WEB213: Commememorative coin struck after his death. Picture on back with Constantine"s reaching toward God's hand. Slightly smaller than a dime. OBV: Veiled head RT; DV. CONSTANTINVS PT. AVGG. REV: No legend. Constantine in quadriga galloping RT; above, hand of God; in EXG; CONS, S-3889 AE 4 (17mm), $10.00, FINE WEB216: SOLD About the size of US nickel. OBV: Hear of Constantine RT. IMP. CONTANTINVS P. F. AVG. REV: SOLI INVICTO COMITI. Sol stg. LT. holding globe. S-3862 $10.00, VERY FINE WEB215: About the size of US penny. AE 3, OBV: Head of Constantine RT. CONSTANTINVS AVG. REV: D. N. CONSTANTINI MAX. AVG. Laurel-wreath around VOT XX. S3873 $12.00, VERY FINE

WEB205: About the size of US DIME. AE 3, OBV: Hear of Constantine RT. CONTANTINVS MAX. AVG. REV: GLORIA EXERCITVS. Two soldiers stg. either side of two standards; in ex., TRS., S-3886 $10.00, VERY FINE WEB212: Commememorative coin struck after his death.The size of US dime. OBV: CONSTANTINOPOLIS. Helmeted bust of Constantinopolis lt., wearing imperial mantle and hol;ding septre. REV: No legend. Victory stg., lt., right foot on prow, holding scepter and leaning in shield., S-3890 AE 3, $15.00, VERY FINE WEB214: About the size of US penny. AE 3, OBV: Head of Constantine RT. CONSTANTINVS AVG. REV: PROVIDENTIAE AVGG. Camp-gate surmounted by two turrets. S-3878. $12.00, VERY FINE

CONSTANTINE I {The Great} 307-337 AD {THE FIRST CHRISTIAN EMPEROR} Constantine was greatly outnumbered by Maxentius's army yet the battle for control of the Roman Empire was about to engage at the Milvian Bridge in Italy, 312 AD. Constantine prayed and saw in the sky above the setting sun, a vision of a cross of light and an inscription "Under this sign you will be Victorious". That night he slept and Christ appeared to him commanding he make a likness of the Cross and to use it for the safty in all his encounters with his enemies. In yet one more dream he was directed to make the sign of Christ upon his soldiers shields and join in battle. The sign was Chi-Rho, a monagram composing the first letters of the name of Christ in Greek. Constantine defeated Maxentius, who was killed in battle. In 313 the Edict of Milian was proclaimed and universal Christianity became the state religion. He created a new capitol of the Roman Empire at Constantinopolis (330 AD), modern day Istanboul. The Byzantine Empire he created lasted over 1000 years. This Great man was instramental to the growth of Christianity. Please research this icon of our Christian past. Constantine was liberal to prodigality, was generous in almsgiving, and adorned the Christian churches magnificently. He paid more attention to literature and art than we might expect from an emperor of this period, although this was partly due to vanity, as is proved by his appreciation of the dedication of literary works to him. It is likely that he practiced the fine arts himself, and he frequently preached to those around him. No doubt he was endowed with a strong religious sense, was sincerely pious, and delighted to be represented in an attitude of prayer, with his eyes raised to heaven. In his palace he had a chapel to which he was fond of retiring, and where he read the Bible and prayed. "Every day", Eusebius tells us, "at a fixed hour he shut himself up in the most secluded part of the palace, as if to assist at the Sacred Mysteries, and there commune with God alone ardently beseeching Him, on bended knees, for his necessities". As a catechumen he was not permitted to assist at the sacred Eucharistic mysteries. He remained a catechumen to the end of his life, but not because he lacked conviction nor because, owing to his passionate disposition, he desired to lead a pagan life. He obeyed as strictly as possible the precepts of Christianity, observing especially the virtue of chastity, which his parents had impressed upon him; he respected celibacy, freed it from legal disadvantages, sought to elevate morality, and punished with great severity the offenses against morals which the pagan worship bad encouraged. He brought up his children as Christians. Thus his life became more and more Christian, and thus gradually turned away from the feeble syncretism which at times he seemed to favour. The God of the Christians was indeed a jealous God who tolerated no other gods beside him. The Church could never acknowledge that she stood on the same plane with other religious bodies, she conquered for herself one domain after another. More information, www.newadvent.org.

