Marcus Antonius AR Denarius, LEG VI 'Ferrata'

Marc Antony, AR Denarius, Legio VI 'Ferrata'

Raised in 52 BC by Caesar in Cisalpine Gaul, the legio VI Ferrata served with him in Spain and at Pharsalus, Alexandria, and Zela. Released in 47 BC, it was again recalled, serving at Munda in 45 BC. Reconstituted by Lepidus in 44 BC, it served under Antony at Philippi and the East, participating in the triumvir's Parthian campaign. After Actium, Legio VI Ferrata went on to a long and distinguished imperial career in the Roman east, notably serving as the garrison army of Judaea for more than two centuries.

Provenance fromAureo&Gallico

A very interesting Legion, historical context:

After the assassination of Caesar and the flight of the conspirators responsible, Antony, second in command under Caesar, was the main political ruler in Rome. He had personally expected that at least part of Caesar's legacy would fall to him, but unfortunately, this one went to a certain nephew: Octavian, who was now a major political player in one fell swoop. Octavian was cut from other very different likes than Antony; where Antony was irascible and self-indulgent, with a lack of self-control, Octavian was much cold-blooded and cooked up. Either way, this infinity over the legacy would escalate into a bloody civil war between these two superpowers and ultimately result in at least 10,000 deaths, including that year's two consuls, at the battle of Mutina.

However, there was a new threat; Caesar's remaining assassins were in Greece/small Asia acquiring new legions, and now that Caesar's heirs were bickering among themselves, they saw their opportunity. In response, the so-called second triumvirate was formed: Mark Antony, Octavian and Lepidus (another prominent general) made peace with each other, combined their legions and then divided the entire roman empire into three, so that they could each rule a part separately without getting in each other's way. To reinforce this agreement, Antony also married Octavia, Octavian's sister. This second triumvirate then defeated Caesar's assassins at the battle of Philippi, after which a period of relative stability ensued.

In 32 BC, however, things went wrong. Octavian declares mark Antony, residing in the east, as a decadent non-Roman, enemy of the state (he left Octavia for Cleopatra) and the republic's last civil war is a fact. Octavian brings an army on its feet from Rome, Antony does the same in the east, and then collects them in Greece.

That's where this legion comes in. While Antony has stationed his army in Greece, near Patras, these legions must of course be paid. Specifically for this purpose, these legionnaires denarii are struck. So somewhere in Greece this coin was paid to a soldier in Antony's army, Legion VI (the sixth legion, nicknamed Ferrata, 'iron eaters'), not knowing when he would have to fight a decisive battle.

Eventually, that would happen on September 2, 31 BC. The battle of Actium (which only makes the galley on the front more interesting) ended, partly by the genius commander of Octavian, Agrippa, in a convincing victory for Octavian. Antony was able to escape, but would commit suicide without a way out in 30 BC. The reign of Octavian was a fact and if he takes the title Augustus in 27 BC, so did the empire.

Reference : Crawford 544/19; RSC 33; Sydenham 1223

Collection : Roman Imperatorial collection