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For career advancement in ancient Rome, family ties were the ultimate accelerator. Such was the case for Maximinus II (c. 270–313 AD), whose career took a significant leap forward when the position of Eastern Caesar was bestowed to his adoptive uncle, Galerius. When the latter ascended to Augustus a decade later, sure enough, he chose Maximinus II as his successor.
As the new Eastern Caesar, Maximinus II (also referred to as Maximinus Daia) was given the assignment to rule over Syria and Egypt. It was a fantastic promotion, but any further advance up the career ladder was very limited within the official Tetrarchy. Maximinus II's ambition was put to the test at the 308 AD Carnuntum conference. Hoping to be named the new Western Augustus, he was instead snubbed in favor of Galerius’ general, Licinius. As a hollow consolation prize, he was granted the invented title Filius Augustorum (Son of the Augusti). Frustrated by this lack of real authority, Maximinus II eventually accepted his troops' acclamation as Augustus in 310 AD. When Galerius died a year later, Maximinus II launched a rapid land grab, seizing control of Asia Minor and reaching an uneasy impasse with his rival Licinius at the Bosporus.
This nummus, struck in Thessalonica circa 312 AD, represents the final theological "line in the sand" between the competing Augusti. At the time of this strike, Thessalonica was under the control of Licinius. Although tensions were high between Maximinus II and Licinius, the protocols established by Diocletian still demanded that each Augustus strike coins acknowledging his colleagues across the Empire. The obverse is a classic example of Tetrarchy standards. On this coin, Maximinus II's bust is blocky, with stern-looking features, and a very prominent beard.
On reverse of this coin, Licinius' mint workers also followed the Tetrarchy rules, but they still managed a twist in favor of their own local ruler. Specifically, the reverse of this coin bearing Maximinus II's name on the obverse actually broadcasts Licinius' divine alignment on the reverse. Unlike the previous two coins in the collection which focused on the Genius of the Emperor and the Genius of the People, this issue features IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter the Protector.
The pivot to Jupiter was a calculated return to the supreme power of the old Pantheon. By 312 AD, the abstract concept of a Genius was no longer sufficient for leaders preparing for total war; they required a specific, warlike patron. While Constantine was moving toward the Christian God in the West, Licinius and Maximinus II were effectively "fighting" over which Emperor had the stronger faith to earn Jupiter's favor.
Ultimately, Maximinus II's faith was not enough to protect him from the consolidation of his enemies. Sensing that the alliance between Constantine and Licinius was a death sentence for his regime, Maximinus II launched a desperate, surprise invasion into Licinius’ territory during the winter of 313 AD. After a grueling forced march across Asia Minor, his exhausted troops met Licinius at the Battle of Tzirallum. Despite his numerical superiority, Maximinus II's lines broke. In one of the great humiliations of the era, the once-ambitious Augustus was forced to flee the battlefield disguised as a slave.
He survived for only a short time as a fugitive. In a final, ironic echo of his uncle Galerius, Maximinus II's very last imperial act was a decree of religious tolerance, restoring the properties he had so recently confiscated from the Christians. He died shortly thereafter — possibly by poison — leaving behind a legacy that would be largely defined by the pro-Christian historians who outlasted him.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Maximinus II, AD 310-313, BI Reduced Nummus (5.29 g), Struck 312 AD, Thessalonica mint, NGC Grade: Ch AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5. Obverse: Laureate head right, MAXIMIVS PF AVG, Reverse: Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe and leaning on scepter, wreath in left field, A in right field, IOVI CONSERVATORI, dot SM dot TS dot (Mintmark in exergue), Reference: RIC VI 50a,A.
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