Gold Coins Show 'Emperor Of Britain'

The Times ^ | Dalya Alberge

[blam]

Gold coins show ‘Emperor of Britain’

January 24, 2008
Dalya Alberge

Two “extremely important” gold coins that shed light on a little-known rebel Roman emperor from the 3rd century AD have been unearthed by a farmer in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire area. They relate to the Roman commander Carausius, who declared himself Emperor of Britain around 286 or 287 after the Emperor in Rome ordered his execution. He was overthrown in a coup d’état by his finance minister, Allectus, in 293.

The coins were handed in to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and moved to the British Museum. The scheme is facing a freeze in funding, despite recording more than 314,000 discoveries that have revealed many new archaeological sites. The farmer’s identity is not being revealed because archaeologists are to explore the site

[Slip18]

Well, bust my bubble, blam!

[SunkenCiv]

Different guy. Great comment about Allectus though. That coin guy should have been drawn and, well, never mind...

[SunkenCiv]

[blushing] Well, I generally just acquire appropriate ones on the fly. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Doing the legionary work Romans wouldn’t do. ;’)

[blam]

"Doing the legionary work Romans wouldn’t do. ;’)"

I was just re-reading Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland, last night and Sykes was complaining about that because the German troop DNA 'washed out' amongst all the Saxon and Dane DNA already there. He did pick up a few outliers that he said were probably from Black slaves owned by the Romans.

[SunkenCiv]

The Romans moved troops around at will, and recruited or impressed them from all over the Empire (and a good many from outside the Empire, such as the Sarmatians, a group related I think to the Scythians, but who were defeated then broken up into cavalry units, thus spreading around their genetic heritage); black African genes could be from troops. Or from prostitutes (in that case, slaves).

Romans and Barbarians: Four Views from the Empire's Edge, 1st Century AD by Derek Williams	At Empire's Edge: Exploring Rome's Egyptian Frontier by Robert B. Jackson	Conquest: The Roman Invasion of Britain in the Year AD 43 and the Events Leading to Their Occupation of the West Country by John Peddie reviewed