Maximinus I Thrax AD 235-238. Rome
Denarius AR

21 mm, 3,14 g

IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / SALVS AVGVSTI, Salus seated to left, feeding out of patera snake coiled around altar.

Good Very Fine

RIC IV 14; BMCRE 21; RSC 85.

Maximinus I Thrax, also known as Maximinus Thrax, was a Roman emperor who ruled from AD 235 to 238. He was born in Thrace, which is in the modern-day Balkans region. Maximinus came from a humble background and had a military career, rising through the ranks to become a prominent general in the Roman army. In AD 235, he was declared emperor by his troops after they assassinated Emperor Alexander Severus during a military rebellion. As emperor, Maximinus faced several challenges, including dealing with internal dissent and external invasions. His rule was marked by strict discipline and harsh policies, which made him unpopular with the senatorial class and the urban population. Maximinus also faced military conflicts with the Sassanian Empire in the east and the Germanic tribes in the Rhine and Danube regions. Despite his military background, his campaigns did not yield significant successes. In AD 238, a series of revolts broke out across the Roman Empire due to dissatisfaction with Maximinus' rule. He was eventually assassinated by his own troops during one of these revolts in Aquileia. Maximinus Thrax is often remembered as one of the "Barracks Emperors," a term used for the military generals who rose to power during the turbulent period known as the Crisis of the Third Century.