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On November 11, 308 AD, the Tetrarchy's senior Augustus Galerius convened an emergency summit at Carnuntum on the Danube. The key attendees included the retired Augustus Diocletian, previously-retired-turned-self-proclaimed Augustus Maximian, former-junior-Caesar-turned-self-proclaimed-Augustus Constantine, and Eastern Caesar (and wannabe-Augustus) Maximinus II. The key agenda item: the growing number of claimants for the title of Augustus. Indicative of imperial Roman efficiency, the core festivities, discussions, and decisions were wrapped up on the first day of the week-long meeting.
The first action item was predictable: Galerius remained the senior Augustus in the East, retaining Maximinus II as his Caesar. Another expected development was the dismissal of the imperial claims of usurper Maxentius — he wasn't even invited — and the action item to re-confirm his status as an enemy of the state. Two other key outcomes were expected, if disappointing to the participants: Maximian was forced into retirement (again), and Constantine was demoted to Western Caesar (again). The final outstanding item was the selection of the junior Augustus in the West. In a move that stunned many — not least the slighted Constantine and Maximinus II — Galerius announced his choice to round out Rome's elite inner circle: Valerius Licinianus Licinius (ca. 265 – 325 AD).
Licinius was not a member of the political elite, but an Illyrian officer of low birth, known primarily as a faithful friend and military colleague of Galerius. The appointment was widely viewed not as a promotion based on merit or seniority, but rather as a personal power-play by the senior Augustus to secure a loyal ally to the West. Notably, Licinius is the only figure in the Tetrarchy’s history to be catapulted directly to the rank of Augustus, bypassing the mandatory apprenticeship of a Caesarship entirely. Eager to supplement his rank with on-the-job training, the new junior Augustus assumed command of Illyricum, Thrace, and Pannonia, while delegating the remainder of the West to Constantine.
This revised Tetrarchy was neither stable nor long--lived. By 310 AD, Maximian had resurfaced from retirement for a third failed run at the purple, meeting his final demise shortly thereafter. That same year, Galerius attempted to placate Constantine and Maximinus II with an in-between title of
Filius Augustorum (son of the Augusti); both men shunned the meaningless honorific and promoted themselves to full-fledged Augustus instead. The Empire was still technically a Tetrarchy, but one comprising four Augusti and no Caesars (not counting usurpers).
Maybe another conference might have helped, but after Galerius' death in May 311 AD, the era of settlement by symposia was at an end. It was now all-out war: Licinius vs. Maximinus II in the East and Constantine vs. Maxentius in the West. Sensing that the Empire was at a crossroads, Licinius allied with Constantine, and married the latter's sister, Constantia, to seal the deal.
The current nummus, struck during this pivotal period as the Tetrarchy came crashing down, exemplifies an Empire in transition. The obverse design remains classic Tetrarchy: a blocky, bearded bust of Licinius encircled by the inscription IMP C VAL LIC LICINIVS P F AVG. The reverse, however, reflects a strategic throwback. While the motif of Genius had been the standard under the four-man rule, Licinius’ mint at Heraclea chose to engrave on this coin the figure of Jupiter, king of the gods and the realm's protector. This was a deliberate nod to the earlier Diarchy of Diocletian and Maximian, who had branded themselves the sons of Jupiter and Hercules. By placing Jupiter on the reverse and striking the coin in Heraclea — on the doorstep of Maximinus II — Licinius was signaling that the time was over for imperial debates at conferences. He was putting his rival on notice: the Empire was returning to a rule of two.
The mint city of Heraclea was the epicenter of this friction, its control seesawing between the two Eastern rivals. Interestingly, the portrait of Licinius on this issue closely resembles the designs of Maximinus II, a common occurrence at border mints where artisans often hedged their bets. The reverse shows Jupiter holding a globe and scepter, with a wreath signifying Licinius’ upcoming five-year anniversary. The mintmark HTG indicates this coin was produced just before Licinius moved his treasury to the city to mobilize for war. Soon after, the mint switched to the SM (
sacra moneta) prefix, a mobile advertisement that the Augustus on the obverse was in residence and making preparing for war.
The final showdown for Eastern supremacy occurred near Adrianople in April 313 AD. Licinius arrived on the scene having hastily left a summit in Italy where he and Constantine had just signed the Edict of Milan granted tolerance to all religions across the Empire. Maximinus II had a larger force, but his troops were fatigued from a frantic march across Asia Minor in a failed attempt to take Licinius’ Thracian strongholds by surprise. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Licinius’ veteran legions routed their demoralized adversaries. Recognizing his peril, Maximinus II fled the battlefield, only to die a few months later as a fugitive.
Licinius wasted no time in liquidating the last vestiges of the old regime as he seized control of Asia and Egypt. Months earlier, a similar scene of consolidation had transpired in the West with Constantine's defeat of the tenacious Maxentius.
The Empire had returned indeed to the Rule of Two.
Although there was room for optimism in the alliance between brothers-in-law, upon reviewing the final proceedings, the throne only had room for one.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Licinius I, 308-324 AD, Billon Reduced Nummus (5.20 g), minted 312 AD in Heraclea, NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5, Obverse: Laureate head right IMP C VAL LIC LICINIVS P F AVG, Reverse: Jupiter standing left holding globe and scepter, wreath to field in left, IOVI CONS-ERVATORI, HT(gamma) in exergue, References: RIC VI Heraclea 65; Sear 15210.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.