guy

The Immortal Ides of March Denarius Here's the listing in the upcoming Heritage auction: Marcus Junius Brutus, Assassin of Caesar and Imperator (44-42 BC). AR denarius (3.72 gm). Mint moving with Brutus in northern Greece, L. Plaetorius Cestianus, magistrate, late summer-autumn 42 BC. BRVT IMP L. PLAET. CEST., bare head of Brutus right, wearing slight beard / EID MAR, pileus (cap of liberty) between two daggers. Crawford 508/3. Cahn 10b (this coin cited, four pieces known from this die pairing). CRI 216. RSC 15. RCV 1439 (this coin illustrated). Struck in exceptionally sound metal and beautifully toned. Superb portrait of the famed tyrannicide and among the finest specimens known. Nearly extremely fine / Extremely fine. From the Rubicon Collection. Ex NAC 29 (11 May 2005). Ex Peter Weller Collection (Antiqua Fixed Price List VIII, Summer 2000). Ex Nelson Bunker Hunt Collection Part I (Sotheby's, June 1990), acquired by private treaty from the Sy Weintraub Collection. Ex Hall Park McCollough Collection (Stack's November 1967). Ex Woodward Collection (Naville-Ars Classica XV, 1930). The EID MAR denarius, undoubtedly the most historically important of all ancient coins, is the only Roman coin to mention a specific date, the only Roman coin to openly celebrate an act of murder, and one of the very few specific coins mentioned by a classical author. In his account of the Roman civil wars of 49-31 BC, the Roman historian Dio Cassius writes: "Brutus stamped upon the coins which were being minted his own likeness and a cap and two daggers, indicating by this and by the inscription that he and Cassius had liberated the fatherland." Although the EID MAR type is justifiably famous (it was selected in a 2008 vote by top numismatists as Number 1 of the "100 Greatest Ancient Coins"), the EID MAR offered here has perhaps the most distinguished pedigree of all among the 75 or so surviving specimens, with auction records dating back to 1930. It has resided in the collections of Hall Park McCollough, Sy Weintraub, Nelson Bunker Hunt and actor-turned-history-professor Peter Weller. Numerous books, articles and TV productions have used this specimen to illustrate the type, including the most widely used handbook of Roman coins, David R. Sear's "Roman Coins and Their Values Vol. I" (no. 1439). Also, of all the known EID MAR denarii, this example inarguably has the best metal quality-important since most EID MARs were apparently struck in slightly base silver and survive in a highly porous state that is subject to further deterioration, cracking and / or delamination. The event so celebrated, of course, is the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March (March 15), 44 BC. The man depicted on the obverse, Marcus Junius Brutus, was one of the ringleaders of the assassination plot, despite being the son of Caesar's longtime mistress, Servilia. In the centuries since, he has been both hailed as a champion of liberty and damned as the vilest of traitors. Brutus was born in about 85 BC, the product of two of Rome's most distinguished families, the Junii, represented by his father M. Junius Brutus the elder, and the Servili, exemplified by his mother Servilia. The themes of Republican liberty and the defeat of tyrants ran strong in Brutus' bloodlines. One of his distant ancestors, L. Junius Brutus, expelled the last Tarquin king of Rome and went on to become the Republic's first chief magistrate, or Consul; another ancestor, Servius Ahala, murdered the tyrant Spurius Maelius, who had threatened to overthrow the Republic and install himself as king. His father had resisted the tyranny of the Dictator Sulla and was murdered on the orders of his henchman, Pompey the Great, during the bloody Proscriptions of 78-77 BC. After entering public life in 58 BC, Brutus became a prot

I will try to relate the current upheaval in England to the lessons from the outcomes of opposite models for immigration and assimilation in two very different ancient societies. The outcome of the Roman Empire is contrasted with the outcome of the Greek city states and the later Hellenistic empires. First of all, most of the looters and rioters are not white English boys (although I am sure many of them were since hooligans of all types will take advantage of any opportunity). Most the rioters are poor immigrants or children of immigrants who have not assimilated into the larger society. Many of these people feel that they do not even have a vested interest in their local communities. I

Wow, Maty, thank you for your response. I think you are spot on with your insight. First, I do think that at least two of these similar coins are authentic. They sold at a reputable auction site for big $$$$ (40,000 and 59,000). http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=124556 http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=8103 Second, it makes perfect sense that a Hellenized population would make mistakes in their Latin inscriptions, especially in the unstable political environment in which these coins were minted. I am surprised that the cataloger didn't make mention of this anomaly. (A possible well-known analogy is the evolution of Parthian coinage. Early on, they were written with legible Greek inscriptions, Later on, they maintained some semblance of Greek but were inscribed with increasingly illegible and "nonsense" Greek.) Thank you, again, Maty, guy also known as gaius

I know only a little about numismatics. I know even less about Latin. I have written before about the many aspects of the goddess Fortvna: http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/11786-learning-mythology-thru-numismatics/ What did the goddess Fortvna Pedvix represent? Thanks ahead of time. guy also known as gaius

