★ "Pedigreed to 1994" ★

Vitellius AD 69. Rome
Denarius AR

18 mm, 3,19 g

A VITELLIVS GERMANICVS IMP, bare head of Vitellius to right / CONCORDIA•P•R, Concordia seated left, holding patera in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left

Beautiful deep old cabinett tone, a very expressive portrait of Vitellius, some light marks on both sides, otherwise Good Very Fine.

BMC 1; Coh. 21; RIC² 66.

From the collection of a hanseatic "Römerfreund". Pedigreed to Münzhandlung Gilles Blancon 1994 (Hannover). Vitellius was a Roman emperor who briefly ruled in the Year of the Four Emperors. He reigned for a very short period in AD 69, often referred to as the "Year of the Four Emperors" because it was a year of intense political turmoil and civil war in the Roman Empire. After the suicide of Emperor Nero in AD 68, Galba, the governor of Hispania, declared himself emperor. However, Galba's rule was unpopular among the Roman legions, and as a result, Otho, the governor of Lusitania, orchestrated a coup and had Galba murdered in AD 69. Otho then became emperor. But Otho's reign was also short-lived. A few months later Vitellius, the governor of Germania Inferior (a province in the Roman Empire), rebelled against Otho's rule and marched his forces toward Rome. Otho's forces were defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum, and Otho subsequently committed suicide. Vitellius became the new Roman emperor but faced immediate challenges to his legitimacy. His reign was marked by chaos and extravagance, which further alienated the Roman people and the Senate. Additionally, his inability to handle the rebellions in the eastern provinces led to further instability. In response, the legions in the eastern provinces declared their support for Vespasian, the governor of Judea and a skilled military commander. Vespasian's forces advanced towards Rome and Vitellius was deposed after just a few months on the throne. In a final act of violence and desperation, Vitellius's supporters clashed with Vespasian's forces in Rome, leading to the destruction of much of the city and the death of many of its inhabitants. Ultimately, Vespasian's forces emerged victorious, and Vespasian became the next Roman emperor, putting an end to the Year of the Four Emperors and restoring stability to the Roman Empire. Vitellius was executed, and his short and troubled reign came to an end.