WEB217: Coin about the size of a quarter. OBV: Laurate head RT, IMP. C. MAXENTIVS P. F. AVG/REV: CONSERV. VRB. SVAE.,Roma seated facing in hexastyle temple; in EXG RBQ. AE FOLLIS, S-3779, $39.00, FINE

MAXENTIUS, 306-312 AD, Defeated and killed at Battle of Milvian Bridge by Constantine the Great Maxentius, Marcus Aurelius Valerius, died 312.Roman emperor from 306 to 312. His father, the emperor Maximian, abdicated with Diocletian in 305. In the new tetrarchy (two augusti with a caesar under each) that was set up after these abdications, Maxentius was passed over in favour of Flavius Valerius Severus, who was made a caesar, and then, in 306, an augustus. But discontent with the policies of Severus at Rome caused Maxentius to be proclaimed augustus there on Oct. 28, 306. Maximian, recalled to the throne to support Maxentius, defeated and killed Severus in 307. Shortly thereafter, however, father and son quarreled, and Maximian sought refuge with Constantine, who had been designated an augustus by Maximian. Maxentius at first controlled Italy, Spain, and Africa, but in 308 the vicar of Africa, Lucius Domitius Alexander, revolted and proclaimed himself augustus. Two years later Constantine annexed Spain. Africa was recovered by Maxentius in 311, but he was killed by Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. Because the sources from this period reflect the propaganda of Constantine, they represent Maxentius as a brutal tyrant, although in actuality he stopped the persecution of the Christians. He built a huge basilica, which Constantine renamed after himself, and a temple to his son Romulus in the Roman Forum.

CHI RHO The Chi Rho is one of the most ancient "sacred monograms" of Christ. They were developed by early Christians as a secret sign of their faith. This monogram is composed of the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (XPICTOC). The Chi Rho has many variations, including a form in which a single stroke crosses the downstroke of the "P", forming a cross, and another in which the "P" is made to look like a shepherd's crook, reminding us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (NIV)

WEB19: AE Follis, Nice black patina. About the size of a U.S. nickel. OBV:IMP. CVH LICIN LICINNIVS P. F. AVG., Head rt. REV: IOVI CONSERVATORI. JUPITER STG. LT., ESGLE AT FEET; IN EX., sis. AE Follis (20-24mm), $24.00, VERY FINE PLUS

LICINIUS II {Son of Licinius} WEB207: AE 3, About the size of a U.S. DIME. OBV:PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, Head lt. REV: Jupiter stg. lt., palm at feet. AE 3 (15 mm), $19.00, VERY FINE

LICINIUS I, 308-324 AD VALERIUS LICINIANUS LICINIUS, Roman emperor from 308 to 324, died 325. Born of Illyrian peasant stock, Licinius advanced in the army and was suddenly elevated to the rank of augustus (November 308) by his friend Galerius, who had become emperor. Galerius hoped to have him rule the West, but since Italy, Africa, and Spain were held by the usurper Maxentius, while Constantine reigned in Gaul and Britain, Licinius had to content himself with ruling Pannonia. When Galerius died in 311, Licinius took over Galerius' European dominions. He married Constantine's half sister Constantia (313) and in the same year defeated the Eastern emperor Maximinus at Tzurulum, east of Adrianople, Thrace, pursuing him into Asia, where Maximinus died. Licinius thus added the entire eastern half of the empire to his dominion. After a brief accord between the two augusti, Constantine forced Licinius to surrender the provinces of Pannonia and Moesia. There followed 10 years of uneasy peace in which Licinius built up his army and accumulated a huge reserve of treasure. In 324 Constantine defeated him at Adrianople and again at Chrysopolis (now Üsküdar, Tur.). Licinius surrendered, was exiled to Thessalonica, and was executed the next year on a charge of attempted rebellion. During the campaign against Maximinus, Licinius had made his army use a monotheistic form of prayer closely resembling that later imposed by Constantine. On June 5, 313, he had issued an edict granting toleration to the Christians and restoring church property. Hence his contemporaries, the Latin writer Lactantius and Bishop Eusebius, hailed him as a convert. But he eventually became alienated from the Christians and about 320 initiated a mild form of persecution. He was the Last Emperor Constantine had to conquer to establish a Christian Empire.

