Marc Antony (32-31BC)

Marc Antony was a popular man and a close friend of Julius Caesar. After the death of Caesar (the murder by 30 conspirators which actually included Marc Antony) Antony, who was very popular with the Senate, thought he could assume the title of Caesar. Octavian and he began battling for power in what were known as the civil wars that almost tore Rome apart. Marc Antony commissioned these coins to pay his fleet and legions for his battles with Octavian, who defeated Antony and Cleopatra in their final battle at Actium in Greece. (Octavian, who was chosen by Julius Caesar to succeed him would then later became Augustus Caesar). Each coin in the series carried the number of one of the 30 legions in Antony's army. Antony committed suicide along with his lover and partner, Cleopatra after their defeat.

Augustus (31BC - 14AD)

After the death of Julius Caesar, Augustus would rule for over 50 years and change the command of Rome from a military rule to that of a constitutional government. He would rule honestly - once his poential threats were eliminated, expanding the borders of the empire by adding Egypt, Spain, France and Hungary, and undertaking massive building projects of bridges, aqueducts and higways. Augustus encouraged the learning of the arts and literature as well. Augustus would assume power after defeating Marc Antony, who felt more qualified to take over after Julius Caesar, and who allied himself with Cleopatra, tht Queen of Egypt at the battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra would soon thereafter commit suicide together.

Augustus Caesar / King Agrippa (18BC)

After defeating Marc Antony in the great battle in Actium, Greece under the supervision of the great General (and Admiral) Agrippa, Octavian became the sole possessor of Rome by putting an end to the civil wars caused by the rule of Julius Caesar whom adopted him as a nephew. He reformed the senate and adopted the title of Augustus and Caesar. He thoroughly built up the structure of Rome (its politics and government and army) and succeeded in stabilizing the empire. He basically ruled from the time he was 18 until he was 73. Agrippa is honored by Augustus with this particular coin, showing up on its obverse facing Augustus. Agrippa had years of close connections with Rome which enabled him to unite and become the King Samaria and Judea.

Azes II (15-5BC) Indo-Scythian

Agrippa (12BC)

Persis (2nd unknown King 50-100)

Persis was the heart of the old Persian empire in the 3rd century BC and the center of Persian culture, religion and language. During the late 3rd century BC, Persis was able to gain its independence from the Seleucids and began producing a Greek-inspired coinage with Aramaic inscriptions. Mithradates II was able to incorporate Persis as a sub-kingdom of the Parthian empire during the early 1st century BC, though Persis continued to mint its own distinctive series of coins which gradually took on some of the appearance of Parthian coins. Persis was eventually able to defeat the Arsacids and, under Ardashir I, found the Sassanian empire, which was to become Rome's, and later Byzantium's, greatest foe until the appearance of Islam and the Arab conquest of the Middle East centuries later.

Nero (54-68)

Nero was one of the most cruel and pitiful emperors, and his crimes temporarily involved the whole empire in his ruin. He poisoned several of the noble families of Rome, even straggling his own mother after trying to drown her (Agrippina, who poisoned the previous Emperor Titus to get her son Nero into the throne). His first several years of ruling the empire, aided by two competent assistants, were actually quite adequate, and only afterwards he became (more) corrupt and a terror to the whole empire. He believed himself to be a talented poet and singer and would usually leave the empire during various small nearby wars to give performances. He is remembered mostly for his folly "Nero fiddled while Rome burned" blaming and persecuting the Christians. He was finally forced to commit suicide at age 31 after begging a slave to murder him after the Senate finally pronounced him a public enemy.

Nerva (96-98)

Nerva was consul under the emperor Domintian who was given the reign upon his death (many people including the soldiers thought that Nerva had a hand in Domintian's death). He was sixty-two years old at the time and ruled well and peacefully for two years. He provided land for the poor and repealed many harsh laws. He was never popular with the military so he appointed Trajan, who was popular with the Praetorian Guard, as his adopted son and successor.

Trajan (98-117)

Trajan was the first emperor born outside of Italy. He was from a Roman colony in Spain and rose through the ranks of the military becoming a successful general, catching the attention of the Emperor Nerva who adopted him as his successor. He was so successful as a soldier that when he was emperor the Roman empire covered more territory than at any other time during her 700 year history. Noted for his virtue, Trajan also overhauled the Roman government, wiping out corruption and establishing special subsidies for the poor. He added the kingdoms of Dacia, Armenia and Mesopotamia to the empire as well as building many new roads, aqueducts and bridges.

