SEVERUS ALEXANDER 222AD Caesarea Cappadocia Authentic Ancient Roman Coin i54134

Description

Item:
i54134
Authentic Ancient  Coin of:
Severus Alexander - Roman Emperor: 222-235 A.D.
Bronze 23mm (8.03 grams) of
<="" font=""> Caesarea in Cappadocia
Reference: cf.  Sydenham 574
AV K C
ЄO
VH AΛ
Є
ΞANΔP,  radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
MHT / PO
ΠΟΛ / ЄΩC ΚΑI / CAPIAC / NЄΩ
K /
ЄTS in six lines.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured,  provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of  Authenticity.
Mount  Erciyes
(
Mons Argaeus
in ancient times) is a massive
stratovolcano
located 25 km south of
Kayseri
,
Turkey
. Erciyes is the highest
mountain
in central
Anatolia
(3,916 metres). The volcano is heavily  eroded, but may have erupted as recently as
253 BC
, as may be depicted on
Roman era
coins.
Strabo
wrote that in his time the summit was  never free from snow and that those few who ascended it could see both the
Black Sea
and the
Mediterranean
.
Kayseri
, named in
classical antiquity
as
Mazaka
or
Mazaca
,
Eusebia
,
Caesarea Cappadociae
, and later as
Kaisariyah
, is a large and industrialized
city
in
Central Anatolia
,
Turkey
. It is the seat of
Kayseri Province
.
Kayseri has been a continuous settlement since 3000 BC. The city has always  been a vital trade center since it is located on major trade routes,  particularly along what was called the
Great Silk Road
.
Kültepe
, one of the oldest cities in
Asia Minor
, lies nearby.
As
Mazaca
, the city served as the residence of the kings of
Cappadocia
. In ancient times, it was on the  crossroads of the trade routes from
Sinope
to the
Euphrates
and from the
Persian Royal Road
that extended from
Sardis
to
Susa
. In
Roman
times, a similar route from
Ephesus
to the East also crossed the city.
The city's name was changed to
Eusebia
in honor of the Cappadocian  king
Ariathes V
(163–130 BC). The name was changed  again to
Caesarea
by the last Cappadocian King
Archelaus
or perhaps by
Tiberius
.
Mount Erciyes
(
Mons Argaeus
in ancient  times). The site, now called the old town, diplays only a few traces from the  old town. It was destroyed by the
Sassanid
king
Shapur I of Persia
after his victory over the
Emperor Valerian I
in AD 260. At the time it  was recorded to have around 400,000 inhabitants. In the 4th century, bishop
Basil
established an ecclesiastical centre on  the plain, about one mile to the northeast, which gradually supplanted the old  town. A portion of Basil's new city was surrounded with strong walls and turned  into a fortress by
Justinian
, was the last
Alexander Severus
(October 1, 208–March 18, 235 AD), commonly  called
Marcus  Aurelius Severus Alexanderr
Roman emperor
(11 March 222–235) of the
Severan dynasty
. Alexander Severus succeeded his cousin,
Elagabalus
upon the latter's assassination in 222 AD, and was ultimately assassinated  himself, marking the
epoch event
for the
Crisis of the Third Century
—nearly fifty years of disorder, Roman civil  wars, economic chaos, regional rebellions, and external threats that brought the  Empire to near-collapse.
Alexander Severus was the
heir  apparent
to his cousin, the eighteen-year-old Emperor who had been murdered  along with his mother by his own guards—and as a mark of contempt, had their  remains cast into the
Tiber river
. He and his cousin were both grandsons of the influential and  powerful
Julia Maesa
, who had arranged for Elagabalus' acclamation as Emperor by the  famed
Third Gallic Legion
.
A rumor of Alexander's death circulated, triggering the assassination of  Elagabalus.
Alexander's reign was marked by troubles. In military conflict against the  rising
Sassanid Empire
, there are mixed accounts, though the Sassanid threat was  checked. However, when campaigning against
Germanic tribes
of
Germania
,  Alexander Severus apparently alienated his legions by trying diplomacy and  bribery, and they assassinated him.
Life
Alexander was born with the name
Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus
.  Alexander's father,
Marcus Julius Gessius Marcianus
was a Syrian
Promagistrate
. His mother
Julia Avita Mamaea
was the second daughter of
Julia  Maesa
and Syrian noble
Julius Avitus
and maternal aunt of Emperor
Elagabalus
.  He had an elder sister called Theoclia and little is known about her.  Alexander's maternal great-aunt was empress
Julia  Domna
(also Maesa's younger sister) and his great-uncle in marriage was  emperor Lucius
Septimius Severus
. Emperors
Caracalla
and
Publius Septimius Geta
, were his mother's maternal cousins. In 221,  Alexander's grandmother, Maesa, persuaded the emperor to adopt his cousin as  successor and make him
Caesar
and Bassianus changed his name to Alexander. In the following  year, on March 11, Elagabalus was murdered, and Alexander was proclaimed emperor  by the
Praetorians
and accepted by the Senate.
