DOI Heft:
Artykuły
DOI Artikel:Boruch, Wojciech: The language of propaganda of the year of the four emperors in the light of imperial coinage
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22229#0068
WOJCIECH BORUCH
and images. On the coins attributed to them the republican, or rather pseudo-repu-
blican13 (as in fact they are associated with the principate) motifs obtain a symbolic
Vindex and Galba...”, pp. 129-149, who States that: “The importance of the coins in determining the aims of Vindex
can be seen from the fact that many of the types used are new to the imperial coinage, while many others are current
imperial types with slight, but significant, modifications”. Kraay draws the readers attention to the fact (p. 139)
that although appropriate, the name of Vindex does not appear on the anonymous coins from the year 68 assigned
to him - it is replaced by three words expressing the same idea: adsertor, ultor and liberator (which are synonyms).
The author believes (pp. 141 and 143-144) that the idea that Vindex’s revolt was an expression of Gallic national-
ism is contradicted especially by coins with mottos such as ROMA RESTITVTA, FLORENTE FORTVNA PR
and GENIVS PR - (the mottos have distinctly Roman overtones); furthermore, no references are to be found on
Vindex’s coinage to Gaul, instead it puts an emphasis on Romę and SPQR (the Senate and the People of Romę).
Kraay also points out (pp. 130-132 and 148-149) the anonymous coins containing the corona civica, which to him
symbolise the beginning of a new rule - a constitutional succession in the spirit of Augustus’ principate; See also
B. LEVICK, “Messages on the Roman Coinage: Types and Inscriptions”, [in:] G.M. PAUL, M. IERARDI (eds.),
Roman Coins and Public Life under the Empire. E. Togo Salmon Papers II, Ann Arbor 2002, pp. 41—60, who em-
phasizes that the coinage is vehement, and in the early stages there are not even any named individuals to gratify,
though allusion is madę to Vindex with the legend HERCULES ADSERTOR. Cf. SUTHERLAND, “The Concepts
Adsertor...”, pp. 29-32; MARTIN, Die anonymen Miinzen..., pp. 1-86, and especially 13-15.
13 See Suet. Galba 10,1; also KRAAY, “The Coinage of Vindex and Galba...”, pp. 132 and 142-143, who, de-
finitively rejecting the republican character of Vindex and Galba’s revolt, adds that in fact: “the campaign of Vindex
was directed not against the principate but against the person of Nero and his incompetent rule; the rupawoę was to
be replaced by the Pacnkeuę”. This statement is not at all contradicted by the fact that Spanish engravers madę a morę
liberał use of the coinage repertoire of the Republic than their colleagues from Gaul. What is morę (pp. 137-138), the
appearance on the anonymous coinage assigned to Vindex of the type PACIAVGVSTAE (RIC2, vol. 1 (CW) No. 56), so
closely connected with the ruling dynasty (used by Caesar then Vespasian), is a strong argument against the republican or
nationalistic-Gallic theories. Cf. GAGE, « Vespasien... », pp. 308-309, who thinks that a truły republican doctrine could
not have prevailed, although this was what the Stoic leaders wanted. Galba himself did not hesitate long and ąuickly saw
in the religious homage paid to the divine Augustus the most reliable way of maintaining the allegiance of the Western
provinces, as well as of containing the hope or illusions that may have been raised by his initial actions. Cf. also M. HAM-
MOND, “The Transmission of the Powers of the Roman Emperor from the Death ofNero in A.D. 68 to that of Alexander
Severus in A.D. 235”, Memoirs of the American Academy in Romę, 24,1956, pp. 67-68, who indicates that Galba “madę
a short-lived pretence of acting on behalf of the republic, if, indeed, he meant by ‘republic’ the pre-Caesarian govemment
and not simply the Augustan principate, a respublica in contrast to Nero’s tyranny”. See the discussion about the issue in
older literaturę: HAMMOND, “The Transmission of the Powers...”, p. 68, footnote 15. See also BELLONI, “Significati
storico-politici...”, pp. 1056-1057, who believes that the restoration of the Republic in the then political situation was not
realistic; BORUCH, „Propaganda polityczna na monetach cesarza Galby...”, pp. 99-118, especially page 102; CARSON,
Coins of the Roman Empire, p. 18; K. CHRIST, Geschichte der Rómischen Kaiserzeit von Augustus bis zu Konstantin,
Miinchen 2002, pp. 243-245; C. MURISON, Rebellion and Reconstruction Galba to Domitian. An Historical Com-
mentaiy on Cassius Dio s Roman History Books 64-67 (A.D. 68-96), Atlanta 1999, pp. 29-33. The Cambridge Ancient
History, vol. X, second edition, Cambridge 2000, p. 276 (later CAH X), where T.E.J. Wiedemann States that: “nor does
the fact that both legates minted coins with inscriptions asserting republican virtues and referring to the ‘Roman People’
mean that Vindex or Galba rebelled against Nero in order to re-activate a form of republican constitution”. MARTIN,
Die anonymen Miinzen..., pp. 62-63, who pointed out that “immer wieder findet man in der Literatur die verschieden
fonnulierte Angabe, die anonymen Miinzen des Jahres 68 hatten einen republikanischen Charakter. Auf den ersten Blick
scheint das richtig zu sein”, but “das Auftauchen republikanischer Mtinztypen in der Augustus-Gruppe spricht ebenfalls
gegen eine Aufforderung zur Wiederherstellung der Republik”. For another point of view see: MANNSPERGER, „ROM.
