-40%
Justin II & Queen Sophia AE Follis Large M Ancient Byzantine Coin Nicomedia Mint
$ 24.07
- Description
- Size Guide
Description
Byzantine Empire Justin II -
Byzantine Emperor: November 15, 565 A.D. - October 5, 578 A.D.
& Queen Sophia -Byzantine Empress consort: 565 - 578 A.D. - AE Bronze Follis,
Nicomedia mint circa 565-578 A.D.
Obverse:
D N IVSTINVS PP AVG - Justin, on left, and Sophia on right, seated facing on double throne, both nimbate; he holds globe cross, she holds cruciform scepter
Reverse:
Large M; above cross ┼ ; to left, A / N / N O ; to right, numerals representing regnal year; beneath, officina letter, in exergue NIKO
Weight: 10.1 grams
Diameter: 30 mm
Reference: Sear 361
Justin II
(
Latin
:
Flavius Iustinus Iunior Augustus
;
Ancient Greek
:
Φλάβιος Ἰουστίνος ὁ νεώτερος
; c. 520 – 5 October 578) was
Byzantine Emperor
from 565 to 578. He was the husband of
Sophia
, nephew of
Justinian I
and the late Empress
Theodora
, and was therefore a member of the
Justinian Dynasty
. His reign is marked by war with
Persia
and the loss of the greater part of
Italy
. He presented the
Cross of Justin II
to
Saint Peter's, Rome
.
Family
He was a son of
Vigilantia
and Dulcidio (or Dulcissimus), respectively the sister and brother-in-law of Justinian. His siblings included
Marcellus
and
Praejecta
.
Accession
Justinian I died on the night of 14 to 15 November 565. Callinicus, the
praepositus sacri cubiculi
, seems to have been the only witness to his dying moments, and later claimed that Justinian had designated "Justin, Vigilantia's son" as his heir in a deathbed decision. The disambiguation was needed because there was another nephew and candidate for the throne,
Justin
, son of
Germanus
. Modern historians suspect Callinicus may have fabricated the last words of Justinian to secure the succession for his political ally. As
Robert Browning
(a modern historian, not the poet) observed: "Did Justinian really bring himself in the end to make a choice, or did Callinicus make it for him? Only Callinicus knew."
In any case, Callinicus started alerting those most interested in the succession, originally various members of the
Byzantine Senate
. Then they jointly informed Justin and Vigilantia, offering the throne. Justin accepted after the traditional token show of reluctance, and with his wife Sophia, he was escorted to the
Great Palace of Constantinople
. The
Excubitors
blocked the palace entrances during the night, and early in the morning,
John Scholasticus
,
Patriarch of Constantinople
, crowned the new
Augustus
. Only then was the death of Justinian and the succession of Justin publicly announced in the
Hippodrome of Constantinople
.
Both the Patriarch and
Tiberius
, commander of the Excubitors, had been recently appointed, with Justin having played a part in their respective appointments, in his role as Justinian's
curopalates
. Their willingness to elevate their patron and ally to the throne was hardly surprising.
In the first few days of his reign Justin paid his uncle's debts, administered justice in person, and proclaimed universal religious toleration. Contrary to his uncle, Justin relied completely on the support of the aristocratic party.
Foreign policy
Proud of character, and faced with an empty treasury, he discontinued Justinian's practice of buying off potential enemies. Immediately after his accession, Justin halted the payment of subsidies to the
Avars
, ending a truce that had existed since 558. After the Avars and the neighbouring tribe of the
Lombards
had combined to destroy the
Gepids
, from whom Justin had obtained the Danube fortress of
Sirmium
, Avar pressure caused the Lombards to migrate West, and in 568 they invaded
Italy
under their king
Alboin
. They quickly overran the Po valley, and within a few years they had made themselves masters of nearly the entire country. The Avars themselves crossed the Danube in 573 or 574, when the Empire's attention was distracted by troubles on the Persian frontier. They were only placated by the payment of a subsidy of 60,000
silver
pieces by Justin's successor
Tiberius
.
The North and East frontiers were the main focus of Justin's attention. In 572 his refusal to pay tribute to the
Persians
in combination with overtures to the Turks led to a war with the Sassanid Empire. After two disastrous campaigns, in which the Persians overran
Syria
and captured the strategically important fortress of
Dara (Mesopotamia)
, Justin reportedly lost his mind.
Authenticity:
Authenticity is unconditionally guaranteed.
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