Hadrian (112-138)

Hadrian (112-138)

Hadrian was one of the greatest Roman ruler and was popular with both the masses and the military. He constructed great buildings, aqueducts, temples, bridges and roads throughout the empire in order to improve the condition of the provinces. He also expanded the borders of the empire during his reign. He built the great "Hadrian's Wall" as far away as Britain, had soldiers patrolling every mile of it and traded with the barbarian tribesmen. Like the Emperors Trajan and Nerva before him, he adopted a competent grown man, Antonius Pius, in order to make him heir to the throne.

Antonius Pius (138-161)

Antonius Pius (138-161)

Antonius Pius was the adopted heir of the great emperor Hadrian, until Hadrian's own nephew Marcus Aurelius would come of age. After Antonius' succession to the throne, Rome experienced a period noted for its tranquility and prosperity during his 23 year reign. Due to the prosperity, more coins were struck during his reign than ever before, even several dedicated to his wife Faustina. He was known as one of Rome's legendary kings - who loved religion, justice and peace and actually initiated the idea of a defendant in a trial being innocent until proven guilty.

Diva Faustina (154-176)

Lucius Verus (161-169)

Lucius Verus was adopted by the Emperor Hadrian along with Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius to ensure the succession of chosen rulers. After the death of Aurelius, Antonius insisted that Lucius was made a co-emperor along his side to share both the defense of the Empire and the administrative duties. He fought along side Aurelius and conquered Armenia and Medea and invaded Parthia, Rome's greatest rival at the time. During these wars to hold the borders from the Barbarian attacks, his troops brought back the plague in 169, where Emperor Lucius died as well and many thousands of Romans, which seriously weakened the empire.

Commodus (177-192)

Commodus (177-192)

Commodius was made co-emperor with his father Aurelius. He was very oppressive as the emperor and was believed to be insane. He attempted to rename Rome as his own personal colony called Commodiana, and actually preferred wearing a lion's skin and club around the arena as if he were Hercules. After plots against him were discovered, his oppression towards various citizens became commonplace. He would falsely accuse rich senators and have them put to death, then inherit their possessions. He was assassinated by poison and then strangulation by a large group of people fearing for their lives, including his mistress.

Ininthimeus (235-239)

Gordiano III (238-244)

Gordiano was the last of the 'boy emperors' who came to power at the age of 13, although he ruled under the guidance of Timistheus, the Praetorian Prefect. He tried to hold the empire together during this period of chaos, actually stopping an invasion of Persia in the east. Timistheus died, probably at the hands of Philip I 'the Arab' (who 'stole' the throne) and Gordian was murdered shortly afterwards by Philip I at age 19. (Philip actually secretly caused shortages in food blaming it on the young Emperor in order to get the soldiers to despise him before he had him murdered).

Phillip I [the Arab] (244-248)

Philip was called "the Arab" because he was the son of an Arabian bandit chieftain who was granted Roman citizenship. He ruled during Rome's 1000 year anniversary of her founding by Romulus and Remus and celebrated them with fabulous games for the masses, including the mass murdering of thousands of exotic animals. He plotted the death of the previous emperor Gordian III and the Praetorian Prefect Timistheus and 'stole' the throne. Later, during a rebellion of the Danube legions, his Prefect Decius put the rebellion down and was declared emperor . When Philip learned of this, he met Decius in battle and was killed near Verona.

Gallienus (253-268)

Gallienus was the son of the emperor Valerian who came to the throne when his father became the only Roman emperor to be captured by the enemy. Gallienius was a well intentioned ruler who ruled in a time of utter chaos, fighting among others Gaul, Persia, Egypt and Syria which led to an economic collapse and bankrupted the empire. Gallienus reorganized the army and made mounted cavalry units a major part. he was very popular with the soldiers having won several major battles but was murdered by his senior staff (including the new Emperor Claudius II).

