Description
Vetranio, AE Follis, 350, Thessalonica
RIC VIII Thessalonica 131.
Obv.: D N VETRANIO P F AVG, Bust of Vetranio, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right.
Rev.: CONCORDIA MILITVM •TSA•, Vetranio, diademed, draped, cuirassed, standing front, head left, holding standard with Chi-Rho on banner in each hand; above him, a star; A in left field, B in right.
5.18 g
22.6 mm
Vetranio is said to have been born in the province of Moesia under humble circumstances.
Virtually nothing is known of his early life or career. He has the honor of being one of the few Roman
emperors to have been allowed to live out his life after being deposed.
By 350, during the reign of the western emperor Constans I (337-350), Vetranio was the governor of the
province of Illyria. Following the murder of Constans and the usurpation of Magentius (350-353),
Vetranio was asked by Constantia (the sister of Constans and the eastern emperor Constantius II (337-
361)) to assume the role of Augustus. From March until December, 350, Vetranio was used mostly as a
pawn in the machinations of Magentius and Constantius II, at times allied or against both; Magnentius
desired an ally against Constantius while the latter wanted a temporary stall in the plans of the western
usurper until he could travel westwards himself.
In December of 350 Constantius travelled west and met Vetranio at Serdica (modern Sophia, Bulgaria).
At Naissus (modern Nis, Serbia), supposedly Vetranio’s base of operations, the senior augustus
convinced the troops of Vetranio to join his cause; Vetranio voluntarily ceded command and was hailed
as ‘Father’. He was allowed to retire as a private citizen.
Vetranio was already aged by this time (his exact date of birth is unknown) and passed the remainder of
his life living on a state-pension in Prusa ad Olympium (modern Bursa, Turkey), in the province of
Bithynia. He is reported to have died of natural causes in 356.
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