![]() ![]() Neptune (Greek Poseidon), god of the sea, appears between the brothers and reinforces Sextus’s title as commander of the seas. The story reflects the piety that Sextus wished to convey. Moreover, we see two busy figures that show the myth of Catanean brothers Amphinomus and Anapius rescuing their parents from the erupting Mount Etna in Sicily (where Sextus was based). An inscription on the back declares Sextus as commander of the navy and seacoast, a title that the Senate had bestowed on him in 43 BCE. The coin was issued by one of Pompey’s sons, Sextus, who included his father’s image as a way to strengthen his own association to him. The front of this Roman denarius portrays the profile head of Pompey the Great, who had been assassinated in 48 BCE. Issued by Roman Republic, Sextus Pompeius Magnus. Like Greek coins, ancient Roman coins used imagery to convey messages, but more often used coins as propaganda to reinforce ideas about an emperor’s right to rule.Ī lot of information can be included in the smallest details and some coins packed in more than others. After Augustus became the first Roman emperor, profile portraits of rulers or other members of the imperial family became a standard subject on coins throughout the Roman Empire and into the Byzantine period. Rome’s earliest silver coins from the 3rd century BCE were based on that of the Greeks in both design and weight but remain uniquely Roman in style. The inclusion of important people and symbols continues into the Roman period. Other significant elements might appear on coins as animals, natural resources, and references to historical events or a city’s founding. This coin from Athens depicts the profile head of the goddess Athena, the patron and protector of the city, on the front, while Athena’s owl, a popular subject, is seen on the back.
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