Historically Interesting Large High Fine French Pendulum with Roman Emperor Gallienus ca. 1850.

Exquisite, very intricately designed ormolu case with the figure of Roman Emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus. In contrast to the lavish decoration, Gallienus is seated on a step in plain Roman dress, the only insignia of his power being the helmet at his feet, the cloak, and the scroll in his right hand. The left open hand refers to his deeds as a great army commander and victorious military strategist. The body of the case is richly decorated with laurel wreaths and trumpets as a sign of victory. On the left side, a broken column and a relief plate illustrate the atrocities of the barbarians. Below the dial is a horse's head as a sign of cavalry. The quality and overall condition are excellent, the movement is freshly cleaned and adjusted by the watchmaker, the gilding is beautifully preserved. The chasing of the decoration and the figure are masterly and certainly refer to a Parisian work.

Dial, guilloché and silvered, remnants of an illegible signature, blued Breguet steel hands. Black Roman numerals, the dial with some discoloration of the silvering due to age, the hands are original. 

Movement with 8 days - duration, lever escapement, striking on the half and full hour on a bell, long pendulum with heavy pendulum lentil and spring suspension. Signed "Gesche BTE DU ROI" The clean movement is fully functional.

H.W.D.: 53 cm/ 38cm/ 13cm. Weight: 10 kg

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (b. c. 218; † 268), also known as Gallienus for short, was co-ruler of the Roman Empire from 253 to 260 alongside his father, Emperor Valerian, and sole ruler from 260 to 268. His reign is often regarded in historical research as the climax of the so-called imperial crisis of the 3rd century.

Gallienus is considered the most military of all soldier emperors of the third century. Under his reign, the so-called heavy cavalry experienced its peak. Gallienus took advantage of the strength of the armored cavalry, which could be brought much more quickly to the focal points of the frontier and also used effectively against enemy horsemen.

As a ruler, Gallienus was subject to simultaneous usurpations and foreign invasions more than any other emperor. He was the longest reigning emperor of the 3rd century, remaining on the throne for 15 years. A great warrior, Gallienus was loved by his soldiers and hated by some of his officers, who eventually murdered him. Among other things, because of the reforms he carried out, such as Roman senators were no longer allowed to command the army.

The imperial crisis of the 3rd century is the period from 235 to 285 AD, when the empire was threatened by various internal and external crises. This period is also often referred to as the time of the soldier emperors.

Large Germanic units as well as the Neo-Persian Sāsānid Empire, which was aggressive in Mesopotamia, threatened the Imperium Romanum in the north and east and thus brought the Roman Empire to the limit of its military capabilities. Numerous usurpations, civil wars, and economic problems further burdened the empire, which passed through the height of the crisis around 260. Through several far-reaching reforms in the administrative and military spheres, both the Roman state and the empire could be stabilized again.

Lit.: Ilkka Syvanne, The Reign of Emperor Gallienus, The Peak of the Roman Cavalry. Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd (2019).

wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallienus

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