WEB178: Coin the size of a US dime. Commemorative coin struck after her death. OBV: FL.IVL. HELENAE AVG. Diad. and dr. bust, r. REV: PAX PVBLICA. Pax stg. l.; in ex., TPR. S-3910 AE 3 , $34.00, VERY FINE

SAINT HELENA - 328 AD, {Constantine the Great"s Mother} Wife of Constantius I, and mother of Constantine the Great. A devoted Christian, Constantine proclaimed her Empress and she employed her wealth in charity to the poor and building of churches. One being on Mount Calvary,and another on Mount Olivet. Born,248, Drepanon?, Bithynia, Asia Minor and died 328, Nicomedia; Western feast day August 18; Eastern feast day [with Constantine] May 21 also called HELEN, Roman empress who was the reputed discoverer of Christ's cross. Helena was married to the Roman emperor Constantius I Chlorus, who renounced her for political reasons. When her son Constantine I the Great became emperor at York (306), he made her empress dowager, and under his influence she later became a Christian. She was devoted to her eldest grandson, Crispus Caesar, whom Constantine made titular ruler of Gaul, but a mysterious embroilment in the imperial family culminated with the execution of Crispus and Fausta, Constantine's second wife and Crispus' stepmother. Thereafter, the story became current that Fausta had accused Crispus of attempting to seduce her--hence Crispus' execution (326). Fausta, in turn, was denounced by the grief-stricken Helena and was executed shortly afterward. Immediately after the double tragedy Helena made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She caused churches to be built on the reputed sites of the nativity and of the Ascension. Before 337 it was claimed in Jerusalem that Christ's cross had been found during the building of Constantine's church on Golgotha. Later in the century Helena was credited with the discovery. Many subsequent legends developed, and the story of the "invention," or the finding of the cross, enhanced by romances and confusions with other Helens, became a favourite throughout Christendom. Her journey's have been marked by innumerable charities and the most illustrious deeds of virtue. Later she would be canonized a Saint by the Church.

WEB169: AZES II. A little smaller than the size of US QUARTER but thicker. SILVER TETRADRACHM, OBV: King on horseback, rt. REV: Zeus standing lt., holding Nike and septer. SILVER TETRADRACHM, $65.00, FINE PLUS

WEB162: AZES II. A little smaller than the size of US dime but thicker. SILVER DRACHUM, OBV: King on horseback, rt. REV: Zeus standing lt., holding Nike and septer. SILVER Drachum, $35.00, FINE +

AZES II, The Great King, 35 BC-5 AD ONE OF THE THREE KINGS? Azes II was king of Bactria, present day Afghanistan, from 35 BC to 5 AD. When he was ruling, he was so revered that he was referred to as the great king. He was so important that for 25 years after his death coinage still bore his name and types. Azes was a political descendant of Alexander the Great who brought Hellenism, better known as Greek culture, to the east. The obverse legends of his coins were written in Greek, bore his image mounted on a horse and had the legend in Indian script on the reverse making his coinage among the earliest bilingual coins. As Azes was king from 35 BC to 5 AD most of his coinage was issued before the birth of Christ, some had to have been struck on the day of Christ's birth and all were in circulation when Christ lived. Since we don't know exactly who the three kings were that visited Christ in the manger at the time of his birth, it is possible that Azes, the great king, was one of the three kings.Written by Harlan Burke

