Roman Empire, Maximinus I. Thrax, AR Denarius

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Rom.Empire, Maximinus I. Thrax, 235-238, AR Denarius

Bust with laurel-wreath r.

Rs.Seated Salus with patera feeds snake on altar

 

Historical

Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus or Maximinus I (* 172 or 173 in Thrace (?); † April 238 in Aquileia)
He was Roman emperor from 235 to 238.

Maximinus Thrax is traditionally regarded as the first "soldier emperor", and his reign is said to have marked the beginning of the imperial crisis of the 3rd century.

Maximinus probably played a leading role in Severus Alexander's Persian campaign and, according to some sources, was appointed governor or commander of the province of Mesopotamia in 233. If this (uncertain) information is correct, Maximinus could have been the first dux ripae there. What is certain is that in 235, during the preparations of Emperor Severus for the war in Germania, he was in charge of the training of the newly recruited troops (presumably as praefectus tironibus), earning himself a reputation among the soldiers.

According to reports handed down by Eusebius of Caesarea (HE VI,28), he is also said to have acted against Christianity, but this certainly played no role in the conflict with the pagan senate and only appeared as a negative feature in the emperor's biography in later times.

The emperor's financial and fiscal policy was distinctly unpopular. Although in addition to military expenditure he also pushed ahead with the expansion of the road network, the ruler's costly attempt to remedy Rome's foreign policy problems through elaborate campaigns on the Rhine and Danube met with general incomprehension, which was particularly virulent in the south and east of the empire, where only the increased tax pressure was perceived, but not the successes. Maximinus apparently did not know how to promote his policy efficiently.

A local incident eventually developed into an empire-wide uprising against the emperor: in the six-emperor year of 238, after the murder of an imperial procurator by the large tenants there, the approximately 80-year-old proconsul of Africa, Gordianus, was proclaimed emperor as Gordian I in the province of Africa.

His son Gordian II, who was obviously inexperienced in military matters, became co-emperor. The rebels sent emissaries to Rome who assassinated the city prefect and the praetorian prefect and persuaded the senate majority to recognise the two Gordians as emperor.

Maximinus was simultaneously declared an enemy of the state (hostis) by the Senate.

During the unrest in the Empire, Maximinus moved against Italy in April 238, but was probably killed during the siege of Aquileia on the march to Rome by his own troops - more precisely:
By soldiers of legio II Parthica - murdered. His son died with him.

 

 

Additional product information

Origin Roman Empire
Grading EF
Material Silver
Full weight

3,57g

Literature Seaby 85; RIC 14; C.85

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