ET.AUG...”, pp. 959-960 “(...) die Miinzpragung des Biirgerkriegs bringt tatsachlich eine eindrucksvolle republikanische
Reaktion gegen den autokratischen Prinzipat, die zugleich eine Rebellion der Provinzen gegen die Zentrale darstełlt.
Getragen wird diese Reaktion von den Legaten der einzelnen Provinzen ais den kraft ihrer Heere machtigen Vertretem
des Senatorenschicht, Galba in Spanien, Vindex in Gallien, Clodius Macer in Afrika, Vitellius in Germanien, Mucianus
und Vespasian in Syrien. (...) Vorerst versuchen sie es mit dem Riickgriff auf die Republik, allerdings im wesentlichen
auf ihre letzte, imperatorische Phase”. See recent works by WOLTERS, Nummi Signati... p. 298 and Tlie Cambridge An-
cient Histoty, vol. XI, Cambridge, p. 13 (later CAH XI), where M. Griffin emphasizes that “the types of coins issued by
Galba during rebellion of 68 included a large number of republican types, that did not signify hopes of a restoration of the
Republic, for there were also many revived Augustan types”. See also K.H. WATERS, “The Second Dynasty of Romę”,
Phoenbc, 17, 1963, p. 211. Cf. recently J.M. CODY, “Conąuerors and Conąuered on Flavian Coins”, [in:] A.J. BOYLE,
W.J. DOMINIK (eds.), Flavian Romę. Culture, Image, Text, Leiden-Boston 2003, pp. 103-105, who claims that “Galba,
Yitellius, Clodius Macer and, finally, Yespasian all consciously retumed to republican and Augustan coin types”.
and images. On the coins attributed to them the republican, or rather pseudo-repu-
blican13 (as in fact they are associated with the principate) motifs obtain a symbolic
Vindex and Galba...”, pp. 129-149, who States that: “The importance of the coins in determining the aims of Vindex
can be seen from the fact that many of the types used are new to the imperial coinage, while many others are current
imperial types with slight, but significant, modifications”. Kraay draws the readers attention to the fact (p. 139)
that although appropriate, the name of Vindex does not appear on the anonymous coins from the year 68 assigned
to him - it is replaced by three words expressing the same idea: adsertor, ultor and liberator (which are synonyms).
The author believes (pp. 141 and 143-144) that the idea that Vindex’s revolt was an expression of Gallic national-
ism is contradicted especially by coins with mottos such as ROMA RESTITVTA, FLORENTE FORTVNA PR
and GENIVS PR - (the mottos have distinctly Roman overtones); furthermore, no references are to be found on
Vindex’s coinage to Gaul, instead it puts an emphasis on Romę and SPQR (the Senate and the People of Romę).
Kraay also points out (pp. 130-132 and 148-149) the anonymous coins containing the corona civica, which to him
symbolise the beginning of a new rule - a constitutional succession in the spirit of Augustus’ principate; See also
B. LEVICK, “Messages on the Roman Coinage: Types and Inscriptions”, [in:] G.M. PAUL, M. IERARDI (eds.),
Roman Coins and Public Life under the Empire. E. Togo Salmon Papers II, Ann Arbor 2002, pp. 41—60, who em-
phasizes that the coinage is vehement, and in the early stages there are not even any named individuals to gratify,
though allusion is madę to Vindex with the legend HERCULES ADSERTOR. Cf. SUTHERLAND, “The Concepts
Adsertor...”, pp. 29-32; MARTIN, Die anonymen Miinzen..., pp. 1-86, and especially 13-15.
