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In 350 AD, Constantius II prepared to redeploy his troops from the Sasanian campaign to move against the usurper Magnentius. The now lone Augustus required help managing Eastern affairs in his absence, and subsequently turned to his half-cousin Flavius Claudius Gallus (ca. 325/6–354 AD), grandson of Constantius I and Theodora. In 351 AD, Constantius II bestowed upon Gallus the family appellation as a new agnomen, and presented the Empire its new Caesar: Constantius Gallus.
As part of the deal, Gallus married the Augustus's sister, Constantina. The newlyweds resided in Antioch to rule the East while Constantius II battled Magnentius in the West. To advertise the new imperial arrangement, the Empire produced coins such as this mint state centenionalis, struck at the Pannonian mint of Siscia between 351 and 354 AD. The obverse depicts the bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of the new Caesar. The epithet, D N CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C, denotes Dominus Noster Constantius Iunior Nobilissimus Caesar, translating to "Our Lord Constantius, the Younger and Most Noble Caesar." Nowhere does the cognomen Gallus appear, a standard that seems to hold for all his imperial coinage. It is interesting to speculate that perhaps the omission was intentional, designed to avoid confusing Roman citizens or to reinforce Constantius II’s supreme, overarching rule.
The coin’s reverse employs a popular, contemporary numismatic motif, embodied by its inscription FEL TEMP REPARATIO (return to happy days): an imperial figure standing on a galley, holding a
labarum (a military standard) and a globe on which perches Victory. Victory also serves double duty as she sits astern, guiding the ship on its course for prosperity. The design was a favorite of Constantius II’s brother, the deceased Emperor Constans. Constantius II also struck
Felix Temporum Reparatio coins in massive quantities, though his favored design was that of the Fallen Horseman (multiple examples of which are included within this NGC Ancients Custom Set).
Good times were not in store for Magnentius, who fell not off his horse but on his own sword in 353 AD, acknowledging defeat by the Augustus’s troops. Yet Constantius II did not have the opportunity to savor his victory, as the Empire faced the additional threat of various barbarian incursions, notably from the Alemanni. Furthermore, the Augustus grew increasingly vexed by the status reports coming from the East. Gallus was exhibiting extreme cruelty; for the notoriously ruthless Constantius II to take notice, that is truly saying something. For instance, Gallus sent his general Ursicinus to crush a Judaean uprising, resulting in thousands killed. In another particularly bizarre development, Gallus charged various nobles with the use of magic, leading to widespread executions and the confiscation of wealth toward enriching the imperial coffers. Presumably, Gallus, obsessed with his own popularity, desired to eliminate any potential enemies. More troubling to the Augustus than Gallus’s reported cruelty was the undeniable fact that his methods were not achieving positive outcomes for the Empire. For example, Antioch’s grain supply was severely depleted, and Gallus’s failed attempts at remedying the situation only managed to alienate the local Senate.
Gallus’s erratic performance as the new Caesar must be evaluated in the context of his sudden elevation. During the bloody family feuding that erupted after Constantine the Great's death in 337 AD, Gallus was spared owing to his youth, but was forced to study under close observation, effectively living under house arrest. After his surprise elevation, Gallus suddenly experienced unprecedented freedom and absolute power, and likely succumbed to the temptation to abuse his new station. It is also widely believed that Constantina encouraged his choleric behavior.
In any case, Constantius II grew so concerned that he reduced Gallus’s troops and sent the Praetorian Prefect Domitianus to fetch the Caesar for questioning. Histories differ regarding the exact details, but agree on the final result: Domitianus was killed in the attempt. Constantina headed west ahead of Gallus; evidently, she planned to preempt her brother’s ire and protect her husband against retribution. Unfortunately, she died during the journey. Gallus, perhaps lured by false promises of elevation to co-Augustus, was finally captured and brought in for questioning. The Caesar apparently tried pinning the blame for his treasonous actions on the deceased Constantina, which — unsurprisingly — only further fueled his boss’s absolute ire. Constantius II subsequently ordered Gallus’s beheading, adding yet another chapter to a macabre family record of familicide.
The Roman soldier-turned-historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who personally observed and recorded these events, summed up Gallus’s tragic arc thusly:
After he had been taken by the emperor as his colleague, and raised to the highest eminence of power, he experienced the fickle changeableness of fortune which mocks mortality, sometimes raising individuals to the stars, at others sinking them to the lowest depths of hell.
Additional Reading: Roman History, by Ammianus Marcellinus, Book 14 (various translations).
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Constantius Gallus, Caesar, AD 351-354, Æ Centenionalis (23mm, 5.31 g, 6h), Siscia mint, 1st officina. NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 5/5. Obverse: Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right, A to left. Reverse: Imperial figure, holding Victory-on-globe and labarum, standing left on galley left, on which Victory sits left at stern, III-*//ASIS. References: RIC VIII 329; LRBC 1199.
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