When Alexander became emperor, he was young, amiable, well-meaning, and  entirely under the dominion of his mother. Julia Mamaea was a woman of many  virtues, and she surrounded the young emperor with wise counsellors. She watched  over the development of her son's character and improved the tone of the  administration. On the other hand, she was inordinately jealous. She also  alienated the army by extreme parsimony, and neither she nor her son were strong  enough to impose military discipline. Mutinies became frequent in all parts of  the empire; to one of them the life of the jurist and praetorian praefect
Ulpian
was  sacrificed; another compelled the retirement of
Cassius  Dio
from his command.
On the whole, however, the reign of Alexander was prosperous until the rise,  in the east, of the
Sassanids
. Of the war that followed there are various accounts. (
Mommsen
leans to that which is least favourable to the Romans). According to Alexander's  own dispatch to the senate, he gained great victories. At all events, though the  Sassanids were checked for the time, the conduct of the Roman army showed an  extraordinary lack of discipline. The emperor returned to
Rome
and celebrated  a triumph in 233.
The following year he was called to face German invaders in
Gaul
, who had  breached the Rhine frontier in several places, destroying forts and over-running  the countryside. Alexander mustered his forces, bringing legions from the  eastern provinces, and crossed the Rhine into Germany on a pontoon bridge.  Initially he attempted to buy the German tribes off, so as to gain time. Whether  this was a wise policy or not, it caused the Roman legionaries to look down on  their emperor as one who was prepared to commit unsoldierly conduct.
Herodian
says "in their opinion Alexander showed no honourable intention to pursue the  war and preferred a life of ease, when he should have marched out to punish the  Germans for their previous insolence". These circumstances drove the army to  look for a new leader. They chose
Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus
, a Thracian soldier who had worked his way up  through the ranks.
Following the nomination of Maximinus as emperor, Alexander was slain (on  either March 18 or March 19, 235), together with his mother, in a mutiny of the
Primigenia
Legio XXII
. These assassinations secured the throne for  Maximinus.
The death of Alexander is considered as the end of the
Principate
system established by
Augustus
.  Although the
Principate
continued in theory until the reign of
Diocletian
,  Alexander Severus' death signalled the beginning of the chaotic period known as  the
Crisis of the Third Century
which weakened the empire considerably.
Legacy
Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. Under the influence of his  mother, he did much to improve the morals and condition of the people. His  advisers were men like the famous jurist Ulpian, the historian Cassius Dio and a  select board of sixteen senators; a municipal council of fourteen assisted the  urban praefect in administering the affairs of the fourteen districts of Rome.  The luxury and extravagance that had formerly been so prevalent at the court  were put down; the standard of the coinage was raised; taxes were lightened;  literature, art and science were encouraged; the lot of the soldiers was  improved; and, for the convenience of the people, loan offices were instituted  for lending money at a moderate rate of interest.
In religious matters Alexander preserved an open mind. It is said that he was  desirous of erecting a temple to the
founder of  Christianity
, but was dissuaded by the pagan priests.
Marriage
Alexander was married three times. His most famous wife was
Sallustia Orbiana
,
Augusta
,
whom he married in 225. He divorced and exiled her in 227,  after her father,
Seius Sallustius
, was executed for attempting to assassinate the emperor.  Another wife was Sulpicia Memmia. Her father was a man of consular rank; her  grandfather's name was
Catulus
.
="">
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until my order is shipped?:
Depending on the volume of sales, it may take up to 5 business days for shipment of your order after the receipt of payment.
How will I know when the order was shipped?:
After your order has shipped, you will be left positive feedback, and that date should be used as a basis of estimating an arrival date.
After you shipped the order, how long will the mail take?
USPS First Class mail takes about 3-5 business days to arrive in the U.S., international shipping times cannot be estimated as they vary from country to country. I am not responsible for any USPS delivery delays, especially for an international package.
What is a certificate of authenticity and what guarantees do you give that the item is authentic?
Each of the items sold here, is provided with a Certificate of Authenticity, and a Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity, issued by a world-renowned numismatic and antique expert that has identified over 10000 ancient coins and has provided them with the same guarantee. You will be quite happy with what you get with the COA; a professional presentation of the coin, with all of the relevant information and a picture of the coin you saw in the listing.
Compared to other certification companies, the certificate of  authenticity is a -50 value. So buy a coin today and own a piece  of history, guaranteed.
Is there a money back guarantee?
I offer a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee. I stand  behind my coins and would be willing to exchange your order for  either store credit towards other coins, or refund, minus shipping  expenses, within 30 days from the receipt of your order. My goal is  to have the returning customers for a lifetime, and I am so sure in  my coins, their authenticity, numismatic value and beauty, I can  offer such a guarantee.
Is there a number I can call you with questions about my  order?
You can contact me directly via ask seller a question and request my  telephone number, or go to my About Me Page to get my contact information only in regards to  items purchased on eBay.
When should I leave feedback?
Once you receive your  order, please leave a positive. Please don't leave any negative feedbacks, as it happens many times that people rush to leave feedback before letting sufficient time for the order to arrive. Also, if you sent an email, make sure to check for my reply in your messages before claiming that you didn't receive a response. The matter of fact is that any issues can be resolved, as reputation is most important to me. My goal is to provide superior products and quality of service.