13 See Suet. Galba 10,1; also KRAAY, “The Coinage of Vindex and Galba...”, pp. 132 and 142-143, who, de-
finitively rejecting the republican character of Vindex and Galba’s revolt, adds that in fact: “the campaign of Vindex
was directed not against the principate but against the person of Nero and his incompetent rule; the rupawoę was to
be replaced by the Pacnkeuę”. This statement is not at all contradicted by the fact that Spanish engravers madę a morę
liberał use of the coinage repertoire of the Republic than their colleagues from Gaul. What is morę (pp. 137-138), the
appearance on the anonymous coinage assigned to Vindex of the type PACIAVGVSTAE (RIC2, vol. 1 (CW) No. 56), so
closely connected with the ruling dynasty (used by Caesar then Vespasian), is a strong argument against the republican or
nationalistic-Gallic theories. Cf. GAGE, « Vespasien... », pp. 308-309, who thinks that a truły republican doctrine could
not have prevailed, although this was what the Stoic leaders wanted. Galba himself did not hesitate long and ąuickly saw
in the religious homage paid to the divine Augustus the most reliable way of maintaining the allegiance of the Western
provinces, as well as of containing the hope or illusions that may have been raised by his initial actions. Cf. also M. HAM-
MOND, “The Transmission of the Powers of the Roman Emperor from the Death ofNero in A.D. 68 to that of Alexander
Severus in A.D. 235”, Memoirs of the American Academy in Romę, 24,1956, pp. 67-68, who indicates that Galba “madę
a short-lived pretence of acting on behalf of the republic, if, indeed, he meant by ‘republic’ the pre-Caesarian govemment
and not simply the Augustan principate, a respublica in contrast to Nero’s tyranny”. See the discussion about the issue in
older literaturę: HAMMOND, “The Transmission of the Powers...”, p. 68, footnote 15. See also BELLONI, “Significati
storico-politici...”, pp. 1056-1057, who believes that the restoration of the Republic in the then political situation was not
realistic; BORUCH, „Propaganda polityczna na monetach cesarza Galby...”, pp. 99-118, especially page 102; CARSON,
Coins of the Roman Empire, p. 18; K. CHRIST, Geschichte der Rómischen Kaiserzeit von Augustus bis zu Konstantin,
Miinchen 2002, pp. 243-245; C. MURISON, Rebellion and Reconstruction Galba to Domitian. An Historical Com-
mentaiy on Cassius Dio s Roman History Books 64-67 (A.D. 68-96), Atlanta 1999, pp. 29-33. The Cambridge Ancient
History, vol. X, second edition, Cambridge 2000, p. 276 (later CAH X), where T.E.J. Wiedemann States that: “nor does
the fact that both legates minted coins with inscriptions asserting republican virtues and referring to the ‘Roman People’
mean that Vindex or Galba rebelled against Nero in order to re-activate a form of republican constitution”. MARTIN,
Die anonymen Miinzen..., pp. 62-63, who pointed out that “immer wieder findet man in der Literatur die verschieden
fonnulierte Angabe, die anonymen Miinzen des Jahres 68 hatten einen republikanischen Charakter. Auf den ersten Blick
scheint das richtig zu sein”, but “das Auftauchen republikanischer Mtinztypen in der Augustus-Gruppe spricht ebenfalls
gegen eine Aufforderung zur Wiederherstellung der Republik”. For another point of view see: MANNSPERGER, „ROM.
ET.AUG...”, pp. 959-960 “(...) die Miinzpragung des Biirgerkriegs bringt tatsachlich eine eindrucksvolle republikanische
Reaktion gegen den autokratischen Prinzipat, die zugleich eine Rebellion der Provinzen gegen die Zentrale darstełlt.
Getragen wird diese Reaktion von den Legaten der einzelnen Provinzen ais den kraft ihrer Heere machtigen Vertretem
des Senatorenschicht, Galba in Spanien, Vindex in Gallien, Clodius Macer in Afrika, Vitellius in Germanien, Mucianus
und Vespasian in Syrien. (...) Vorerst versuchen sie es mit dem Riickgriff auf die Republik, allerdings im wesentlichen
auf ihre letzte, imperatorische Phase”. See recent works by WOLTERS, Nummi Signati... p. 298 and Tlie Cambridge An-
cient Histoty, vol. XI, Cambridge, p. 13 (later CAH XI), where M. Griffin emphasizes that “the types of coins issued by
Galba during rebellion of 68 included a large number of republican types, that did not signify hopes of a restoration of the
Republic, for there were also many revived Augustan types”. See also K.H. WATERS, “The Second Dynasty of Romę”,
Phoenbc, 17, 1963, p. 211. Cf. recently J.M. CODY, “Conąuerors and Conąuered on Flavian Coins”, [in:] A.J. BOYLE,
W.J. DOMINIK (eds.), Flavian Romę. Culture, Image, Text, Leiden-Boston 2003, pp. 103-105, who claims that “Galba,
Yitellius, Clodius Macer and, finally, Yespasian all consciously retumed to republican and Augustan coin types”.