Owner Comments:
By the turn of the 4th century AD, the crisis-ridden Roman Empire should have collapsed. But it didn’t. Instead, it experienced a resurgence, bolstered by a new, expanded imperial hierarchy known as the Tetrarchy. Seemingly, Rome was poised for a new Golden Age. But the Tetrarchy, like the monarchy that preceded it, had no formal succession rules—at least not for the sons of the powerful.
The succession question was put to the test upon the 305 AD surprise announcement that the senior Eastern Augustus, Diocletian, and the junior Western Augustus, Maximian, were retiring. Diocletian’s Caesar, Galerius, moved up to the senior role in the East, and in a parallel move, Constantius took the lead in the West. This left the two Caesar positions open. The world presumed the contenders were the natural heirs: Maximian’s son, Maxentius, and Constantius’ son, Constantine. Instead, Galerius pulled a political maneuver that stunned the empire. He bypassed the sons of the elite and appointed his own loyalists. In the East, to hold Egypt and Syria, his dubious choice was a nephew with minimal experience or formal education. In the West, to govern Italy and Africa, his choice was at least equally surprising: a low-born soldier and a lifelong military colleague, Flavius Valerius Severus, also known as Severus II.
From Galerius’ point of view, Severus II was the perfect candidate. As the army’s faithful paymaster and purveyor, he was well-versed in the Tetrarchy’s bureaucracy. He was also a known commodity who can perhaps be best described—based on historical records—as Galerius’ “drinking buddy.” Most importantly, Severus II was controllable, and his ascension helped secure Galerius's grip on both halves of the Empire. To seemingly everyone else, the choice was highly questionable. Reportedly, even Diocletian initially objected, asking: “
What! That dancer, that habitual drunkard who turns night into day and day into night?”
Regardless of popular opinion, Galerius insisted on his protégé's ascension. In an act of imperial advertisement, he struck coins throughout the mint cities under his direct control in the East. One such example is this well-preserved nummus struck circa 305 AD in Cyzicus, the capital of the Hellespontus province. The obverse depicts Severus II encircled by the epithet FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAES. Herein, Severus has notably taken on the cognomens Flavius and Valerius, indicating his official inclusion into the dynasties of the Tetrarchy’s founders. Moreover, he is hailed as “Noble Caesar,” granting Severus II the legitimacy that he lacked by birth. The portrait is stern and blocky, adhering to the rigid, interchangeable style of the era; the artisans at the Cyzicene mint did their utmost to leave little doubt of Severus II’s status despite his humble origins. The theme continues on the reverse, which features Genius, the divine representation of the imperial system, sacrificing from a patera. The legend GENIO AVGG ET CAESARVM (“To the Genius of the Augusti and Caesars”) completes the message by invoking the unity of the two Augusti and two Caesars comprising the Tetrarchy.
From the Eastern perspective, the Tetrarchy advertised on this coin—including Galerius’ choice of Severus II—made complete sense. By dividing the massive geography into four specific assignments, the frontiers could finally be managed. Elevating a yes-man was betting that the Tetrarchy's authority remained absolute. Unfortunately for Severus II, although his title was heralded in the East, it provided no shield against the brutal reality of bloodline-driven Western civil wars.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Severus II, 305-306 AD, Cyzicus, Nummus (26.44 mm, 10.15 g), NGC Grade: Ch AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Laureate head right, FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAES, Reverse: Genius standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia and sacrificing from patera, GENIO AVGG ET CAESARVM M M, KA in exergue, Reference: RIC VI 20a.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.