Thread by @OptimoPrincipi

The brutal birth of Rome in high-definition! New shot of this spectacular denarius struck in 89 BC - showing the legendary Rape of the Sabines where Romulus and his men, wanting to populate their newly founded city, abducted women of the neighbouring Sabine tribe for their wives.

In a remarkable depiction, two of Romulus’ soldiers can be seen, each carrying off a Sabine woman in their grasp; the women struggle and strike out against their abductors, their flowing robes adding movement and urgency to the scene.

Little is known of the moneyer Lucius Titurius Sabinus but his family clearly traced its descent from the Sabines and perhaps from King Tatius himself. He would have been a quaestor or military tribune prior to his stint as moneyer in 89 BC, likely serving in the Social War.

The legendary scene has proven popular with artists over the centuries, especially during the Renaissance..

(1581-83), marble sculpture by Giambologna in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence
(1520), Girolamo del Pacchia
(1585), Chiaroscuro woodcut print by Andrea Andreani

Poses seen in this detail from Amico Aspertini's 1496 painting of the legend, may take some direct influence from the composition on the Roman Republican denarius.

Pablo Picasso even created a series of artworks based on the Roman legend at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. “The Rape of the Sabine Women”, 1962, Pablo Picasso

The foundational myth has also influenced modern popular culture being adapted, parodied and satirised in such works as “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”.

The details / The denarius in hand

You can read more about this historic Roman coin here: harneycoins.com/post/the-rape-…