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Born of a common family and provincially reared, Maximinus I (c. 173-238 AD) achieved notoriety as a Roman military commander amidst Rome’s Crisis of the Third Century. During the reign of Septimus Severus, Maximinus joined the imperial army in a Thracian unit, earning the nickname, Thrax, even though he probably born in Moesia. Among the troops, he earned fame for his exceptional size and strength, one account even claiming he stood eight-and-a-half-feet tall and could pull an ox cart. Such tales have led to speculation of acromegaly, a pituitary disorder resulting in excess growth hormone during puberty. In any case, Maximinus was big, brave, and brash, all highly beneficial traits for an up-and-coming Roman military commander. By the time of Severus Alexander's ascension, Maximinus led his own legion.
In 235 AD, Maximinus and his soldiers joined Emperor Alexander in his campaign against the Germanic tribes at the Danubian front. On the advice of his mother, Augusta Julia Mamaea, the young Emperor sought to settle things by bribing the barbarians and subsequently focus Rome’s military efforts elsewhere. Unfortunately, this strategy did not sit well with the humiliated legions, mostly local recruits unwilling to redeploy. The disgruntled troops murdered Alexander and Mamaea. Looking for a new leader, it was hard to miss the giant Maximinus.
When the news reached Rome, the Senate confirmed the ascension, even though they considered the oafish Maximinus nearly a barbarian himself, and not truly Roman (despite Caracalla’s previous grant of citizenship to all free-born subjects throughout the Empire’s territories). For his part, Maximinus focused on what he knew best, i.e., leading his troops. He ruthlessly put down several military revolts against him, and afterwards removed all senators from the army, promoting loyal soldiers in their stead. He scored military successes against hostile Germanic tribes, albeit with very high casualties. To bolster his cause and establish his succession, he declared his son, Maximus, as his Caesar.
Maximinus’ battlefield promotion was advertised on coins, including this denarius struck in Rome soon after the Senate’s confirmation. At the time, most Romans had no idea what their new Emperor looked like (after all, he had never set foot in Rome). To play it safe, Rome’s coin engravers chose to mimic Alexander’s physiognomy, in particular his refined features, including his aquiline nose and small chin. Encircling the new Emperor’s laureate, draped, and cuirassed right-facing bust is the epithet IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, “Imperator (supreme commander) Maximinus, the pious Augustus.” Over time, knowledge of Maximinus’ appearance spread, and his numismatic depiction became bit by bit more barbaric. The transformation can be appreciated through examination of all three coins in this NGC Custom Set struck in Maximinus’ name.
Returning to the current coin, the reverse depicts Providentia, the divine personification of foresight and making provision. The goddess is replete with cornucopia and holds her wand over a globus (apparently, those Romans in the know considered the earth as round). Encircling the scene is the inscription PROVIDENTIA AVG, “Providence of the Augustus.”
As it happened, Maximinus' extensive military campaigns harmed the most important part of the Roman economy: that is to say, it burdened the wealthiest citizens. This led to revolts, as Rome’s aristocrats fought to place one of their own on the throne. Despite this coin’s messaging, Maximinus gathered his legions without proper provisioning, and hurriedly marched off to confront the Roman Senate that now dared to contest his imperial appointment.
When Maximinus reached northern Italy, he found it intentionally deserted and burned; there was no food to be found. This represented a serious problem for an Emperor whose prodigious dietary consumption was the stuff of legend (an unbelievable diet of forty pounds of meat and six gallons of wine per day). The combination of strict discipline, fatigue, and starvation was too much for his increasingly disaffected troops. They assassinated their commander and continued on to Rome, presumably in search of food.
Additional Reading: “Transitional Portraits on Roman Coins in the Third Century A.D.,” J. Illingworth, NGC Ancients on 9/11/2012.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Maximinus Thrax, 235-238 AD, Rome mint, Denarius (3.35g , 20 mm), NGC Grade: Ch. XF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 2/5, Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right (early portrait resembling Severus Alexander), IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, Reverse: Providentia standing left, holding cornucopia and wand over globus to left, PROVIDENTIA AVG, References: RIC 13, RSC 77.
Image: NGC PhotoVision Plus.