128 ROMAN COINS FOUND AT LITTLE CHESTER. 



usurped the government. The third brother, Constantius, was 

 then at Antioch, and on hearing of his brother's death, he, of 

 course, claimed the empire of tiie west. Magnentius sent 

 ambassadors to meet him, and tried to negociate with him, so as 

 to be a participant in the government, promising to recognise 

 Constantius as the head. The latter deferred his answer till next 

 day. He then said that during the night he had seen a vision ; 

 his father, Constantine the Great, had appeared to him, and, 

 presenting the body of Constans, had warned him to revenge his 

 death, and he felt that in so just a cause his success was secured. 

 After various reverses, Magnentius was driven to extremities, and 

 put himself to death by falling on his sword, on Aug. lo, 359.* 

 The Britons fell in for a share of the anger of Constantius, and 

 Martinus, the vice-prefect of the island, interposed to defend 

 the innocent from the false accusations of Paulus Catena, a bad 

 man who had been sent to wreak vengeance on the islanders ; but, 

 not succeeding, buried his weapon in his own breast. This 

 Emperor, on visiting Rome A.D. 356, caused the obelisk brought 

 by his father from the Temple of tlie Sun, at Heliopolis, to be 

 erected. It now stands in the square opposite the church of 

 St. John Lateran. During the concluding years of his reign he 

 was associated in the government with Julian, who afterwards 

 succeeded him. Constantinus died at Monsucrene, in Cilicia, 

 on Nov. 3, 361, A.D. 



Another coin of this Emperor, head to right, wreathed ; legend, 

 RL . P F . CONSTANTINVS . NO . AVG ; >«■., same as 

 before. (Williams.) 



Another, head to left ; rev , a wreath, in centre VOT . CXXJ. ; 

 legend, C^SARVM . NOSTRORVM. (Mr. Longbottom.) 



Another appears to be the same, but has been attributed to 

 Const. Chlorus. This, however, is doubtful. (Lee.) 



M. Cohen says the whole of the coins having on reverse 

 GLORIA . EXERCITVS . no matter under what Emperor 

 struck, are of a smaller diameter, or little bronze, and approach 



* " Decline and Fall of Rome," p. 864. 



