Known as “Julian the Apostate”, Flavius Claudius Julianus is best known as the last pagan emperor of Rome. This particular coin of his was struck in the Roman city of Sirmium located in modern northwest Serbia. With around 100,000 local inhabitants, Sirmium was at that time one of the largest cities in the empire and was even named as one of the four imperial capitals by Diocletian in 294 AD. Roughly 70 years later, around when this coin was struck, Julian marched into Sirmium at the head of an army. Aiming to capture the general Lucillianus, he moved at breakneck speed. So fast was Julian’s march that Ammianus described him as a flaming dart headed towards Lucillianus.

Despite only spending three days in the city, Julian celebrated his victory with large chariot races held in the local hippodrome. According to Ammianus, he even called Sirmium the “most populous and famous mother of cities”.