Solidus of Emperor Honorius - witness of the fall of Rome
Violiti is the only reliable source of first-class collectible coins in Ukraine. Last time we presented the aureuses of the last rulers of Rome in the era of the principate. Today we present to you Roman solidus of the late Roman era, minted during the reign of Honorius the emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
Emperor Theodosius the Great, before his death, divided the Roman Empire between his sons. The elder Arkady got the East with the new imperial capital Constantinople, the younger Honorius - the western part of the empire, where Rome was located. Theodosius appointed an outstanding commander by origin from the Vandal tribe Stilicho as the mentor of Honorius. Honorius was married alternately to his two daughters.
The Western Roman Empire was swept by waves of barbarian invasions from all sides. The weak-willed young emperor had neither the desire nor the experience to organize defense in such a critical situation. And only thanks to Stilicho, the empire could repel the attacks of tens of thousands of barbarians.
Some tribes were completely exterminated by Stilicho. In particular, this concerns the Bastarn tribe - the first Germanic tribes that settled on the territory of modern Ukraine. Stilicho's successes aroused envy, and on the orders of Honorius he was killed. Rome has lost its last defender.
On August 24, 410, for the first time in 800 years, Rome was taken and plundered by the Visigoths. Britain, Gaul and Spain fell away from the empire. Honorius spent all this time in the fortress of Ravenna and lived until 423. He died a natural death at the age of 38. The final liquidation of the Western Roman Empire was already inevitable.
The coin we are presenting was minted in Constantinople. On the obverse of the coin there is a bust of Honorius in armor and with a spear, on the reverse there is a personification of Constantinople as the capital of the empire, and the inscription Concordia, which implied agreement between the rulers of both parts of the empire.
The minting of such coins was curtailed shortly after the capture of Rome by the Goths; the Eastern Roman Empire did not want to interfere in the affairs of the dying Western part. The coin is in almost perfect condition. Perhaps it was paid as a ransom for the captives taken in Rome, and so it got to the territory of Ukraine, where it was lost.
Those who research the historical events associated with this coin will learn many of the lessons that history teaches, and will find many modern parallels to those events. Explore history with Violiti!
Read also: Peter II ruble in perfect condition
Photo © auction.violity.com
Emperor Theodosius the Great, before his death, divided the Roman Empire between his sons. The elder Arkady got the East with the new imperial capital Constantinople, the younger Honorius - the western part of the empire, where Rome was located. Theodosius appointed an outstanding commander by origin from the Vandal tribe Stilicho as the mentor of Honorius. Honorius was married alternately to his two daughters.
The Western Roman Empire was swept by waves of barbarian invasions from all sides. The weak-willed young emperor had neither the desire nor the experience to organize defense in such a critical situation. And only thanks to Stilicho, the empire could repel the attacks of tens of thousands of barbarians.
Some tribes were completely exterminated by Stilicho. In particular, this concerns the Bastarn tribe - the first Germanic tribes that settled on the territory of modern Ukraine. Stilicho's successes aroused envy, and on the orders of Honorius he was killed. Rome has lost its last defender.
On August 24, 410, for the first time in 800 years, Rome was taken and plundered by the Visigoths. Britain, Gaul and Spain fell away from the empire. Honorius spent all this time in the fortress of Ravenna and lived until 423. He died a natural death at the age of 38. The final liquidation of the Western Roman Empire was already inevitable.
Photo © auction.violity.com
Photo © auction.violity.com
Photo © auction.violity.com
Photo © auction.violity.com
The coin we are presenting was minted in Constantinople. On the obverse of the coin there is a bust of Honorius in armor and with a spear, on the reverse there is a personification of Constantinople as the capital of the empire, and the inscription Concordia, which implied agreement between the rulers of both parts of the empire.
The minting of such coins was curtailed shortly after the capture of Rome by the Goths; the Eastern Roman Empire did not want to interfere in the affairs of the dying Western part. The coin is in almost perfect condition. Perhaps it was paid as a ransom for the captives taken in Rome, and so it got to the territory of Ukraine, where it was lost.
Those who research the historical events associated with this coin will learn many of the lessons that history teaches, and will find many modern parallels to those events. Explore history with Violiti!
Read also: Peter II ruble in perfect condition
