Christ as Comes Augusti: On the Question of Numismatic Iconography of Justinian II

Abstract

This paper compares iconography of the “image of power” on Roman coins of Emperor Aurelian (minted in Serdica, minted in 274–275) and Byzantine pieces of Emperor Justinian II (Constantinople and several Western provincial mints, 705–711). Not synchronous coin types demonstrate the similarity of the idea and image, which affirmed the divine power over the earthly empire in the pagan and Christian periods of its existence. This was achieved due to the novelty of the iconographic language: the half-length images of Sol and Christ, both titled “dominus”, are placed on obverse, with their physiognomy close to the appearance of the ruling emperor showed as a portrait or standing figure on reverse. The iconography of sun deity Sol called the “Lord of the Roman Empire” on the coins of Aurelian anticipated the iconography of Christ as the Lord and “Rex regnantium” on the coins of Justinian II; the latter, in the version from 705–711, inherited pre-Christian tradition of paired images of emperor and his deity-patron on the Roman coins (third and fourth centuries), demonstrating a “personal union” of the ruler and the deity.