Reece Period attributed: Period 7
Member of the The Antonines dynasty.
Coins for this issuer were issued from 138 until 161.
Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionus Arrius Antoninus was born in AD 86 to a politically-involved family. He eventually gained the honorific name 'Pius', possibly because of his devotion to duty and upstanding character. He took the usual route through Roman political offices, but he knew little of military affairs.
Hadrian adopted Antoninus in AD 138 after the death of designated heir Aelius Caesar. In turn, Antoninus adopted Marcus Annius Verus (eventually Marcus Aurelius) and the future emperor Commodus at the same ceremony. Antoninus' succession was unchallenged, and he introduced reforms for the acceptable treatment of slaves. An excellent public speaker, he ruled justly and compassionately. Antoninus engaged in no major military campaigns, and the empire enjoyed peace during his reign.
Antoninus Pius died of a short illness and was deified almost immediately by the Senate. He officially handed his power to his adoptive son Marcus Aurelius while dying. His body, along with his wife Faustina's, was laid to rest in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in one of the first imperial inhumations (as opposed to the more-common cremation).
Antoninus Pius followed his predecessor Hadrian's new fashion and wore a beard. He had a stern expression and was very tall and handsome.
We have recorded 1,867 examples.
Record: HAMP-44CCFE
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Description: A silver Roman denarius of Anton…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Record: NMGW-C69718
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Description: Roman silver coin
Antoninus Pius (AD 138-…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Record: PUBLIC-F2D84E
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Description: A corroded Roman copper-alloy core of a pl…
Workflow: Published
Record: BH-F8D13A
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: ROMAN
Description: A copper-alloy Roman sestertius of Antonin…
Workflow: Published
View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Antoninus Pius.
This video has been embedded from Adrian Murdoch's series of podcasts on the Emperors of Rome. Many thanks to him for allowing us to use these podcasts.