WEB21: Picture of Mother Mary and baby Jesus on reverse. AR Denar, thin silver, a little smaller than the size of a U.S. dime. OBV: Coat of Arms REV: Madonna and Child. AR Denar, $29.00, VERY FINE

Maximilian II,Hungary {HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR} 1564-1576 AD Maximilian II, born, July 31, 1527, Vienna, Austria, died, Oct. 12, 1576, Regensburg [Germany]. Holy Roman emperor from 1564, whose liberal religious policies permitted an interval of peace between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Germany after the first struggles of the Reformation. A humanist and patron of the arts, he largely failed to achieve his political goals, both at home and abroad. Maximilian, the eldest son of the future emperor Ferdinand I and the nephew of the emperor Charles V, received his education in Spain. In a dispute over the Habsburg succession order, he was at first placed behind Charles V's son Philip (the future Philip II of Spain), but, by a 1553 agreement, he displaced Philip as heir to the empire and remained hostile to the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs. Maximilian's sympathies for Lutheranism, formed in his youth, eventually caused sufficient scandal in Habsburg circles for his father to threaten him with exclusion from the succession in 1559. Henceforth, although he paid lip service to Roman Catholicism, he remained basically a humanist Christian who favoured compromise between the rival confessions. Already Bohemian king (from September 1562) and king of the Romans, or successor-designate to the empire (from November 1562), Maximilian became Hungarian king in 1563 and succeeded to the imperial throne in 1564. His refusal to invest Protestant administrators of bishoprics with their imperial fiefs disappointed the hopes of Germany's Protestant princes. Yet he proved his personal liberalism by granting freedom of worship to the Protestant nobility of Austria (1568), promising to respect religious liberty in Bohemia (1575), and working for the reform of the Roman Catholic church. His efforts to gain the right of marriage for priests failed, largely because of the opposition of Spain. In the Netherlands, Maximilian advised compromise between Catholics and Protestants but was again frustrated by Spanish intransigence. After fighting an unsuccessful campaign against the Turks, who remained a threat to the empire, he was compelled by a peace concluded in 1568 to continue to pay tribute to the sultan. His proposed army reform of 1570, by which the emperor would have controlled the army and would have had to grant his consent before foreign powers could recruit on German soil, was defeated by Germany's Protestant princes, who suspected an attempt to prevent them from assisting coreligionists abroad and were less willing to grant greater powers to the emperor. Maximilian's religious neutrality was largely a policy of political expediency in maintaining peace in the empire. Yet, although he preserved the right of his subjects to worship according to their beliefs, he succeeded in few of his political aims.

WEB22: Byzantine Empire, AE Follis. OBV: Justin and Sophia seated facing on double throne. REV: Large M between ANNO and regnal year 5; above CROSS; beneath; officina letter; in ex., CON. Nice coin. AE Follis, $29.00, VERY FINE

JUSTIN II and SOPHIA, BYZANTINE EMPEROR and WIFE, 565-578 AD Justin II (?-578), Byzantine emperor (565-578). Justin II was the favorite nephew of Justinian I and count of the palace guards. This status and the influence of his wife, Sophia, niece of Empress Theodora, secured him a peaceful election to his uncle's throne in 565. Justin began his reign well by paying the late emperor's debts and by promising justice and religious toleration. However, Justin's reign was marked by factional disputes with provincial governors and by religious persecution of the Monophysites, a heretical sect that believed Jesus Christ had only a divine nature see Monophysitism. Justin's foreign policies also led to failure. After a series of unsuccessful campaigns, he was forced to pay tribute to the Avars, a pastoral nomadic group then threatening the northwestern frontiers of the empire. In 568 he watched Alboin, the king of the Lombards, invade Italy, which had been conquered by Justin's predecessor just a few years before. In 573 Justin invaded Persia in response to the persecution of Christians in Persia and in support of an alliance with the Turks. The invasion of Persia soon ran into difficulties, and in 573 King Khosrau I of Persia conquered the rich and supposedly impregnable city of Dara on the Byzantine frontier. Justin never recovered from the shock of the fall of Dara. He became insane and retired from active administration of the empire, turning its management over to a notable general, Tiberius. Justin killed himself in 578.

