Living In Roman London

It commemorates the arrival at London of Constantius Chlorus in AD296 and the welcome he received from its grateful citizens when he arrived to both rescue London and to recover Britain. It celebrates his victory.

On the obverse (head) of the medallion, the bust of Constantius is artistically portrayed, wearing the wreath of laurel leaves and a cuirass, or chest armour, showing him ready for battle. He is described as REDDITOR LVCIS AETERNAE, ‘the restorer of eternal light’ – the light of civilisation that came from Rome being returned to a province from which it had been withheld for ten years.

On the reverse, we see the conqueror on horseback, holding a spear in his right hand, approaching the city gates of the town and being welcomed by a kneeling female suppliant personifying London and labelled LON.

That abbreviation for Londinium makes it clear that there is no doubt as to her identity. Below a war-galley on the Thames is being rowed to the right and contains the troops by whom the city was saved from destruction.

We know from literary sources about the events of London’s rescue and the return of the province to the empire (see Imperial power restored in Military life). This medallion bears this out and is the only pictorial representation of Roman London to have yet been found.