Salonina (268)

Salonina (268)

Victorius (268-270)

Victorinus reigned during a tumultuous time in Roman history. The empire was ravaged with inflation and the 'Barbarians' were beginning to exact a permanent toll. The empire itself had begun to disintegrate, Victorinus having taken over for Marius who was assassinated after being on the throne for only a few days. During his reign, Spain and Autun both revoleted and seceded from the empire. He spent most of his time fighting in Gaul, but was murdered by the husband (one of his officers) of one of his lovers.

Aurelian (270-275)

Aureliano restored much of the Roman empire to its former glory during his short, five year reign by defeating the Goths and gaining back territories lost earlier from the Eastern and Western Empires (including Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia). He forgave many of the debts of the poor and treated his conquered enemies with kindness. However, he instituted new religious cults and showed an overly strict rule, and through deception by his personal secretary was murdered by his own troops during a campaign in Persia. He is remembered mostly for building the great twelve-mile wall around the city of Rome to protect it against the ever increasing threat of the Barbarians.

Probus (276-282)

Probus was the leading general of the Emperor Aurelian who recaptured Egypt and defeated the Goths and other German tribes which were constantly invading the boundaries of the empire. During his reign he also defeated the Franks and Sarmatians and Syria and minted coins with the phrase 'Restorer of the World'. Later during rare peacetime for Rome, Probus enlisted all the soldiers in public works performing common construction projects (converting marshy ground into vineyards for example) instead of military duties with the idea that there would someday be no more need for an army. Then after several years when there were rumors of a war brewing with the Persians, the angry soldiers, with no real prospect for booty from a victory, defected and murdered him.

Diocletian (284-305)

Diocletian (284-305)

In the age of the soldier-emperors, between the assassination of Alexander Severus, the last of the Severans, in 235 A.D. and the beginning of Diocletian's reign in 284, at least sixteen men bore the title of emperor. Finally, Diocletian emerged as an able and strong ruler. He ensured the protection and reorganization of the empire by creating new, smaller provinces, making a clear distinction between the duties of military commanders and civil governors, and sharing overall control with colleagues—effectively dividing the empire into two halves, West and East. Diocletian continued to govern directly the Asiatic part of the empire and Egypt from the capital of Nicomedia. When Diocletian became emperor in AD 284, he surprised Rome by holding out an olive branch to supporters of his rivals. He shocks the empire even more the following year, when he appoints Maximian, who has been campaigning successfully in Gaul, as joint emperor; Maximian takes charge in the west, while Diocletian rules in the east. Although initially tolerant of Christianity, in 303 he issued an edict in Nicomediam in which he prohibited it. This brought about numerous executions, the confiscation of property, and the destruction of churches.

Maximanius Follis (286-310)

In order to suppress one of the many revolts in the northern empire (this time in Gaul) the Emperor Diocletian sent Maximianus, a tough, hardened general, to put it down. Afterwards, seeing the empire needed an overhaul in dealing with the several enemies and governing in both the east and west, he appointed Maximianus (west) and himself to rule each part. His intention was to have he and Maximianus abdicate after 20 years and leave the empire to Galerus and Constantius Chlorus. But when it became time to retire, Maximianus, who had grown used to the power, refused to leave and another civil war took place. In the end, Maximianus was arrayed against the armies of both empires and was captured and reluctantly executed.

Maximanius Follis (286-310)

Maximanius (288)

Lucinius I (308-324)

In 312, Constantine, Licinius, and Maximinus II were left in control of a divided Roman Empire. Licinius and Constantine agreed to halt the persecution of Christians and in 313 issued the Edict of Milan, which guaranteed freedom to all people in the empire to worship as they saw fit. From 313 until 324, both Licinius and Constantine ruled the Roman Empire as Augusti. Both men were ambitious and always seeking more power, so it was only inevitable that there would be friction between them. They fought a couple of battles with no clear-cut victor, but later patched together a fragile peace. In 317, Constantine elevated two of his sons to the rank of Caesar, and Licinius did likewise with his son. In 324, Constantine and Licinius fought two battles after Licinius chased some barbarians into Constantine's territories. After losing at both Hadrianopolis and Chrysopolis, Licinius was finished as a Roman Emperor. Licinius' wife Constantia, who was also Constantine’s sister intervened and was able to persuade Constantine to spare the lives of Licinius and his son. However, they were soon discovered plotting to overthrow Constantine. Both men were executed on Constantine's order in 324.