Many of us non-coin collectors can learn from numismatic evidence. While reading Michael Grant's Roman History from Coins, I am reminded of the importance that coins played in our knowledge of the obscure and potential usurper Lucius Julius Aurelius Sulpicius Uranius Antoninus, who, according to numismatic evidence, ruled in some capacity in Syria, in AD 253-254. Aureus, Emesa 253-254, AV 5.90 g. L IVL AVR SVLP VRA ANTONINVS Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. VICTO RIA AVG Victory advancing l., holding wreath and palm http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=7921 Uranius Antoninus, also named Sampsigeramus, was originally a Priest in the temple of the Romano-Syrian sun god Elagabal in Emesa, Syria. Hexastyle temple containing the conical stone of Elagabal (ornamented with a facing eagle) During the instability of the AD 250s, the Sassanian King, Shapur I, attacked the Roman province of Syria, sacking the city of Antioch. It was during this time that Uranius Antoninus rose to prominence in leading a successful defense of the Syrian city of Emesa. Unfortunately, much of the literary evidence for the history of Rome during the Third Century Crisis is scant or incomplete. The literary evidence for Uranius Antoninus is non-existent. There is, however, numismatic evidence. Coins of Uranius Antonius are such an example. Although there is no literary evidence of Uranius Antoninus, the numismatic evidence suggests that he not only rose to prominence after his successful defense of Emesa in AD 253-254, but he seems to have exerted his authority into the surrounding region, locally driving out the Sassanians. Bronze, Emesa 253-254, 23.38 g. The Temple of Sol at Emesa; in exergue, EΞΦ Note in the exergue the symbols EΞΦ. These symbols on the coin's exergue are for the year of 565 of the Seleukid Era or AD 253/254. (For us non-coin collectors, the exergue is the space on the reverse of a coin sometimes with an inscription below the central design that often gives the date or the place of mintage.) This helps distinguish this Uranius Antonius from the two usurpers mentioned by Zosimus (writing in AD 500) against the earlier emperor Severus Alexander (AD 223-235). Confusingly, one of these earlier usurpers was named Uranius and the other Antoninus. Uranius Antoninus' fate is uncertain after the Emperor Valerian returned to the East to face the Sassanians. It is unclear whether he was murdered after being deposed or he resigned peacefully. His name and memory have disappeared into the mists of history. Coins struck with his portrait, however, shed light and give lasting evidence about this otherwise forgotten figure in Ancient Roman history. guy also known as gaius

HBO's series "Rome." Here's a great clip from the movie "Julius Caesar"

I like the description of the coin from a previous auction: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=63695

This link was also introduced on cointalk.com (by Matt), creating an interesting discussion there. As a non-coin collector, I found the discussion fascinating. http://www.cointalk.com/t186371/ Among the coins of the hoard, one can see a coin of Hadrian (117-138), two of Nerva (96-97), four of Marcus Aurelius (161-180), two of Antonius Pius (138-161), and one of Vespasian (69-79). In the top row is a (Diva) Faustina I, wife of Antonius Pius (died 141). It is interesting that the article states they were found under the floor of an apartment dated AD 180-200. If this is correct, some of the coins could have been in circulation for more than 100 years. (Vespasian ruled AD 69-79.) This is consistent with the thought that many silver coins frequently circulated many decades before they were hoarded and removed from circulation during the later silver debasement.** I assume that by AD 200 the debasement of the coinage was noticeable. The more recent and debased coinage would have been used for daily spending first since they were officially the same value as the more intrinsically valuable purer older silver coinage. (See Gresham's law.) The older, more valuable coinage would have been "hoarded.

Here is a much nicer example that sold for $319 in March 2007: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=1034 So here is my non-numismatist's opinion: Your coin listed appears to have damaged edges. The seller is unknown to me and of uncertain reputation. (I wouldn't even try to vouch for its authenticity.) Finally, there is at least one example of a nicer coin that went for a lot less. Here are other examples of similar coins: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s2055.html#RIC_0619 Ref Nero & Divus Claudius AR Didrachm of Cappadocia, RIC 619, RSC 1, RPC 3647 Nero & Claudius AR Didrachm of Caesarea Cappadocia. c63-64 AD. NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERM, laureate head of Nero right / DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG, laureate head of Claudius right. Although this example is off center, it is a much sharper strike with sharper legends. Now compare the above examples with your coin example: guy also known as gaius

If I can't mention the God of the Jesus movement, I would give my vote to this "pre-ED drug" god: http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/11746-priapus-a-shocking-look-at-the-past/ Sorry, but I'm half-Italian. guy also known as gaius

Here's an outline to a Hollywood script I was working on: http://www.unrv.com/...__1#entry101161 guy also known as gaius

With permission, I am posting a link from an excellent numismatic site about dating Romano-Egyptian coins: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=greek dates Here is an interesting coin from Alexandria and its potential significance: http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/14902-human-dissection-in-ancient-medicine/ guy also known as gaius

It depends on your crowd. I've given lectures to politically correct professionals where I mixed my time designations, for example: Herodotus lived 484 BCE

Ian: Good looking website...but where is the link to UNRV? I am looking forward to adding "Aetius," the third of your trilogy, to my library. Or will there be a fourth? BTW, I appreciate the numismatic evidence in your book, "Stilicho," especially the Constantine III coin.

