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Obv-IMP C M AEMIL AEMILIANVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev-PROVIN CIA DACIA Dacia standing, eagle and bull at sides, AN VIII in ex. Moushmov 20 |
Those who live by the sword die by the sword. This old cliché could well have been phrased after the life and death of Aemilian. When Trebonianus Gallus's hold on power had weakened after a series of setbacks, the troops of Aemilian who were battling barbarians along the Danube declared him Augustus and he seized the opportunity to depose Gallus. The plan worked just as expected and Aemilian subsequently enjoyed a brief reign. Valerian, one of the generals commissioned under Gallus, heard of the news and refused to accept the new emperor. Finding it favorable among his own troops, he was promptly declared emperor himself and headed to Rome to avenge the death of his old boss. Aemilian for his part answered the challenge and went with his army to confront Valerian. When it became evident that Valerian's forces were larger, however, his soldiers killed him rather than risk their own lives.
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