Crispus (312-326)

Divus Constantius (337-340)

Constans (337-350)

One of the three sons of the great Christian Emperor Constantine 'the Great', Constans ruled the western Empire and turned his back on Christians during his reign. In addition, with his three brothers, they massacred the rest of the relatives who were considered to be potential threats. His brother Constantius II ruled the eastern Empire and eventually came to Italy to fight Constans and put the empire under one ruler. Constans was victorious against his brother as well as the Franks and ruled Gaul as well as the eastern and western empire until his assassination in 350 by his general Magnentius.

Constantius II (337-361)

His father, Constantine 'the Great' was a great Christian Emperor in the early 300's, but unfortunately left the empire divided between his three less than righteous heirs after his death. Constantius II, the eldest and the Emperor of the East, worshipped pagan religions and with his brother Constans, the Emperor of the West actually persecuted all Christians and consequently closed many churches. They murdered their relatives and Constantius II spent most of his time fighting the Persians to the east. Eventually he fought his younger brother Constans and was killed in a fierce mountain battle near Aquileia.

Magnentius (350-353)

Magnentius had learned that a party of soldiers has been dispatched from Rome with a warrant signed by the emperor Constans to arrest and execute him on a charge of treason because he was too popular of a general. The emperor knew he was a threat to him and wanted him out of the way, which was the common custom. Therefore Magnentius appeared before his army in full military dress with a great purple mantle wrapped around him. Each man went wild with joy saluting their commander as the new emperor. Magnentius stood on top of a barrel and proudly surveyed his beloved army. "Soldiers, I am your emperor, he said! The true emperor Constans, who was at his spa in Gaul, could not believe the defection of Magnentius. When he asked why his trusted commander would have done such a thing he was told that a rumor was circulating that orders had been given for Magnentius' murder. "Did I issue such an order?" the emperor asked. "No, Your Highness. It would seem that no one issued the order." "Then, it must have been God". As was also the custom, the old emporer was beaten unconscious and run through several times.

Jovian (363-364)

India - Guptas (380-414)

Vikramaditya's reign was perhaps the most prosperous and progressive reign in the entire Indian history. The contemporary Chinese traveller and Buddhist monk Fa-hein was struck with the prosperity of subject during Gupta rule. He has admired the royal palaces and houses for dispensing charity medicine and speaks highly of system of government. Vikramaditya succeeded his father Samudragupta and carried on the policy of `world conquest' of his predecessors. His most significant and well celebrated military achievement being total destruction of Kshatrapas, the Shaka (Scythian) rulers of Malawa and Saurashtra, the western India. He scored a fantastic victory over the Kshatrapa rulers and incorporated these provinces into his increasing empire. The cool courage he showed in fight with Shakas and killing their king in their own city entitled him the epithets Shakari (destroyer of Shakas) or Sahasanka.

Theodosius I [the Great] (379-395)

Theodosius was the Emperor that finally put a temporary end to the attacks from the Barbarians. He negotiated a treaty with the Goths to allow them to set up their own kingdoms within the outskirts of the Roman empire, which later helped lead to the downfall as the Barbarian Kings would eventually become the Emperors of the Western Roman Empire themselves. During his reign, he outlawed pagan religions and worship but allowed his forces to massacre civilians and was actually excommunicated in 390. Theodosius came out of retirement to power just after the Emperor Valentinian I had been killed when the Persians destroyed the eastern Roman army. He was able to deal with both Persia to the east and the Visigoths to the west and postpone the fall of the empire for a few more decades by his great leadership skills.

Arcadio (383-408)

Arcadio ruled the eastern Roman empire while his father, Theodosius I 'the Great' waged civil war in the west. His brother, Honorius, was given rule of the west after Theodosius died. It was at this point that the eastern and western Roman empire permanently began to separate, the west retaining the Latin language and European customs while the east spoke Greek and adopted Middle Eastern and North African elements. Arcadio was the Emperor while the Barbarians (both the Huns and the Goths) invaded Rome during the period of Rome's final decline, who no longer possessed an adequate army, or competent government to defend herself. Arcadius was killed from a kick by a horse in 408, and two years later Rome was sacked by the Goths.