{"product_id":"mayw4-kb1499","title":"Ancient Rome 351-354 AD Constantius Gallus Bronze Coin","description":"Ancient Rome 351-354 AD Constantius Gallus Bronze Coin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe reign of Constantius II was a drama made for prestige TV, filled with backstabbing brothers, rebellious generals, and family murdered in cold blood. By the tail end of his reign, he had wrangled control of the entire, deeply troubled and fracturing empire -- though it took the deaths of two brothers, a military rival, and numerous uncles and cousins to do it. Realistically, however, 4th-century Rome was too chaotic to be effectively run by a single man. With his attention torn between crises, Constantius was forced to appoint someone to help him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was Constantius Gallus, named junior emperor (or \"Caesar\") in 351. (For clarity: Constantius was the cousins' shared family name, and Gallus a family name inherited from his mother's side. Both men's given names were Flavius.) Gallus, age 26, was one of the few men in the family that Constantius had not had murdered to shore up his own power, and so, one of the only choices left for the purple. He did his best. Most of his short reign was occupied by Jewish rebellion in Palaestina and war with the Sassanids on the eastern frontier. His end came when he made the fatal mistake of crowning a victor at a Constantinople chariot race; an honour reserved for Constantius alone. Constantius was incensed. Gallus was arrested, interrogated, and put to death. He was replaced by his younger brother and Constantius' final adversary, Julian the Apostate.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBring home a piece of this tumultuous chapter in late Roman history with this bronze coin featuring the effigy of Constantius Gallus. The reverse shows Constantius standing, dressed in military attire and holding a labarum (military standard) in each hand. Interestingly, these late Roman coins have more in common, stylistically, with Medieval art than Classical; a testament to the transitionary nature of this period.","brand":"Colonial Acres Coins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52695912120609,"sku":"July.Week4.P3-KB1499","price":28.45,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/1744\/7457\/files\/KB1499.jpg?v=1779457276","url":"https:\/\/www.colonialacres.com\/products\/mayw4-kb1499","provider":"Colonial Acres Coins","version":"1.0","type":"link"}