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8 Aug, 4 tweets, 2 min read
#LatinForTheDay - 8 August

"divinitatem principis nostri, an humanitatem temperantiam facilitatem, ut amor et gaudium tulit, celebrare universi solemus? iam quid tam civile tam senatorium, quam illud additum a nobis Optimi cognomen?"

Pliny, Panegyricus 2.7 Image
'Is it our leader's divine quality, his humanity, his temperance, or his easy-going nature that accustom us to laud him with one single voice, as love and gladness bring about? What now can show him more as citizen and senator than that title bestowed on him by us - 'The Best'?'
Ah, Pliny the Younger on Trajan... Our correspondent knows how to gild the lily! Pliny here speaks of the qualities of Trajan - here implicitly contrasting them with those of Domitian - mentioning the bestowing of the title 'Optimus', which appeared on Trajan's coins from AD 103.
The Image at the head of this brief thread is a portrait bust of Trajan, ca. AD 108-117: British Museum (1805,0703.93).

Link - britishmuseum.org/collection/obj…

#LatinForTheDay #Trajan

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More from @DocCrom

Dr Crom Profile picture
10 Aug
#EpigraphyTuesday - a second piece spotted on my Edinburgh jaunt, with this relief dedication to the goddess Brigantia, from Birrens: ca. Mid-Late 2nd Century AD. #Roman

Image: National Museum of Scotland (X.FV 5). Link - nms.ac.uk/explore-our-co… Image
Inscription:

"Brigantiae s(acrum) Amandus
arc(h)itectus ex imperio imp(eratum) (fecit)"

Translation:

'Sacred to Brigantia: Amandus, the engineer, by command fulfilled the order' Image
The damage to the text of the inscription has led to some speculation about its reconstruction: an alternative reading of the damaged section could be "ex imperio ipsius" - 'by command of the goddess herself'.
Read 6 tweets
Dr Crom Profile picture
10 Aug
#EpigraphyTuesday - spotted on my recent Edinburgh rambling, a lovely little altar dedicated to Mercury from Castlecary ca. AD 140-190. #Roman

Image: National Museum of Scotland (X.FV 32). Link - nms.ac.uk/explore-our-co… Image
Inscription:

Deo
Mercurio
milites leg(ionis) VI
Victricis Pie F(idelis)
(a)ed(em) et sigillum
cives Italici
et Norici
v(otum) s(olverunt) l(aeti) l(ibentes) m(erito)

Image: Author's own photograph Image
Translation:

'To the god Mercury, soldiers of the Sixth Legion 'Victorious, Dutiful and Loyal', being citizens of Italy and Noricum, set up this shrine and statuette, gladly, willingly, and deservedly fulfilling their vow.' Image
Read 5 tweets
Dr Crom Profile picture
9 Aug
#LatinForTheDay - 9 August

"Exercitum cum militari more ad pugnam cohortaretur suaque in eum perpetui temporis officia praedicaret in primis commemoravit: testibus se militibus uti posse quanto studio pacem petisset, quae per Vatinium in colloquiis, quae per Aulum Clodium cum... Image
"...Scipione egisset, quibus modis ad Oricum cum Libone de mittendis legatis contendisset; neque se umquam abuti militum sanguine neque rem publicam alterutro exercitu privare voluisse."

Caesar, Civil War 3.90.1-2
'As he was exhorting the army to battle with his usual militaristic style, and dropping in mentions of his unceasing services to the troops, Caesar stressed these points in particular: that his soldiers could bear witness to the fact that he had always sought peace with the...
Read 6 tweets
Dr Crom Profile picture
9 Aug
Ancient Coin of the Day: Today we look at two coins from the opposing sides at the Battle of Pharsalus – starting with this denarius of Pompey the Great from 49 BC. #ACOTD #Roman #Pharsalus

Image: RRC 447/1a; British Museum (2002,0102.4425). Link - numismatics.org/crro/id/rrc-44… ImageImage
The commanders of the two opposing sides at the Battle of Pharsalus – Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great – both understood the importance of coinage in the run up to the battle, not only for filling their war chests but also as propaganda.
Thus at this time we see Caesar’s famous ‘Elephant Denarius’ – on which see this earlier #ACOTD thread from back in January. The two competing coinages highlight that both parties considered themselves ‘states’.

Read 13 tweets
Dr Crom Profile picture
8 Aug
Ancient Coin of the Day: Today’s thread is about Trajan’s building projects as commemorated on coins, starting with a sestertius of the Circus Maximus ca. AD 103-111. #ACOTD #Trajan #Buildings

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 571; Münzkabinett Wien (RÖ 8287). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.… ImageImage
While he is perhaps better known for the military aspects of his reign, it cannot be disputed that Trajan was also keenly interested in building work and infrastructure, with many of his works commemorated on the coins that he issued.
The Obverse shows a laureate Trajan, with the detailed Legend IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P – ‘For Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus, Germanicus, Dacicus, Pontifex Maximus, with Tribunician Power, Consul for the fifth time, Father of the Fatherland’. Image
Read 11 tweets
Dr Crom Profile picture
9 Jun
Ancient Coin of the Day: As today is quite the Neronian anniversary, let’s take a look at an interesting series of coins he issued, the Decursio sestertii of AD 62-68. #ACOTD #Nero #Decursio

Image: RIC Nero 170; Münzkabinett Berlin (18220881). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.1(…
These coins form a novel and innovative series in the final years of Nero's reign and have provoked much discussion through their martial imagery, not least because they are very much at odds with the typical Neronian depictions.
Nero is not famed for his military coinage, being for more keen to advertise peace, such as on this aureus of AD 64-65 with a Reverse featuring the Temple of Janus.

Image: RIC Nero 50; British Museum (R.6525). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.1(…
Read 10 tweets

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