Augustus 27 BC-14 AD - AV Aureus - RIC-514

Augustus 27 BC-14 AD
AV Aureus 19-18 BC, Pergamum, Mysia
Obv. AVGVSTVS
Head of Augustus, bare, right.
Rev. ARMENIA CAPTA
Victory right, cutting throat of recumbent bull held by the horn.
RIC-514
Calico-160
BMCRE-671

NAC, Zurich 54 Lot 298 (23 March 2010) Realized CHF 60,000 (7.79g)
Ex Leu 7, 1973, 323 and Vecchi 9, 1997, 53

NAC, Zurich 54 Lot 298

In the age of the Roman imperialism, Armenia was an important buffer-state between Rome and its eastern enemies, the Parthians and the Sasanians. Typically, Armenia was not occupied with large garrisons, but controlled through a sympathetic ruler. Rome's first emperor, Augustus, took a special interest in Armenia for this reason, and about a decade after he had defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra he spent the winter of 22/1 B.C. on Samos fine-tuning his imperial policy in the East, and remained in the region until 19. Not only did Augustus want to secure Armenia so it could serve Roman interests, but he intended to recover from Parthia the military standards lost to Crassus in 53, Decidus Saxa in 40 and Antony in 36. In 20 opportunity arose: civil unrest broke in Armenia and an embassy lobbied Augustus to replace their current king, Artaxias, with his brother Tigranes, who for a decade had been living in Rome. Augustus did not hesitate to act, and he entrusted to his 21-year-old stepson Tiberius the task of raising an army and leading it to Armenia to install Tigranes as the new king. By acting in the same manner as had Pompey, Augustus claimed Armenia for Rome, and provided the nation with a king as a gift from Rome. His aim was achieved without much difficulty, and the Parthian King Phraates was so impressed that he accepted the appointment of the new Armenian king and handed over all of the captured Roman standards. It was a bloodless victory and a diplomatic coup. This aureus proclaims Armenia capta and shows Victory slaying a recumbent bull, which likely was inspired by the iconic scene of the Iranian god Mithras slaying a bull – a composition as familiar in the East as it was in Rome


E. A. Sydenham "Historical References to Coins of the Roman Empire" London, 1968, pp. 20

For some years there had been considerable unrest in Armenia under the regime of Artaxias, and a petition was sent to Augustus to the effect that Tigranes, the brother of Artaxias, should be appointed as ruler. The conduct of affairs was entrusted to Tiberius, but while he and Tigranes were on their way to Armenia, Artaxias was murdered by his subjects. Armenia was consequently occupied by Tiberius without difficulty. This conquest, as it was officially termed, was regarded as a triumph second only to the recovery of the standards, and in the year 19 B.C., Augustus entered Rome in triumph.