Bonifatius was a Roman general and comes Africae, a friend of St. Augustine and the rival of Flavius Aëtius. Bonifatius was a capable but politically entangled Roman general whose struggle for power with Aetius, and the subsequent Vandal invasion of Africa, contributed to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. His legacy is a mix of historical fact and later literary embellishment. Bonifatius is often remembered (perhaps unfairly) as the man whose actions—whether intentional or not—opened the door for the Vandal Kingdom in North Africa. The loss of Africa’s grain and tax revenue was a fatal blow to the Western Roman Empire.
Beginning in 413AD, he was sent to deal with the two main Germanic tribes ravaging Rome’s western provinces – the Visigothic king Ataulf at Massilia in 413AD, and the Vandals in Spain in 422AD. Because of these successes, Bonifatius appears to have been appointed comes Africae shortly thereafter. Upon the death of Honorius in AD 423, Johannes, the primicerius notariorum, seized power in the west. While the remaining provinces acknowledged Joannes as emperor, Bonifatius refused to do so, and prevented African grain shipments from reaching Rome. When Johannes was overthrown and Valentinian III, the son of Honorius’s sister Galla Placidia, was installed as Roman emperor in the west by Theodosius II, Bonifatius supported him, resuming the grain supply. Aëtius’s political intrigues against Bonafatius, however, produced disastrous results, not only for Bonafatius, but also for the empire.
Under the influence of Aëtius, Galla Placidia became suspicious of Bonifatius’s intentions, going so far as to accuse the comes of treason. Refusing to surrender and face execution, Bonifatius sought the assistance of the Vandal king, Genseric (c. 389–477AD), and offered him the right to settle in Africa in return for providing mercenaries for a possible war with the empress. Genseric agreed and the entire Vandalic people migrated across from Spain to settle in Africa. At the same time, however, Bonifatius had returned to imperial favor. No longer requiring mercenaries, he informed Genseric that the Vandals should return to Spain. Angered by this rejection, the Vandals attacked and pursued Bonafatius to the province’s capital, Hippo Regius, in 430AD. There, they conducted a year-long siege of the city, during which time St. Augustine, bishop of the city, perished. Bonifatius, along with a large portion of the citizens were able to flee to Italy, leaving Africa under the rule of the Vandals for the next century.
The arrival of Bonifatius in Italy renewed the political intrigue of Aëtius, who saw his rival’s restoration to imperial favor and promotion as a sign of his own downfall. Fearing dismissal, Aëtius and his Germanic mercenaries marched against Bonifatius, meeting him at the Battle of Rimini in 432AD. Although Bonifatius won the battle, he was mortally wounded and died a few months later.
The attribution of this type to Bonifatius is not certain, but hoard evidence suggests this issue was minted at Carthage, by virtue of its connection to similar issues with legends specifically naming Carthage, and belongs to the early 5th century, almost certainly before the siege of Hippo Regius in 430AD. The obverse legend sequence, moving from DOMINO NOSTRO to DOMINIS NOSTRIS, corresponds to the position of Bonifatius during the usurpation of Johannes and his support of the legitimate Roman emperors: the first legend reflects his loyalty to Theodosius II during the usurpation of Johannes usurped the throne in Rome, while the second demonstrates his allegiance to Valentinian III, as well as Theodosius II (see RIC X, pp. 233-4).
MONETARY SYSTEM
These rare coins usually feature either the legend Domino Nostro or Dominis Nostris. As such, they can be divided into two series, the first stuck during Johannes’ usurpation demonstrating Bonifatius’ fidelity as a vassal to Eastern Emperor Theodosius II, and the second acknowledging both Theodosius and Valentinian. This coin belongs to the second period tentatively dated from the acclamation of Valentinian III in 425AD to before the siege of Hippo Regius in 430AD.
Æ4 (11mm) Carthage mint. Struck AD 423-425. DOMINIS [NOS…], Cross within wreath. Ric-3814
Æ4 (9mm) Carthage mint. Struck circa AD 425-circa 430. DOMINIS NO[S TRIS], Christogram within wreath.
