Late Roman Bronze Coins

Coin talk => Late Roman Bronze coins => Topic started by: Victor on August 05, 2015, 03:51:12 PM

Title: Constantine I VIRTVS PERPETVA...Hercules strangling lion
Post by: Victor on August 05, 2015, 03:51:12 PM

This is a fairly rare type for Constantine I depicting Hercules strangling the Nemean lion. It is interesting because the ancient writer Photius tells a story of how Constantine had to fight a lion...even though I don't believe this event actually happened. I think it is a rhetorical invention meant to make Constantine seem more heroic and compare him to Hercules.

"At that time Maximin, governor of Asia Minor,who happened to be there, determined to lay a plot against the youth and set him to fight with a savage lion. But Constantine overcame and slew the beast"



Constantine I
A.D. 307- 308
26mm   4.4gm
CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
VIRTVS PER - PETVA AVG; Hercules left, club leaning against left leg, strangling Nemean lion.
in ex. ST
RIC VI Ticinum 99

Title: Re: Constantine I VIRTVS PERPETVA...Hercules strangling lion
Post by: seth on August 08, 2015, 06:33:19 PM

This is perhaps the second one I see. Nice coin!