The Roman Empire
Gallienus, 253 – 268. Aureus, Roma 253-254, AV 2.94 g.
Description: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust r. Rev. IOVI CONSERVA Jupiter standing l., holding thunderbolt and sceptre. References: C 350
Göbl 25 p (these dies)
RIC 76
Calicó 3515 Condition: A portrait of great beauty, work of a skilled master-engraver. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Provenance: NAC sale 31, 2005, 98
NAC sale 62, 2011, Markoff, 2069
Ira & Larry Goldberg sale 69, 2012, 3606 Note: Gallienus is one of the most interesting and enigmatic of all Roman emperors. Throughout his uncharacteristically long reign of 15 years, he fought on all fronts to keep Rome’s enemies at bay. Meanwhile, he survived perhaps a dozen serious coups and revolts within the empire. From a statistical point of view his reign was a disaster: he lost the western provinces to the rebel Postumus, and he lost most of the Roman east to the Palmyrene king Odenathus. What remained of the central empire was in chaos until the day Gallienus died at the hands of assassins. What is seldom considered, however, is how badly the odds were stacked against Gallienus, and how an emperor with less dedication, talent and ingenuity would not have lasted so long. Clearly, Gallienus operated at a level of genius few possessed or appreciated, and for which few historians have given him sufficient credit. He suffered the deaths of his two sons and the capture of his father, yet he continued the struggle. Indeed, if we believe the characteristically biased sources for this period, Gallienus found solace in every imaginable vice and distraction: sloth, alcohol, philosophy, the arts, adultery and materialism. Much as historians have rightly cast doubts on the extremes of Tierius’ behaviour whilst exiled on Rhodes and Capri, we should extend the same benefit of the doubt to Gallienus. Even if most of his bad press is in some way based in truth, we must appreciate the balance he managed to achieve while a collapsing world was set squarely on his shoulders.