Aemilian AD 253-253. Rome
Antoninianus AR

21 mm, 2,87 g

IMP AEMILIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / APOL CONSERVAT, Apollo standing left, holding branch and leaning on lyre.

Very Fine

RIC 1; RSC 2.

Aemilian, born Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus around AD 207 in Mauretania (modern-day Algeria and Morocco), briefly served as Roman emperor in AD 253 during the tumultuous Crisis of the Third Century. Aemilian rose to prominence as the governor of Pannonia and Moesia, where he achieved a significant military victory against the invading Goths. This success boosted his popularity among the legions, who proclaimed him emperor in defiance of the reigning emperor, Trebonianus Gallus. Aemilian quickly marched towards Italy to confront Gallus. Before the two forces could meet in battle, Gallus and his son Volusian were betrayed and murdered by their own troops, leaving Aemilian as the uncontested ruler. However, Aemilian's reign was extremely brief, lasting only a few months. His position was immediately challenged by another rival, Valerian, who was a senior military commander in the Roman Empire. As Valerian advanced towards Italy with his own forces, Aemilian's support began to wane. In a pattern typical of the era’s instability, Aemilian was betrayed by his troops near Spoleto, Italy, and assassinated. His short-lived reign, characterized by internal strife and betrayal, underscored the deepening chaos of the Roman Empire during the 3rd century, where power was often seized through violence and rapidly lost.