Julius Nepos




Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.
NEPOS (Julius), born in Dalmatia, was son of Nepotianus, a general officer, and of a sister of Marcellinus, who had been made sovereign of that province under the reign of Severus III.


The Emperor Leo I gave him the neice of his wife in marriage, and having first deposed Glycerius, declared him Emperor of the West and Augustus A.D. 474.

Victorius, humane, courageous, he was both worthy to hold the sceptre and capable of reestablishing by his wisdom and justice the glory of that more truly Roman portion of the empire over which he had been placed. But his desire to preserve peace and tranquility for his war-worn and exhausted people was frustrated by the revolt of Orestes, commander of the Gallic legions, an ambitious and intelligent usurper, who compelled Nepos to abandon Italy; and this unfortunate prince was, about four years after his dethronement, assassinated at Salona in Dalmatia, by two members of his own household, at the instigation of Glycerius, who had there afforded him an asylum, A.D. 480, having reigned in Italy one year and two months.

His coins are all very rare. He is styled D.N. IVLIVS NEPOS. P.F AVG; or D.N. IVLIVS NEPOS. PERP. P.F. AVG. The example given is from an aureus in the British Museum.

View whole page from the |Dictionary Of Roman Coins|