NIMBUS In art the nimbus, or halo, is often placed behind the head of religious figures. The nimbus is sometimes a simple circle, which represents eternity or eternal life. A circle with three rays is symbolic of the Trinity, and is reserved for representations of the Godhead, especially of Christ. The same idea is sometimes represented with a triangular nimbus.

WEB24: OBV: Helmeted and cuir. bust LT, holding spear and shield, D.N.FL.CL.IVLIANVS P.F. AVG. REV: VOT./X./MVLT./XX. in laurel-wresth; in EXG, S CONST. AE 3, (20mm), S-4074, $34.00, FINE PLUS

JULIAN II, {The Apostate}, 360- 363 AD, THE LAST PAGAN EMPEROR The son of Constantine the Great's half brother, Julian escaped the massacre of his kinfolk at Constantinople after Constantine's death. He received Christian training but his intellectual character aroused attention and in 350 AD was sent to Nicomedia by Constantius, Emperor and son of Constantine the Great. Julian devoted himself exclusively to neo-platonist philosophy, mixed with all kinds of magic and mysteries. He believed his destiny was to restore Paganism. Through a series of events, Constantius died in route to engage Julian in battle in 360 AD, leaving Julian the Emperor. Persecution of Christians followed and Paganism enforced. Fortunatly he was killed in battle 363 AD and Christianity was not to be denied. The Church labeled him "The Apostate". An interesting character to research, the Last Pagan Emperor.

WEB221: AR, Silver Denar. Slightly smaller than a dime. OBV: Coat of Arms. REV: Nice Double CROSSES. Silver Denar, $25.00, VERY FINE

SIGISMUND, KING OF HUNGARY, 1387-1437 AD SIGISMUND (1368-1437), Holy Roman emperor (1411-1437) and king of Hungary (1387-1437) and Bohemia (1419-1437), the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. In 1385 he married Queen Mary of Hungary, thus acceding to the throne of Hungary two years later. In 1396 he led a great army of Crusaders from many parts of Europe against the Turks; the latter, under the Ottoman sultan Bayazid I, inflicted a crushing defeat upon Sigismund's forces at Nicopolis (now Nikopol), Bulgaria. Upon the death of Holy Roman Emperor Rupert, Sigismund was elected to succeed him, but he did not receive formal coronation at the hands of the pope until 1433. In 1414 Sigismund persuaded the antipope John XXIII to convoke the Council of Constance at which a long-standing dispute over the papal succession was settled and ecclesiastical reforms were instituted. The council also tried the Bohemian religious reformer John Huss (Jan Hus) and condemned and executed him as a heretic. Sigismund succeeded to the throne of Bohemia in 1419. His power in Bohemia was never more than nominal, however, as the Bohemians believed him guilty of complicity in the death of Huss and repeatedly rose in arms against him

WEB25: Nice example of Leo, a little larger than the size of quarter.OBV: Leo facing center. REV: Letters on four lines, CROSS at beginning. AE FOLLIS, S-1730, $39.00, VERY FINE

