VALENTINIAN II (375-392). GOLD Solidus. Constantinople.

Obv: D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG.
Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVGGG S / CONOB.
Constantinopolis seated facing on throne ornamented with lion heads, head right, with foot set upon prow, holding sceptre and globus.

RIC 45b.2; Depeyrot 33/2.

Flavius Valentinianus, of Augusta Treverorum (Treveri), son of Justina, ascended the throne when he was only four years old. He was elected augustus in 375 by the soldiers, because they refused to let the sole legions of Germania, who had nominated Valentinian's elder half-brother Gratian, choose the emperor. However young, Valentinian faced complicated situations with his mother and Gratian, such as the usurpation of Magnus Maximus in Britain, which was remedied by Theodosius I, who managed to prevent Valentinian from being attacked by the insurgent's legions. More complicated was the matter of the removal of the Altar of Victory from the Senate of Rome, which represented the city's glorious pagan tradition. Its removal was supported by Gratian, on the advice of charismatic figures such as Mediolanum bishop Ambrose, which led him to confront a group headed by senator Quintus Aurelius Simmachus. As much as Justina and her son were of the Arian faith and close to Simmachus, the altar was nevertheless removed to the great scandal of the court of Rome. When his mother and brother faced such situations, because of his young age Valentinian often remained in the background; moreover, he fell under the spell of a dangerous character: the Frank leader and able warrior Arbogastes, his magister equitum. Soon, however, their relationship became conflictual, partly because of the Altar of Victory, which Arbogaste wanted to see restored. Valentinian was found hanged from a tree in 392 at Vienne in Gaul. Sources disagree on the cause of death, some mentioning suicide, others leaning toward murder by Arbogaste. The emperor was probably the victim of a palace conspiracy, as Arbogaste had led to the elevation of Flavius Eugenius to augustus. The damnatio memoriae documented by some eroded inscriptions may support this hypothesis. His funeral was held in Mediolanum, at the behest of Theodosius I, by Bishop Ambrose, who also wrote a consolatory piece on the young emperor's death for the occasion.

Condition: Extremely fine.

Weight: 4.46 g.
Diameter: 20 mm.