Tralles, a prosperous city in Lydia, struck coins under joint imperial authority during the co-reign of Valerian I and his son Gallienus — a period bracketed by the catastrophic Gothic invasions of Asia Minor and, at its close, Valerian's capture by Shapur I at Edessa in 260 AD, the first Roman emperor ever taken prisoner in battle. The magistrate name encoded in the obverse legend, identifying a rhetor by title, reflects the civic pride Tralles invested in its administrative class.
Tralles, a prosperous city in Lydia, struck coins under joint imperial authority during the co-reign of Valerian I and his son Gallienus — a period bracketed by the catastrophic Gothic invasions of Asia Minor and, at its close, Valerian's capture by Shapur I at Edessa in 260 AD, the first Roman emperor ever taken prisoner in battle. The magistrate name encoded in the obverse legend, identifying a rhetor by title, reflects the civic pride Tralles invested in its administrative class.