Colonial Acres Coins
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Ancient Rome 268-270 AD Claudius II "Gothicus" Bronze Coin
Ancient Rome 268-270 AD Claudius II "Gothicus" Bronze Coin
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Ancient Rome 268-270 AD Claudius II "Gothicus" Bronze Coin
The third century was a bad time for the Roman Empire -- so bad, historians literally refer to it as the "Crisis of the Third Century." Frontier security, plague, climate change, civil war, taxes; every problem that had tickled the empire for the past three hundred years was coming home to roost. Perhaps the most pressing problem, however, was imperial succession. In just over fifty years, twenty-six men claimed the title of emperor. One of those men was Claudius Gothicus.
Little is known about Claudius. He was a relative of the Constantinians and probably an illegitimate son of Gordian II. He had a successful military career, earning the cognomen "Gothicus" for his victory over the Goths at the Battle of Naissus in 269. He may or may not have murdered his predecessor, the relatively long-lived Gallienus. What seems certain is that he was a cruel man with impressive physical strength, the traits that probably made him appealing to the army in the first place.
Claudius' greatest claim to fame is probably his association with Saint Valentine. According to Medieval legend, Valentine was martyred by Emperor Claudius on February 14th. Since Claudius I was not a known persecutor of Christians, the consensus is that this must have been Claudius II. Next time you're struggling to find a gift for your sweetie on Valentine's Day, now you know it's (probably) Claudius II's fault!
This bronze coin features the effigy of Claudius II on the obverse, a token of a chaotic but fascinating time in Roman history.
The third century was a bad time for the Roman Empire -- so bad, historians literally refer to it as the "Crisis of the Third Century." Frontier security, plague, climate change, civil war, taxes; every problem that had tickled the empire for the past three hundred years was coming home to roost. Perhaps the most pressing problem, however, was imperial succession. In just over fifty years, twenty-six men claimed the title of emperor. One of those men was Claudius Gothicus.
Little is known about Claudius. He was a relative of the Constantinians and probably an illegitimate son of Gordian II. He had a successful military career, earning the cognomen "Gothicus" for his victory over the Goths at the Battle of Naissus in 269. He may or may not have murdered his predecessor, the relatively long-lived Gallienus. What seems certain is that he was a cruel man with impressive physical strength, the traits that probably made him appealing to the army in the first place.
Claudius' greatest claim to fame is probably his association with Saint Valentine. According to Medieval legend, Valentine was martyred by Emperor Claudius on February 14th. Since Claudius I was not a known persecutor of Christians, the consensus is that this must have been Claudius II. Next time you're struggling to find a gift for your sweetie on Valentine's Day, now you know it's (probably) Claudius II's fault!
This bronze coin features the effigy of Claudius II on the obverse, a token of a chaotic but fascinating time in Roman history.
