This denarius was minted in 49 BC as Caesar crossed the Rubicon. Struck under the moneyer Manius Acilius Glabrio, we see Valetudo leaning on a column and holding a snake. Valetudo was the Roman equivalent of Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health and hygiene.. Image
Glabrio was the stepson of Pompey the Great, raised in his house after Pompey married his mother Amelia Scaura. This coin was likely in support of Pompey, the idea being that he and the optimates were fighting to preserve the health (Salus) of the Republic as Caesar approached.. Image
With Pompey's retreat, Caesar took control of Rome in 49 BC and seized large quantities of gold and silver from the state treasury in the Temple of Saturn - part of which may have been this newly minted issue by Glabrio. Image
Interestingly, Manius Acilius Glabrio is later attested as a lieutenant of Caesar in the civil wars and afterwards as a provincial magistrate, implying he switched allegiance after the death of his stepfather Pompey in 48 BC. Image

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More from @OptimoPrincipi

Feb 19
1) Ancient fake news? Newly photographed denarius showing an event that almost certainly never took place. This coin struck at the beginning of Hadrian's reign shows Trajan adopting Hadrian, thus making him his successor, clasping hands and exchanging the necessary documentation. Image
2) If the message wasn’t clear enough to viewers, the scene is emblazoned with the self-explanatory declaration “ADOPTIO”. That this unique coin was required at all shows Hadrian clearly felt the need to publicly tackle simmering conspiracy theories around his accession.. Image
3) Murky details surrounding Trajan’s death in Selinus and documents signed by Trajan’s widow Plotina rather than the emperor himself caused rumours to spread. A close attendant of Trajan’s, Phaedimus, also died a few days after his master, adding to conspiratorial suspicions.. Image
Read 9 tweets
Feb 18
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. Image
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. Image
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. Image
Read 9 tweets
Feb 7
Roman agate intaglio with a remarkable depiction of Trajan's hexagonal harbour. Constructed in 103 AD, the hexagonal basin covered an area of almost 100 acres. Visible on the intaglio are covered porticoes, square warehouses and a temple with arched pediment and statue inside.
Trajan's hexagonal harbour is still visible today near the runways of Rome's Fiumicino airport, as a reed-filled lake known as 'Lago Traiano' - it now lies almost 3km from the sea.
An ancient Roman wonder visible from space!
Read 4 tweets
Jan 9
1) A fantastical Roman 'monster' story and marvellous example of an ancient urban myth - to be taken with a generous pinch of salt for sure but all the more entertaining for it..

The bustling ancient port of Puteoli. Vessels from around the empire jostle to offload their cargo..
2) In the harbourside home of an Iberian merchant, confusion reigns. Workers stand perplexed among the smashed remnants of ceramic amphora vessels. Yet again, a large amount of their valuable cargo: prime pickled fish imported from southern Hispania, has vanished overnight..
3) Sifting through the broken pottery fragments and remains of the pickled produce, the men argue about who could be responsible for the night raids. Rivals in the import trade? A criminal gang? No attempt has been made upon the doors. Windows, roof and walls, all are undamaged..
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Dec 29, 2021
1) A beautiful Roman marble statue thought to depict Claudia Antonia, daughter and oldest surviving child of the emperor Claudius. The statue is one of an imperial group depicting Julio-Claudian family members that were displayed at the Domus Romana in ancient Melite (Malta).. ImageImage
2) Claudia Antonia was born in 30 AD, the only child from Claudius' short-lived second marriage to Aelia Paetina. She was raised in a palace of intrigue with her father now remarried to Messalina and her cousin Caligula on the throne. When she was around 10 years old.. ImageImage
3) ..Caligula was assassinated and her father was thrust into power as the new emperor. Before long she was married in quick succession to two nobleman; the first a descendant and namesake of Pompey the Great who was soon executed, the second a descendant of the dictator Sulla.. ImageImage
Read 4 tweets
Dec 12, 2021
1) The remains of this 35-year-old man from the 1st-2nd century tell a pitiful tale of disability in the ancient world, yet also serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. When his skeleton was found near Ostia in 2008, experts were astounded to see..
2) ..the unfortunate man suffered from a completely fused jaw (emporomandibular joint ankylosis), perhaps from trauma in childhood but most likely a congenital condition which made it impossible for him to open his mouth through his life. Incredibly, a closer look reveals that..
3) ..several of his front teeth have been removed and a hole drilled through his mouth to allow feeding, likely only eating liquid food his entire life. Nevertheless, bone analysis has shown his diet was rich and well-balanced. Other skeletal damage shows he worked in..
Read 6 tweets

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