Victoria Germanica

Victoria Germanica
Obv. PROBVS PF AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right,
Rev. VICTORIA GERM, trophy with weapons and two prisoners, RAA in exergue
Rome Mint
22 mm, 4,06 gr.
Refs: RIC 222

Historia Augusta, 13-14: "his gestis cum ingenti exercitu Gallias petiit, quae omnes occiso Postumo turbatae fuerant, interfecto Aureliano a Germanis possessae. tanta autem illic proelia et tam feliciter gessit, ut a barbaris sexaginta per Gallias nobilissimas reciperet civitates, praedam deinde omnem, qua illi praeter divitias etiam efferebantur ad gloriam. et cum iam in nostra ripa, immo per omnes Gallias, securi vagarentur, caesis prope quadringentis milibus, qui Romanum occupaverant solum, reliquos ultra Nicrum fluvium et Albam removit. tantum his praedae barbaricae tulit quantum ipsi Romanis abstulerant. (...) nec cessatum est umquam pugnari, cum cottidie ad eum barbarorum capita deferrentur, iam ad singulos aureos singula, quamdiu reguli novem ex diversis gentibus venirent atque ad pedes Probi iacerent. quibus ille primum obsides imperavit, qui statim dati sunt, deinde frumentum, postremo etiam vaccas atque oves."

"This done, he set out with a huge army for the provinces of Gaul, which since the death of Postumus had all been in turmoil, and after the murder of Aurelian had been seized by the Germans. There, moreover, he fought battles so great and successful that he took back from the barbarians sixty most famous communes of Gaul, besides all the booty, by which the Germans, even apart from the actual wealth, were puffed up with glory. And whereas they were wandering at large on our bank, or rather through all the country of Gaul, Probus, after slaying about four hundred thousand who had seized upon Roman soil, drove all the rest back beyond the river Neckar and the district of Alba, getting from them as much barbarian booty as they themselves had seized from the Romans. (...) All the while the heads of barbarians were brought in to him daily, now at the price of an aureus apiece, and he never ceased fighting until nine princes of different tribes came before him and prostrated themselves at his feet. From these he demanded, first hostages, which they gave him at once, then grain, and last of all their cows and their sheep."