Ludwigv:
You neglected to tell us what’s really
good about this coin. It is a product of the
mint of Viterbo, a small town perched on top of what looks like a butte out of Montana.
How can you tell it’s from Viterbo? St.
Lawrence, martyr, feast, August 10, is the
patron of Viterbo. He was roasted over a slow fire on August 10, 258, during the golden days of
Valerian I [253-260]. What did he do to
merit such a toasty death? When the magistrate ordered him to deliver the
Church’s treasures, he brought a flock of
poor people into court and declared: "These are the treasures of the
Church."
The judge was not amused. He was condemned to be
fried slow. While cooking, he held out a well done
arm to the judge and said: "Do you want something to eat?" Valerian heard about this and was even less amused than the judge.
The
King of
Persia may have done the same thing to
Valerian I in 260. I wonder if the Emperor
had a come-back-line as
good as
Lawrence from Viterbo’s.
Follibus Fanaticus