Leo VI, {THE WISE} 886-912 AD Born Sept. 19, 866, died May 11, 912, Constantinople. LEO, OR THE PHILOSOPHER, Byzantine coemperor with Alexander from 870 and emperor from 886 to 912, whose imperial laws, written in Greek, became the legal code of the Byzantine Empire. Leo was the son of Basil I the Macedonian, who had begun the codification, and his second wife, Eudocia Ingerina. Made coemperor in 870, Leo succeeded to the throne on his father's death. His foreign policy was directed mainly against the Arabs and the Bulgars. The able commander Nicephorus Phocas the Elder was recalled from his successful campaigns against the Lombards in south Italy to assist in the Balkans. After this Byzantium met with reverses in the West: Sicily was lost to the Arabs in 902, Thessalonica was sacked by Leo of Tripoli, and the Aegean was open to constant attack from Arab pirates. Steps were taken to strengthen the Byzantine navy, which successfully attacked the Arab fleet in the Aegean in 908. But the naval expedition of 911-912 was defeated by Leo of Tripoli. Byzantium's enemy to the north was Simeon, the Bulgar ruler. Hostilities arose out of a trade dispute in 894, and the Byzantines, aided by the Magyars of the Danube-Dnieper region, forced Simeon to agree to a truce. With the help of the nomadic Pechenegs, however, Simeon in 896 took revenge on the Byzantines, forcing them to pay an annual tribute to the Bulgars. During Leo's reign the Russian prince Oleg sailed to Constantinople and in 907 obtained a treaty regulating the position of Russian merchants in Byzantium, which was formally ratified in 911. Because of his anxiety for a male heir Leo married four times, thus incurring the censure of the church. Educated by the patriarch Photius, Leo was more scholar than soldier. In addition to completing the canon of laws, he wrote several decrees (novels) on a wide range of ecclesiastical and secular problems. He also wrote a funeral panegyric on his father, liturgical poems, sermons and orations, secular poetry, and military treatises. Leo's image is in a mosaic over the central door of Hagia Sophia.

WEB300: The ancient religion of Zoroastrianism pre-dated the rise of Parthian empire. The fire-altar that is the predominant reverse design of their coins attests to their faith. Silver drachm .Obv.Crowned bust right. Rev.Fire altar flanked by two attendants. Size of us HALF DOLLAR. SILVER , $49.00, VERY FINE

KHUSRO II, PERSIA 591-628 AD Justinian (527-565) devoted most of his energy to reconquering Rome's lost western territory in Italy, Spain, and northern Africa. In itself this was one of the spurs to Khusro's war. Khusro feared the threat that a reunified Roman Empire might pose to Persia. Justinian's efforts in the West forced him to strip the defenses of the East, an opportunity of which Khusro took advantage. In the end, the two sides made peace in 562, although the Byzantine Empire was required to make large annual subsidies to Persia. It was a hollow peace for Rome. Like Trajan, Justinian had overextended himself. His successors lost the reconquered western territories in short order, while Justinian's settlement with Khusro was not backed up by the military resources it required--resources that had been devoted to the draining war in the West. The last act--some might say that it was the most dramatic act of all--came forty years later. The protagonists were the Sassanid Khusro II "the Victorious" (590-628) and the Byzantine Heraclius (610-641). In the face of a succession struggle in Byzantium, Khusro made a breathtaking sweep from Armenia through Anatolia and Syria down to Egypt. In effect, he had finally fulfilled the old Sassanid dream of a Mediterranean empire--only briefly though. Heraclius made a heroic reorganization of Byzantine defenses and counterattacked. The culmination was a great defeat of the Sassanid army on the plains of northern Iraq in 627. Khusro II was murdered a year later. It is believed Heraclius recovered the TRUE CROSS of CHRIST which was taken by Khusro II., The epilogue is well-known. At the time of Khusro II's death in 628, Mohammed was about to return in triumph to Mecca. He and his Arab armies were the real victors of the exhausting Perso-Byzantine wars. By the end of the century, they had conquered most of the Byzantine empire and virtually all of the Sassanid. Most of this territory has remained Muslim, if not Arab, until the present day.

