Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 31 26 November 2016
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Vabalathus Æ Antoninianus. Antioch, March-May AD 272. IM C VHABALATHVS AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VENV-S AVG, Venus standing left, holding helmet in right hand, transverse spear in left, leaning on shield behind her; star to left. RIC V 5 corr. (bust type); BN 1266; MIR 47, 361a. 3.21g, 19mm, 11h.
Near Extremely Fine. Attractive Portrait.
The son of Odenathus, ruler of the rich eastern trade centre of Palmyra, and his wife Zenobia, Vabalathus was declared king following the murder of his father in AD 267. As he was still a minor, Zenobia took power as regent; to bolster her position, Zenobia laid claim to an illustrious ancestry, including Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the legendary Dido of Carthage. Using her position as regent for Vabalathus, and the confusion following the death of Gallienus, she expanded Palmyrene power and seized control of Egypt and with it the Roman grain supply.
The emperor Aurelian recognized the threat posed by Zenobia and Vabalathus and launched a campaign against them. In AD 272, Palmyra was sacked and both Zenobia and Vabalathus were captured as they tried to make their way to Persia. The two were to be brought to Rome and paraded in Aurelian's triumph in AD 274, but apparently only Zenobia survived the journey. According to later tradition, Aurelian, impressed by her beauty and dignity, not only freed her but granted her a villa in Tibur where she spent the rest of her life.
Near Extremely Fine. Attractive Portrait.
The son of Odenathus, ruler of the rich eastern trade centre of Palmyra, and his wife Zenobia, Vabalathus was declared king following the murder of his father in AD 267. As he was still a minor, Zenobia took power as regent; to bolster her position, Zenobia laid claim to an illustrious ancestry, including Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the legendary Dido of Carthage. Using her position as regent for Vabalathus, and the confusion following the death of Gallienus, she expanded Palmyrene power and seized control of Egypt and with it the Roman grain supply.
The emperor Aurelian recognized the threat posed by Zenobia and Vabalathus and launched a campaign against them. In AD 272, Palmyra was sacked and both Zenobia and Vabalathus were captured as they tried to make their way to Persia. The two were to be brought to Rome and paraded in Aurelian's triumph in AD 274, but apparently only Zenobia survived the journey. According to later tradition, Aurelian, impressed by her beauty and dignity, not only freed her but granted her a villa in Tibur where she spent the rest of her life.