilar from that of the immortal Apollo Venator, thus celebrated by a poet of our day "Or view the Lord of the unerring bow, This poetic description of what, to my own feeling, is the finest statue in the world, must be softened by the prose one of Master Edmund Warcupp, who wrote for "General Satisfaction," in 1660:-"In the fifth armory (of the Vatican) is the Apollo Pitheo, with a serpent at his feet, and carcase having a piece of cloth upon one arm, a bow and arrows in his hand, and all over naked." It should be noticed, that modern antiquaries, if they see a serpent, however peaceful its attitude, as an attribute of Apollo, will have it to be Python,-whereas it is merely an emblem of the God of Health. VALERIANUS. Publius Licinius Valerianus * was born of a noble family, A. D. 190; and served with such signal reputation, in the principal civil and military employments of the State, under both good and bad emperors, that he was judged worthy of supreme authority, before he attained it. He rose to the consular dignity A. D. 237; and was deputed by the Africans, in the following year, to advocate the cause of the Gordians, at Rome. When the office of Censor was revived, A. D. 251, Valerian, who was then serving in Thrace, was unanimously named by the Senate, for that important station, saying :-"Let Valerian be Censor: let him, who has no faults of his own, note and correct the faults of others; he, whose prudence, modesty, and gravity, become the Senator; who is the friend of good men, the foe of tyrants; the enemy of vice, illustrious by descent, correct in life, eminent for learning, unexcelled in morals, the counterpart of antiquity." Being ordered against Æmilian, his soldiers, on learning the death of Gallus, invested him with the Purple A. D. 253, and their choice was confirmed in the following year. In A. D. 258 he marched to oppose the Persians, who were laying waste Asia-Minor with fire and sword; where, about two years afterwards, he had the misfortune to fall into the hands of the cruel Sapor, who had been worrying the Romans from the time of the Gordians. Here the venerable sovereign underwent the Væ Victis! so often uttered by his countrymen ; and after suffering the most brutal indignities, died in captivity, about A. D. 263, in the 74th year of his age. His calamity was commiserated by all the princes of the earth, save his son Gallienus,-who, however, taking advantage of a report of his death, deified him. On Valerian was undoubtedly a man of integrity and praise-worthy conduct, and must have steered clear of the vices of those dissolute times, or he could not have obtained such an established and popular character: but his capacity appears to have been over-rated; and it may be doubted whether he were not deficient in the activity, discretion, and resolution required in emergencies. his accession, he studied to justify the great opinion which the world had conceived of him. He enacted many excellent laws, advanced men of merit, moderated the taxes, suppressed many prevalent disorders of the age, and, had he remained merely a Censor at Rome, might have preserved the affections of the Senate and the People. He began by treating the Christians with singular kindness and humanity; but in the third year of his reign, instigated by one Macrianus, an Egyptian Conjuror, commenced a furious persecution against them, throughout To these names Victor the Younger adds "Colobius," which does not appear upon medals. the whole empire; and many thousands of these victims were put to unheard-of tortures and shameful deaths, in the hope of averting the plague! For this the learned Dr. Holyday-who owns that he felt a divine rapture in publishing poetry -thus lashes him "Valerian Christians vext, Sapores flay'd him, How cruelty helps justice! they repaid him." The captivity of Valerian threw the Empire into the deepest affliction, being the most signal disgrace which had befallen the Romans, since the defeat of Crassus, or, indeed, since the foundation of their City. But whether he was fairly taken in the field, or perfidiously seized during a conference is uncertain. The haughty Persian tarnished the glory of his success by ungenerous insolence towards his unfortunate prisoner. After having exhibited him loaded with chains, over purple robes, he made him his footstool, while mounting his horse; jocosely remarking, that this posture was a better proof of who had conquered, than all the pictures which the Romans could paint."* The unhappy and aged Emperor endured the humiliations of the vilest slaves; and, after death, his body was flayed, and the skin, died red and stuffed with straw, was exposed to public derision in a temple.† The medals of Valerian are found in every form and metal, as well Latin, as Greek-Imperial, Colonial, and Egyptian; the most common being the silver, the middle and the small-brass. Numerous sestertii were struck, but with trite reverses, resembling those of the other Emperors about that time, as Apollo, Fides, Salus, Concordia, Securitas, and Votis Decennalibus. Some of these are poor in design, and clumsy in shape; wherefore those are most prized which have roundness, and a fair spread. One of the denarii bears a type of Diana the huntress, drawing an arrow from its quiver, inscribed RELIGIO; a legend which otherwise only appears on a medal of Marcus Aurelius. See No. CCL. See No. CCL. Another denarius bears DEO VOLKANO, which from the orthography, was probably not struck at Rome. The types of this hard-working God-alike ridiculed for his lameness, which was his misfortune, and his dirtiness, which was the fault of his trade-are very scarce, and supremely so upon large-brass he is usually represented meanly attired, with a beard and matted hair, as when he officiously limped into the berth of Ganymede :— "Vulcan with awkward grace his office plies, And unextinguish'd laughter shakes the skies. " The triumphs of Sapor, and his contest with Valerian, were the subjects of many sculptures in bas-relief, several of which are still extant. The account of Agathias, that the aged Monarch was skinned alive, and rubbed with salt, is not corroborated by any other ancient historian. Occo says "Tandem ipsum crudellissimâ morte, à cervicibus cute ad imos pedes detractâ, necavit." |