| Diadumenian | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co-emperor of the Roman Empire with Macrinus | |||||
 An aurelius bearing the bust of Diadumenian | |||||
| Co-emperor of the Roman Empire | |||||
| Caesar | May 217 – May 218 | ||||
| Co-Emperor | May 218 – June 218 | ||||
| Predecessor | Macrinus | ||||
| Successor | Elagabalus | ||||
| Born | 14 September 208 AD | ||||
| Died | 218 AD Zeugma | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Macrinus | ||||
| Mother | Nonia Celsa | ||||
Diadumenian (Latin: Marcus Opellius Antoninus Diadumenianus Augustus) (September 14/19, 208 – 218), was briefly Roman Emperor, in 218. He born to Macrinus, the future emperor, and Nonia Celsa, whose name may be fictitious, on 14 September 208. He was elevated to Caesar in May 217, and after Elagabalus revolted in May, Diadumenian was elevated to co-emperor. After Macrinus was defeated in the Battle of Antioch, on 8 June 218, Diadumenian was sent to the court of Artabanus V to ensure his safety, however he was captured and executed along the way, in late June.
History
editDiadumenian was born on 14 September 208, named Marcus Opellius Diadumenianus, to Macrinus, the Praetorian Prefect and future emperor, and his possibly fictitious wife Nonia Celsa.[1] Diadumenian was elevated to caesar in April 207, at Zeugma, while his guard was escorting him from Antioch to Mesopotamia, to join his father. He was also give the name Antoninus, in honor of the Antonine dynasty, at this time.[2] Elagabalus revolted at Emesa on 16 May 218, after which Macrinus led his legions to the praetorian fort at Apamea. There Macrinus elevated Diadumenian to augustus, making him co-emperor. After Macrinus was defeated by Elagabalus on 8 June 218, at the Battle of Antioch, Macrinus fled north to the Bosporus, and entrusted Diadumenian to loyal servants, instructing them to take him into the Parthian Empire, to the court of Artabanus V, to ensure his safety. Diadumenian was captured en route in Zeugma, and executed in late June.[3][4] His head was brought to Elagabalus, and recordedly kept as a trophy.[5]
Numanistics
editWhile caesar, a large number of coins were struck for Diadumenian, although less than the amount struck for his father. Extant artifacts of his coinage as augustus are extremely limited, and the only extant coins from this time are denarii. This has led to the suggestion, first proposed by Curtis Clay, that a large issue of coins was being made for Diadumenian, however they were quickly melted down when the news of Macrinus' defeat spread. Notably, some eastern provincial coins from the period exist which give Diadumenian the title sebastos, at the time the Greek equivalent of the Roman augustus.[3] In terms of gold coins, Diadumenian has one known style of Aureus, bearing his bust on the obverse, and displaying Spes standing on the reverse, and one known style of Half-Aureus, bearing his bust on the obverse, and displaying himself holding a sceptre and standard.[6]
References
editPrimary sources
editCitations
edit- ^ Vagi 2000, pp. 289–290.
- ^ Vagi 2000, p. 289.
- ^ a b Vagi 2000, p. 290.
- ^ Bédoyère 2017, p. 236.
- ^ Bunson 1991, p. 130.
- ^ Friedberg, Friedberg & Friedberg 2017, p. 45.
Bibliography
edit- Bédoyère, Guy de la (2017). Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Imperial Bodyguard. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300226270.
- Bunson, Matthew (1991). Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. Facts On File. ISBN 9781438110271.
- Friedberg, Arthur L.; Friedberg, Ira S.; Friedberg, Robert (2017). Gold Coins of the World - 9th edition: From Ancient Times to the Present. An Illustrated Standard Catlaog with Valuations. Coin & Currency Institute. ISBN 9780871840097.
- Vagi, David L. (2000). Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.- A.D. 480. Fitzroy Dearborn. ISBN 9781579583163.