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Annia Faustina, 3rd Wife of Elagabalus, Great-Granddaughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior

Ancient Roman Coins of Annia Faustina in the Forum Ancient Coins consignment shop.

Annia Faustina was descended from an aristocratic family, her grandmothers were sisters, and daughters of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina II. Annia was married to former consul and Moesian legatus Bassus. Elagabalus' had outraged all of Rome when he took a Vestal Virgin, Aquilia Severa, as wife. After that public image disaster, his advisors (chiefly his grandmother Julia Maesa) forced him to divorce and seek a Roman woman from an illustrious family to regain some respectability. Being the granddaughter of Marcus Aurelius made Faustina the ideal candidate, except that she was married. No problem for an Emperor. Elagabalus condemned her husband to death for treasonable remarks and activities, whether real or imagined. With Bassus executed, he forbid Annia to mourn her dead husband and arrangements for seventeen-year-old Elagabalus' third wedding proceeded. The wedding was held in 221, but Elagabalus soon found a way to divorce her. He then remarried Aquilia Severa. Julia Maesa realized Elagabalus would have to be replaced if she were to retain power, otherwise the populace would rebel and all would be lost. She persuaded him to name her other grandson as caesar and within a year Elagabalus and his mother were dead; Severus Alexander was emperor. Julia Maesa remained the foremost power behind the throne until she died naturally in 225. After her marriage to Elagabalus ended, Annia Aurelia Faustina returned with her children to her Pisidian estate, where she remained for the rest of her life.

Also see: ERIC - Annia Faustina.


References

Banti, A. & L. Simonetti. Corpus Nummorum Romanorum. (Florence, 1972-1979).
Calicó, E. The Roman Avrei, Vol. I: From the Republic to Pertinax, 196 BC - 193 AD. (Barcelona, 2003).
Cohen, H. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain, Vol. 4: Septimius Severus to Maximinus Thrax. (Paris, 1884).
Mattingly, H., E. Sydenham & C. Sutherland. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, From Pertinax to Uranius Antoninus. (London, 1986).
Mattingly, H. & R. Carson. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. 5: Pertinax to Elagabalus. (London, 1950).
Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE) http://numismatics.org/ocre/
Robinson, A. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow, Vol. III, Pertinax to Aemilian. (Oxford, 1977).
Seaby, H. & Sear, D. Roman Silver Coins, Vol. III, Pertinax to Balbinus and Pupienus. (London, 1982).
Sear, D. Roman Coins and Their Values, Vol. II: The Accession of Nerva to the Overthrow of the Severan Dynasty AD 96 - AD 235. (London, 2002).
Vagi, D. Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. (Sidney, 1999).


Obverse Legends

ANNIAFAVSTINAAVGVSTA
ANNIAFAVSTINAAVG


Moneta Historical Research

ANNIA FAVSTINA was the daughter of Vibia Aurelia Sabina and Claudius Severus. Her grandmother was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior. Annia Faustina married Pomponius Bassus. However, with the public image of Elagabalus continuing to crumble daily, his advisors (chiefly his grandmother Julia Maesa) were seeking a Roman woman of an illustrious family to bring the Emperor some sense of respectability. His previous marriage had outraged all of Rome when he took a Vestal Virgin, Aquilia Severa (q.v.), as wife.  Being the granddaughter of Marcus Aurelius made Faustina the ideal candidate, except that she was married.  No problem for an Emperor. Elagabalus condemned her husband to death for treasonable remarks and activities, whether real or imagined. With Bassus executed, the arrangements for seventeen-year-old Elagabalus' third wedding could proceed. The wedding was held in 221, but Elagabalus soon found a way to divorce her. He shortly thereafter returned to Aquilia Severa, his second wife. It was about this period that Julia Maesa finally concluded that Elagabalus would have to be replaced if she were to retain power, otherwise the populace would rebel and all would be lost. She persuaded him to name her other grandson, Alexianus, as Caesar and within a year Elagabalus and his mother (see JULIA SOAEMIAS) were dead, Alexianus was Emperor as Severus Alexander (see SEVERUS ALEXANDER), and Julia Maesa remained the foremost power behind the throne until she died naturally in 225.


Dictionary of Roman Coins





Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.


Faustina (Annia), daughter of Claudius Severus and Vibia Aurelia Sabina (daughter of Marcus Aurelius and of the younger Faustina), was the third wife of Elagabalus, who as a preliminary to his marriage with her, caused her husband to be put to death, and then the wretch forbade her to weep for him. These new nuptials took place in the year of Rome 974 (A.D. 221). Like the preceding ones, this worse than mockery of a marital union was dissolved at the expiration of a very short space of time. She was repudiated to give place to others.

"Annia Faustina (remarks M. Lenormant), did not follow the custom, adopted by all the women who had the title of Augusta at that period, of adding the name Julia to their own. Her birth was so illustrious, that she had no need to borrow a foreign éclat. The name of Annia Faustina is known only from coins. Dion Cassius speaks only of a wife [of Elagabalus who descended from Marcus Aurelius. In fact the names of Annia and of Faustina belong to the family of that emperor."

Her coins, in silver and first brass, are few in number, and all of the highest rarity; on these she is styled ANNIA FAVSTINA AV. or AVGVSTA.

The reverses are as follow:-

Silver.-

1. CONCORDIA. Elagabalus and Annia Faustina standing, give each the right hand to the other. In the field is a star.

2. PIETAS AVG. A woman stands before an altar. (Mionnet values these two coins at 1000 francs each.)

Large Brass.- CONCORDIA. Same subject as NO.

1.- The Obverse bears the legend ANNIA FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, and the bust of the empress for its type. (Priced by Mionnet at 600 fr.)- From a finely preserved specimen of this, one of the rarest of Roman coins, the foregoing cut has been executed. For a fine engraving of the same reverse, as well as of the obverse, see Mionnet, Rarete des Med. Rom. i. p, 354.

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