Majorian, 457-461. Tessera Monumentorum (Bronze with raised Silver band, 19x13 mm, 4.00 g, 12 h), with Fl. Caecina Decius Basilius (?), praefectus praetorio, 458. SALVIS DD NN / IVLIO VALERIO / MAIORIANI PR AG in three lines inscribed on raised silver band. Rev. VASILIVS / PRF•PETI• / FECIT in three lines inscribed on raised silver band. K. L. Elvers: Zwei neue sog. tesserae monumentorum im Archäologischen Museum der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster und in westfälischem Privatbesitz: Mit einem Katalog der bekannten Exemplare, in: Boreas 34 (2011), -. M. Kulikowski: Urban Prefects in Bronze, in: JNLA 10.1 (2017), -. Unpublished and unique, a highly interesting piece. Some scratches and corrosion, otherwise, very fine.


This piece is of particular significance, as it is only the second known Tessera Monumentorum to mention Majorian. The first, published in 1859 in a collection in Venice, is now lost. It named Majorian alongside the Eastern Emperor Leo I (457–474) with the full titulature (DD NN LEONE ET IVL' MAIORIAN' PP AAGG). In contrast, our tessera names only Majorian, but with his full name, and references the Eastern Emperor by simply doubling the phrase 'Dominus Noster'. This more reserved approach may reflect the early phase of Majorian’s reign, when his relationship with the court in Constantinople had yet to be fully defined.

The reverse names a 'Vasilius', almost certainly a variant of the name Basilius. Numerous Tesserae Monumentorum name a Basilius, including the first known example of Majorian (CAECINA DECI/VS BASILIVS/ P P FECIT). Kulikowski identifies him as Fl. Caecina Decius Basilius (PLRE 2: 216-17), who served as Praetorian Prefect in 458 and again from 463 to 465. The abbreviation PRF PETI on our piece is likely a misspelling of PRF PRAETI, which corresponds to the slightly distorted rendering of the name.

We can thus date the piece to 458. It belongs to the extremely rare group of Tesserae Monumentorum that name the Praetorian Prefect instead of the city prefect - of which Kulikowski was aware of only two examples. It is important to note that by Late Antiquity, the office of Praefectus Praetorio had lost its original military function and evolved into the highest civilian administrative position. Fl. Caecina Decius Basilius thus held the senior role within the hierarchy of the Western Empire and was a contemporary of Majorian during his desperate efforts to regain control over the Gallic, Spanish, and African provinces.