WEB179: GALLIENUS The size of US nickel. Silver Antoninianus, NICE SILVERING, OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Emperor head Rt., REV: FORTVNA REDVX. Fortune stage lt. Silver Antoninianus, $24.00, VERY FINE

WEB177: SALONINA The size of US penny. Antoninianus, OBV: SALONINA AVG. Emperess head Rt. REV: PVDICITIA. Pudicitia seated Lt. Antoninianus, $24.00, FINE PLUS

GALLIENUS 253-268 AD and Wife, SALONINA, 268 AD During the persecutions the Christians they were denied the use of there places of worship, but in 261 the Emperor Gallienus gave official permission to use them once again. This reign also provides what may be the first direct Christian reference on a coin, as a piece struck in milan, with the the name and portrait of SOLONINA, his wife. SALONINA WAS REPUTED TO HAVE BEEN A CHRISTIAN. Son of Valerian, Gallienus was entrusted with the defence of the Rhine frontier in 254. He achieved considerable success against the German tribes. Valerian left Rome in 256 for the east and was captured by the Persians, leaving Gallienus sole ruler of the Empire. His reign consisted of internal revolts, famine, plagues, frontier wars and contests with provincial usurpers. Although an able soldier he could not reconstitute an empire showing signs of disintegration, and after a succession of campaigns he was eventually murdered at the seige of Milan in 268 AD. Salonina was murdered with her husband.

WEB192: NERO. Nice Patina. The size of US HALF DOLLAR. Bronze AS, OBV: NERO CAESAR AVG. GERM. IMP, Nero bare head rt., REV: SC, Victory lt., holding shield. FOLLIS, $59.00, FINE PLUS

NERO 54-68 AD Nero Claudius Caesar, who ruled Rome from ¥ 54 to 68, was one of its most infamous emperors. Born on Dec. 15, ¥ 37, he was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Caligula's sister Agrippina II. After Agrippina married Emperor Claudius I, she induced him to adopt Nero. When Claudius died, the Praetorian Guard and the Roman Senate hailed Nero as the new emperor. Nero pledged cooperation with the Senate, announcing the beginning of a new golden age. Agrippina vied for influence and power, however, with the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Burrus, and with Nero's former tutor, the philosopher Seneca. The first victim of the ensuing plots and counterplots was Claudius's son, Britannicus, who was poisoned in 55. Nero resented Agrippina's interference and had her murdered in 59. Burrus died in 62, and Seneca retired the same year. From 62, Nero ruled unrestrained. Having divorced and murdered his first wife, Claudius's daughter, Octavia, Nero married (62) Poppaea Sabina, an ambitious intriguer. In 62 he revived the wide-ranging law of treason, and people were executed on suspicion of offense. In 64 a great fire ruined Rome. Nero lavishly rebuilt the city, but rumor held that he had started the fire himself to make room for his new palace and that he had recited poetry while watching the blaze. To avert this suspicion Nero blamed the Christians for the fire. There began a fierce persecution throughout the empire, and through robbery and confiscation the Christians were forced to pay in great part for the building of the new Rome. In this persecution Saints Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome in A.D. 67. Executions increased in 65, when an assassination plot was uncovered. The poet Lucan, Seneca, the famous general Corbulo, and numerous other senators lost their lives. Nero's great passion was art. He scandalized Roman society by displaying in public his talents as a chariot driver, singer, and musician. In 67 he toured Greece; the Greeks held numerous games and awarded Nero all of the first prizes for his racing and musical performances in honor of his visit. As Nero devoted himself to artistic pursuits, the reins of power slipped from his hands. In 68 the governors of three provinces rose in an open revolt. When the Praetorians also deserted him, Nero committed suicide on June 9, 68.

WEB159: ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT. About the size of US dime but thicker. AE 18, OBV: Head of Herakles Rt., REV: BA Bow case and quiver. AE 18, $25.00, VERY FINE

ALEXANDER III, THE GREAT, 356-323 BC Born, 356 BC, Pella, Macedonia, died, June 13, 323 BC, Babylon. Also known as ALEXANDER III or ALEXANDER OF MACEDONIA king of Macedonia (336-323 BC). He overthrew the Persian Empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. Already in his lifetime the subject of fabulous stories, he later became the hero of a full-scale legend bearing only the sketchiest resemblance to his historical career.