Lucius Verus - Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus (earlier Lucius Ceionius Commodus) (December 15, 130 AD - January 169 AD). Son of Aelius; Adopted son od Antoninus Pius and heir of Hadrian; Husband of Lucilla; Son-in-low of Marcus Aurelius.

Mints: Rome.

Biography: Joint Augustus with his brother Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Ceionius Commodus later known as Lucius Aurelius Verus theoretically held equal powers with Marcus Aurelius, except the title of chief priest. IN 162 he was commissioned to lead a significant force against the Parthians, who had put a client king on the throne of Armenia and defeated the Roman governors of Cappadocia and Syria. Lucius was somewhat slow to reach Syria (it took him nine months!) but once in the Near East, his commanders pursued the campaign with relentless energy. Despite the stubborn resistance of the Parthians, Lucius' forces steadily cleared Armenia from their supporters, advanced on Mesopotamia, and in 166 took the capital cities of the province, Seleucia and Ctesiphon. Mesopotamia was not annexed, but was reverted to the status of a Roman client-kingdom. The same year Lucius returned to Rome and was given a magnificent triumph ceremony. This was the end of the happy period of Lucius's life however. His troops had brought a plague with them from the East and it devastated Greece and the Balkans, making its way to Italy. In the winter of 166-7 a Germanic confederation broke through the limes on the upper Danube. Marcus Aurelius considered the threat so serious that both emperors took command of the expedition against the barbarians. They were delayed in Aquilea by the pestilence and food shortages but the expedition across the Alps took place the following spring nonetheless. In the winter of 168 the emperors returned to Italy and stopped at Aquilea again. In the spring of 169, when they finally took off for Rome, Lucius Verus suffered an apoplectic fit and died. His body was taken to Rome, buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian and he was pronounced a god of the Roman state.

List all Lucius Verus coins in the Catalog.

Search Lucius Verus coins in our Shopping Mall.

« back