Licinius   308 - 324   A.D.

By clicking on the pictures you'll be linked to a more complete description of the coin. At the bottom of this page there is a more elaborate biography of the emperor.

Obverse: IMP LICINIVS AVG
Reverse: IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG
Fieldmarks: an S in the right field
Exergue: SMN

Obverse: IMP C LIC LICINNIVS PF AVG
Reverse: SOLI INVICTO
Fieldmarks: S in the left field and a star in the right field.
Exergue: ANT

 

 

 

 


Obverse: IMP LICINIVS PF AVG
Reverse: SOLI INVICTO COMITI
Fieldmarks: R over X in the left field and F in the right field
Exergue: R   P

 

 


 


Obverse: IMP LICINIVS AVG
Reverse: PROVIDENTIAE AVGG
Fieldmarks: -
Exergue: SMHB






 

Licinius   308 - 324   A.D.

      Gaius Valerius Licinianus Licinius was the child of common parents in Dacia Ripensis in Moesia around 250 AD. He rose through the ranks of the military and became a good friend of Galerius. It was on Galerius' campaign against the Persians in AD 297 AD that his performance is said to have been especially impressive and as a consequence he was rewarded with a military command on the Danube. When campaigns by Severus and Galerius failed to drive off Maxentius who was acclaimed Augustus on the 28th of October 306, Licinius was sent by Galerius to Maxentius as an ambassador. His mission proved unsuccessful and resulted in Galerius' consequent attempt to invade Italy in 307 AD. At the conference of Carnuntum Licinius was suddenly raised to the rank of Augustus on the 11th of November 308 and was granted the territories of Pannonia, Illyricum, Italy, Africa and Spain (the latter three only in theory, as Maxentius still occupied them). Licinius' promotion to Augustus, without having previously held the rank of Caesar quite literally ignored the greater claims of Maximinus Daia (Galerius' Caesar in the east) and Constantine. All that appeared to have earned Licinius the throne was his friendship to Galerius. Although Licinius was initially appointed by Galerius to replace Severus as Caesar of the western empire to end the revolt of Maxentius , Licinius (perhaps wisely) made no effort to move against the usurper. When Galerius died in 311, Licinius met Maximinus Daia at the Bosporus during the early summer of that year. They concluded a treaty and divided Galerius' realm between them. Licinius seized the Balkan territories and Maximinus Daia got the territories in Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt,the Bosporus would be the border between their territories. It was little more than a year later that the Emperor Constantine defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge on the 28th of October 312. After the defeat of the usurper Maxentius, Constantine and Licinius met at Mediolanum where Licinius allied himself with Constantine by becoming engaged to Constantine's sister Constantia, one child was born of this union, Valerius Licinianus Licinius (Licinius II). Licinius also accepted Constantine as the senior Augustus and both emperors issued the so-called Edict of Milan, in which Constantine and Licinius granted Christians the freedom to practice their faith without any interference from the state.

      As soon as Maximinus Daia learned about the marital alliance between Licinius and Constantine and the death of Maxentius, who had been his ally, he quickly moved his army trough a wintery Asia minor and, in April 313, crossed the Bosporus and went to Byzantium, which he took from Licinius after an eleven day siege. On the 30th of April 313 the armies of both emperors clashed on the Campus Ergenus but Maximinus Daia's troops who had been quickly driven across wintery and snow bound Asia Minor were on the brink exhaustion. Despite their highly superior numbers they were defeated by Licinius. Maximinus II Daia retreated back to Asia Minor, and withdrew behind the Taurus mountains to Tarsus. First Licinius moved to Nicomedia where he promulgated the Edict of Milan granting complete freedom of worship to all Christians. A last ditch stand by Daia at the Cilician Gates failed and Maximinus II either succumbed to serious illness or took poison around August of 313 AD. Once Licinius had defeated Maximinus Daia he gained all his territories and was welcomed by its people who where glad to be rid of the ruthless dictator Maximinus. Now Licinius and Constantine where the sole rulers of the Roman world.

      Constantine and Licinius didn't like each other very much and it was clear that both wanted to became the sole ruler of the roman empire. In the following years they fought two smaller battles. First Constantine's forces joined battle with those of Licinius at Cibalae in Pannonia on the 8th of October 314. Constantine prevailed, his victory, however was a hollow one because both sites lost a lot of man. Both emperors had also been involved in exhausting military campaigns in the previous year and the months leading up to Cibalae and each of their realms had expanded so fast that their manpower must have been stretched to the limit. Both men retreated to their own territory to lick their wounds and the status quo between the two was restored. Although not much else is known about Licinius' activities during this period, it is very likely that he spent much of his time preparing for his impending war against Constantine. Sometime between the 1st of December and the 28th of February 317, both emperors' armies joined in battle again this time on the Campus Ardiensis. Just before the battle Licinius gave his general of the Illyrian frontier, Valens the precarious title of Caesar. Constantine's forces were victorious once again and on the 1st of March 317, both sides agreed to a cessation of hostilities, Licinius was able to keep his throne, although he had to agree to the execution of his colleague Valens (who had only ruled for a few days). Licinius also had to give a large part of his territories to his brother-in-law namely Pannonia, Illyricum, Macedonia and Greece.

      Licinius turned on the Christians in his realm seemingly in 320 AD. The first law that Licinius issued prevented bishops from communicating with each other and from holding synods to discuss matters of interest to them. The second law prohibited men and women from attending services together and young girls from receiving instruction from their bishop or schools. When this law was issued, he also gave orders that Christians could hold services only outside the city walls additionally, he deprived officers in the army of their commissions if they did not sacrifice to the Roman gods. Licinius may have been trying to incite Constantine (who was said to be a devote Christian) to attack him. Over the years Constantine had greatly solidified his hold over the West and had won several great victories over the barbarians at the Danube border. With all these victories he could no longer tolerate the aging and weak emperor of the East and having assembled a great fleet and army (120000 infantry and 10000 cavalry) at Thessalonica, Constantine advanced toward Adrianopolis. Licinius who was still a great general assembled a huge army (150000 infantry and 15000 cavalry) and fleet of his own (to the surprise of his enemy) and engaged the forces of his brother-in-law near the banks of the Hebrus River on the 3th of July 324 where his forces were routed. With as many men as he could gather, Licinius headed for his fleet in the Hellespont and fled to Byzantium, where he was besieged by Constantine. Licinius' fleet, under the command of the admiral Abantus, was overcome by bad weather and by Constantine' s fleet which was under the command of his son Crispus. Now hard pressed in Byzantium, Licinius abandoned the city to his rival and fled to Chalcedon in Bithynia. Leaving Martinianus, his former magister officiorum and now his co-ruler, to impede Constantine's progress, Licinius regrouped his forces and engaged his enemy with great valor and desperation at Chrysopolis where he lost some 15000 man and was again routed on the 18th of September 324. He fled to Nicomedia which Constantine began to besiege, on the second day of the siege Licinius abdicated and was sent to Thessalonica, where he was kept under house arrest. Martinianus may have been put to death before the end of 324, whereas Licinius was not put to death until the spring of 325. Rumors circulated that Licinius had been put to death because he attempted a rebellion against Constantine by allying himself with the Goths. Eventually his son Licinius the Younger was also executed in 327 AD.

For this biography I've used the texts from the following websites:
http://www.imperiumromanum.com/
http://www.roman-emperors.org/
http://www.roman-empire.net/
And from: Gibbon's Decline and fall of the Roman empire.