The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis (Inspired by Simon Sharma

Since we are opening an old thread: I sometimes think that the director missed a cheap but potentially powerful and poignant scene in the movie. Juba was Maximus's Numidian African slave friend. If I remember correctly, Juba shared with Maximus a moment of philosphical discussion. Imagine, if you can, Juba sharing with Maximus his own pantheon of religious fugures. And one of these figures is a statute of the crucified leader of the Jesus movement. Wow. Powerful. Remember, early Christians weren't necessarily orthodox and monotheistic. There is some suggestion,for example,that Severus Alexander included the Christ figure in his personal pantheon of figures to be admired and worshiped. I still think the opening of the movie with the battle scene in Germania one of the most powerful scenes ever. Richard Harris's portrayal of Marcus Aurelius during the battle, though obviously not entirely accurate, is extrememly powerful. Knowing that he was to die only two years after the movie's release, makes his acting all the more touching. Just a clip to evoke those fond memories again: guy also known as gaius

Here's an excellent link to many other coins with the Laetitia inscription: http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?search=laetitia&view_mode=1&sort=&c=&a=&l=#0 guy also known as gaius

Thank you for reading my post. The earliest coin I can find so far is this one of Antoninus Pius AD 150/151 (image and attribution from dirtyoldcoins.com): Antoninus Pius AV Aureus. Struck 150/1 AD. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XIIII, laureate head right / LAETITIA COS IIII, Ceres standing right, holding grain-ears, and to right, Proserpina standing facing, head left, holding pomegranate. Cohen 476. Here is quote from the above article: guy also known as gaius

The reverse of the fourth coin has the inscription of the goddess Laetitia's name, but an image of a boat instead of her image. This deserves further examination: Another example of the coin: Caracalla Denarius. 206-210 AD. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / LAETITIA TEMPORVM, ship from which a variety of animals run; above, in background, four quadrigae. (Pictures and attribution from wildwinds.com) Why the boat, but no image of Laetitia? This explanation is taken from the article quoted above: This quote explains the reason of the image of the boat and animals, along with the inscription (but no picture) of Laetitia. Good stuff. guy also known as gaius

On a discussion at the excellent numismatic site cointalk.com, a member presented a recently purchased, relatively inexpensive, but beautiful example of a coin of Gordian III: Gordian III Struck 238-239 A.D. AR Antoninianus. (4.10 gm) Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: LAETITIA AVG N, Laetitia standing half-head left, holding wreath and rudder Although a fascinating coin, I was most interested in the goddess Laetitia on the reverse of the coin. This coin inspired me to delve more into this lesser known figure of Roman mythology. Laetitia is the goddess of joy, gaiety, and celebration. According to this post, this minor goddess had many aspects: http://www.thaliatoo...D/laetitia.html Laetitia Augusta: Joy that the Emperor brings to the empire. SEE above image. Laetitia Fundata: Established joy brought on by the empire

There are three other areas of history that I focus my energies: 1. Italian Renaissance political history: It is very difficult to understand the machinations of the various city-states and the Roman church. I recommend the Showtime series "The Borgias" to anyone interested in this period. It is from Renaissance Italy that modern concepts of humanism, reason, and scientific study first appeared. Unfortunately, unlike the study of Renaissance art, the scholarship on Renaissance political history is very poor. 2. Dutch history and culture in the 1500s and 1600s. Without the Dutch, European history would have been very different: bleak, intolerant, and more violent--much like the Middle East today. 3. British history from the Glorious Revolution (1688) to the Act of Union of Scotland with England (1707) thru the reign of the Hanoverians till the time of Queen Victoria (1837). Anything before that time was too brutal; anything after is too modern. guy also known as gaius

Wow. The post in almost six years old. As has been written before, malocchio, is the evil eye. The evil eye is look or stare thought to have evil intentions or powers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malocchio My Italian relations and friends would wear an Italian horn to protect themselves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornicello Also for protection is the sign that is discussed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mano_cornuta Caution, however, although popular among rock metal audiences, the sign also suggests one is a cuckold in many Latin cultures. As an aside, however, I just wanted to thank the original poster for the link that now includes a rare interview with Neil Peart, drummer for the group Rush. He is a brilliant, but tortured musician. I'm going to see them in Las Vegas in a few weeks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpCASVFyQoE guy also known as gaius

Reading the author Robert Harris' Wikipedia article, I found out about the aborted plans of a movie bases on his novel, "Pompeii": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Harris_(novelist) Now, that would have been interesting no matter what the political overtones would have been. guy also known as gaius

I'm not sure that really is a bust of Probus. Coins are among the best sources of information (including portraits) about the emperors from the poorly documented third century: http://www.dirtyoldcoins.com/roman/id/Coins-of-Roman-Emperor-Probus.htm The bust found in the Wikipedia page possibly resembles the numismatic evidence better, but I can't be sure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius_Probus guy also known as gaius