[gothic-l] Re: Trailing the Eruli in the North

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., "troels_brandt" <trbrandt at p...> wrote:
> --- In gothic-l at y..., "faltin2001" <dirk at s...> wrote:
> Hi Troels,
> >
> > there are only about 3 to 4 coins in existence with the portrait
of
> > Odoaker (half/quarter siliquae, i.e. small silver coins). There
are
> > some more copper nummi with his monogramme. However, these coins
> were
> > small change and of no particular interest to mercenaries etc.
The
> > main coinage of Odoaker was a gold coinage (solidi and tremisses)
> in
> > the name of the emperor Zeno, but minted at Rome, Milan, Ravenna
> and
> > some more Italian mints. His Herulic mercenaries would have
> received
> > payment in this West Roman coinage not in East Roman
> (Constantinopel)
> > issues. All solidi in Scandinavia, including the Basiliscus coin
in
> > the Ottar-mound, are from the mint of Constantinopel.
>






> The Herulian mercenaries of Odoacer got land as wages - or the
income
> hereof. How do you know in which coinage they got their income?



Since they were in Italy they will have received primarily coins of
the Italian mints. In fact, Grierson and Blackburn stated in 'Early
Medieval Coinage' that the strong increase in Italian mint activity
in the late 470s reflected Odoaker's need to pay off his solidiers
and mercenaries.





> Furthermore this happened long time before a group of Heruls left
for
> Scandinavia.



That is true, but since it was you how wrongly called the Basiliscus
coin in the Ottar mound 'a coin of Odoaker' I felt it necessary to
clarify this.


>I regard the coin in Ottars mound as symbolic.


Well I think it shows that this king Ottar or people in his vicinity
had some sort of contact with Constantinopel.



>
> I do not believe the Pannonian Heruls were mercenaries of
Theodoric,
> as they did not go to Italy after their defeat - therefore a lot of
> Italian coins are out of question.



The North Danubian Heruls were allies of Theoderic. Their king was
made son-in-arms of Theoderic. Whether this resulted in any kind of
subsidy payments to bolster his son-in-arms we don't know. However,
coin finds at least in the middle Danube basin tend to be of western
(Roman and Ostgrogothic) origin until about 550AD. L Huszar lists in
his article 'Das Muenzmaterial in den Funden der
Voelkerwanderungszeit im Mittleren Donaubecken' a total of 538 coins
or hoards. The coins prior to about 550AD tend to come from the West.
Overall there are only 5 solidi in the list. Of which two are
Germanic imitations of solidi of Justinian I (Szalaska) and
Theodosius II (Ermilhalyfalva). One is an Avaric imitation
(Dunapentele) of an 'unidentified gold coin'. And two are solidi of
Anastasius (Kiszombar) and Justinius I (Hodmezovasarhely) from Rome.

cheers,
Dirk







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