Item number: A1170

Year: AD 602-610

Material: Gold

Size: 21.4 x 19.8 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 4.45 g

Manufactured by: Constantinople mint (Fifth Workshop)

Provenance: Morton & Eden 2024

This is a solidus gold coin minted in Constantinople during the reign of Phocas, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from AD 602 to 610. The obverse depicts the emperor himself, wearing a cross-adorned crown, symbolising the foundational role of Christianity in the legitimacy of the empire. The pendilia, decorative elements hanging from the sides of the crown, are characteristic of Byzantine style and influenced the crown designs of the Visigothic Kingdom and the Kingdom of Hungary. The emperor is dressed in a chlamys, a cloak with scalloped edges that reflects Greek influences. Although the chlamys was not the emperor’s most formal attire—the loros held that distinction—it was nonetheless worn by high-ranking officials on formal occasions. The surrounding Latin inscription reads: “Our Lord Phocas, Perpetual Augustus” (dN FOCAS PERP AVI).

The reverse features a standing angel at the centre, holding a cross-topped sceptre in the right hand and a globus cruciger (a globe surmounted by a cross) in the left, symbolising divine authority and Christian dominion. The surrounding Latin inscription, VICTORIA AV sчє, translates to “Victory of Augustus, fifth workshop ,” indicating the victory of the emperor and specifying the mint workshop. The letters “CON” at the bottom stand for Constantinople, the mint location, while “OB” signifies that the coin is made of pure gold (obryzum).

Phocas’s rise to power is closely linked to the preceding emperor Maurice’s loss of control over the military and the provinces. Facing multiple military fronts—such as the Avars along the Danube and the Lombards in the Italian peninsula—Maurice’s reign saw a significant increase in military expenses coupled with a decline in tax revenues. In an attempt to reduce costs, Maurice enacted austerity measures, which led to a mutiny within the army. As the leader of the rebel forces, Phocas was welcomed into Constantinople by the populace and quickly assumed power. Afterward, he had Maurice and members of his family executed, securing his position as emperor.

Lacking a legitimate claim to the throne based on hereditary or familial ties, Phocas emphasised the religious legitimacy conferred upon him. He maintained good relations with Rome, recognising the primacy of the pope in religious matters, which earned him praise from Pope Gregory I. A column was even erected in his honour in Rome. However, his over emphasis on religious orthodoxy and persecution of heresy sparked discontent among the provinces of North Africa and the Near East, where many residents adhered to Monophysitism—a belief that rejected the Chalcedonian Council’s doctrine of Christ having both a divine and human nature.

At the same time, Khosrow II, the Sasanian Persian emperor, used the murder of his benefactor, Maurice (who had helped him reclaim his throne), as a pretext to invade the Byzantine Empire’s eastern frontier. He recaptured territories that had previously been ceded to Byzantium. With Byzantine control over its provinces weakening, the empire struggled to muster resources to reclaim lost lands. The Persian forces managed to occupy all of Syria, Palestine, and parts of the Egyptian provinces, with these territories only being recovered during the reign of Heraclius. This twenty-year conflict placed a heavy burden on both empires, creating favourable conditions for the rise of the Arabs.

Ironically, after Phocas ascended the throne, there were initial signs of improvement in the war with Persia. However, a revolt led by the governor of North Africa, Heraclius, and his son caused widespread chaos across the provinces, leaving the empire’s frontier defences vulnerable. Eventually, the rebel forces gained control of the navy, won a decisive victory in Egypt, and landed in Constantinople. The city’s defence commander switched sides, leading to Phocas’s capture. He met the same fate as his predecessor, executed by the usurper, Heraclius.

物件編號: A1170

年代: 公元 602-610 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 21.4 x 19.8 x 0.7 mm

重量: 4.45 g

製造地: 君士坦丁堡造幣廠 (第五作坊)

來源: 莫頓與伊登 2024

這是一枚公元602至610年，拜占庭帝國皇帝的福卡斯於君士坦丁堡鑄造的索利都斯金幣。正面中央為皇帝本人頭戴十字架皇冠，彰顯基督教在帝國的法統基礎，皇冠左右兩側的垂掛裝飾物「pendilia」為拜占庭風格，也影響了西哥德王國及匈牙利王國的王冠設計。其身穿的扇貝斗篷「chlamys」展現了希臘元素，儘管非皇帝最正式的穿著「loros」，仍被高級官員穿著於正式場合。外圈的拉丁銘文為：我主 福卡斯 永恆的奧古斯都「dN FOCAS PERP AVI」。

背面中央為一位矗立的天使，右手持著一個十字架權杖，左手捧著一顆十字架地球儀。外圈的拉丁銘文「VICTORIA AV sчє」意思是「奧古斯都的勝利，第五作坊」。下方「CON」是鑄造地點，即君士坦丁堡的簡稱，「OB」代表以赤(純)金打造。

福卡斯的登基與前任莫里斯皇帝喪失對軍隊及行省的控制有關，由於多面作戰（多瑙河流域的阿爾瓦人、義大利半島的倫巴底人等）導致軍費增長及稅收降低，皇帝嘗試縮減開支而引起軍隊嘩變，作為叛軍代表福卡斯在群眾的歡迎下進入君士坦丁堡，隨即處死了莫里斯及其家族成員成為皇帝。

由於缺乏皇位繼承的法理(血統、姻親等關係)，福卡斯強調宗教所給予其的正當性，同羅馬方面保持良好關係，承認教皇在宗教事務中的首要地位，受到教皇格列高列一世的讚美並在羅馬設有紀念柱。然而過分強調宗教正統及異端迫害也導致了北非及近東以「一性論」(拒絕承認迦克墩公會議中基督具有人神二性的主流見解)為主的行省居民產生不滿。

同時原與拜占庭達成和解的薩珊波斯皇帝霍斯勞二世以其恩人被殺害的理由(其在莫里斯幫助下奪回王位)入侵帝國東部邊境，奪回曾割讓給拜占庭的土地。由於對各行省的控制力日益下滑，拜占庭難以集中資源奪回失土，波斯軍隊一度攻佔敘利亞、巴勒斯坦全境及部分埃及行省，直到希拉克略時期才得以收復。這場長達二十年的戰爭給兩個帝國帶來沉重負擔，為阿拉伯人的崛起創造有利條件。

諷刺的是，福卡斯上任後的對波斯戰爭的戰況一度有好轉的跡象，但在北非總督希拉克略父子發動叛亂後，各省進入混戰狀態，邊境防禦出現空缺。最終叛軍控制了海軍在埃及取得勝利並登陸君士坦丁堡，守城指揮官倒戈後福卡斯也步上了前任皇帝被篡奪者殺害的結局。