Today (like every May 15th) is International day of families. So why not take this opportunity to remember some ancient Roman families' characteristics? Family was an important part of Ancient Roman culture and society. Much of Roman law was written around protecting the basic structure of the family. The family you belonged to had a lot to do with your place in Roman society and whether you were considered a patrician or a plebeian. A typical Roman family, Pompeii The "familia" in Rome included more than just the basic family of father, mother, and children. It also included all the people who were part of the household such as the slaves, servants, clients, and freedmen. As a result, some families in Rome grew quite large. The emperor's family often included thousands of members. The legal head of the family was the father or "paterfamilias." He was the oldest living male in the household. The paterfamilias had legal authority over the other members of the household. He decided who his children would marry and issued punishment for any family member that disobeyed him. In early Rome, he could even have family members put to death, but this rarely actually happened. The ancestry of a family was very important to the Romans. Each family was part of a larger group called a "gens" that shared the same ancestor. The oldest and most powerful Roman families were members of a gens called "patricians." Being born into a patrician family assured a person a high status in Roman society. This Roman family looks happy, doesn't it ? What about marriage? The paterfamilias generally had the final say over who his children would marry. Many marriages between the elite families of Rome were arranged based on politics. Unlike many ancient civilizations, Roman men only married one woman at a time. Divorce, however, was fairly common and could be initiated by either the husband or the wife. And the children ? They were generally loved and taken care of in Roman families. Boys were especially important because they would carry on the family name. When a child was born, it was placed on the ground by the midwife. It was only accepted into the family if the father picked it up. Otherwise, the child would be put outside to die of exposure. Sometimes abandoned infants would be rescued by other families and raised as slaves. Another classical Roman family, Rome. Now it's time to show off your coins. Please feel free to post your examples of Roman emperors related together ( by blood or adoption) ! I present you a family of Emperors who had at least one thing in common : a short career ; the father Carus only ruled for 1 year, his son Numerian wore the purple for about 18 months and his brother Carinus reign on the empire for a big 2 years....
Well, no matter how heated discussions in your own family get, these guys show that things could be a lot worse: Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 202–210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: INDVLGENTIA AVGG IN CARTH; Dea Caelestis, draped, riding r. on lion, holding thunderbolt in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand; below, water gushing from rock. 19mm, 3.32g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 266. Ex Marc Breitsprecher; ex Secret Saturn 2019 (thanks again – I love this coin!). Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 193–196 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VENERI VICTR, Venus standing with back turned, head r., holding apple in r. hand and palm in l., resting l. elbow on column. 18mm, 4.13g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536. Geta, Roman Empire, denarius, 202–207 AD, Rome mint. Obv: P SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES; bust of Geta, draped and cuirassed, r. Rev: PONTIF COS; Minerva standing l., leaning on shield and holding spear. 20mm, 2.74g. Ref: RIC IV Geta 34a. Caracalla, Roman Empire, denarius, 210–213 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head of Caracalla r. Rev: PROVIDENTIAE DEORVM, Providence standing l., holding baton and scepter, globe at feet l. 19mm, 3.07g. Ref: RIC IV–1. 227. Ex FSR 106, lot 257. Plautilla, Roman Empire, denarius, 202–203 AD, Rome mint. Obv: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA; bust Plautilla, draped, r. Rev: CONCORDIA AVG; Concordia standing l., holding patera and sceptre. 18mm, 3.09g. RIV IV Caracalla 363a. Ex André Cichos.
Speaking of family, and ancestry, Robert Graves had this to say about Livia and the Claudian Family Line: “Livia was of the Claudian family, one of the most ancient of Rome, and so was my grandfather. There is a popular ballad, still sometimes sung by old people, of which the refrain is that the Claudian tree bears two sorts of fruit, the sweet apple and the crab, but that the crabs outnumber the apples. Among, the crab sort the balladist reckons Appius Claudius the Proud, who put all Rome in a tumult by trying to enslave and seduce a free-born girl called Virginia, and Claudius Drusus, who in Republican days tried to make himself King of all Italy, and Claudius the Fair, who, when the sacred chickens would not feed, threw them into the sea, crying, ‘Then let them drink,’ and so lost an important sea battle. And of the former sort the balladist mentions Appius the Blind, who dissuaded Rome from a dangerous league with King Pyrrhus, and Claudius the Tree-Trunk, who drove the Carthaginians out of Sicily, and Claudius Nero (which in the Sabine dialect means The Strong), who defeated Hasdrubal as he came out of Spain to join forces with this brother, the great Hannibal. These three were all virtuous men, besides being bold and wise. And the balladist says that of the Claudian women too, some are apples and some are crabs, but that again the crabs outnumber the apples.” Robert Graves, from I Claudius
Here's a sestertius of Aurelian that I purchased in 1993, the year I got hitched. Roman Empire 274-275 AD Æ Sestertius Aurelian Rome Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust r., Rev: CONCO - R - DIA AVG, Emperor and Empress Severina clasping hands; in field, above them, radiate bust of Sol r.; in ex. SC. RIC 80; C 35. VF, with a brown and green patina. Reverse is somewhat off center. 7.7 grams
I'm bending the rules here, but let's pay a gens familia from before the emperors came and ruined everything. Here's some of the gens Caecilia familia Metellus: Caecilia Denarius. AR. Rome. (125 BCE). A / Head of Rome to the right, behind ROMA and in front X. R / Macedonian shield, around M. METELLVS Q. F., all within a laurel wreath. 3.70g. FFC.204. Banker's punch. Limited. BC / BC +. Ex Pliego Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Denarius, 19mm 3.74g. (h). Africa, 47-46 BC. Obv: Laureate head of Jupiter right; Q METEL before, PIVS behind. Rx: Elephant walking right, SCIPIO above, IMP in exergue. Crawford 459/1. Sydenham 1046. RSC Caecilia 47. Sear, Imperators 45 Ex Savoca After L. Caecilius Metellus' victory over Hasdrubal at Panormus and the capture of one of the Carthaginians' elephants, that beast became as a heraldic symbol to the gens Caecilia. It is ironic then that displayed on this coin it should be so reminiscent of Caesar's own earlier issue bearing an elephant on the reverse
Here is an aureus with three emperors from one family... Vespasian, obv. , reverse his sons Titus and Domitian on horseback.
Family group of Philip I, Otacilia Severa, & Philip II, AD 244 - 249, all coins struck in Antioch, Syria. Otacilia was the only one of this family to have a natural death .
Happy family day, everyone. Valerian I Augustus, A.D. 253-260 Silver Double Denarius Antioch mint, A.D. 253 Obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG Rev: PIETAS AVGG - Two emperors, emperor at left sacrificing at altar with patera, emperor at right, sword on belt, holding eagle-tipped scepter RIC 284 24 x 22 mm, 3.5g. Salonina Augusta, A.D. 254-268 Silver Double Denarius Asia mint (Antioch?), A.D. 255-258 Obv: CORN SALONINA AVG Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG - Gallienus, on left, shaking hands with Salonina, on right. RIC 63 (joint reign) 21mm, 4.0g. Gallienus Augustus, 253-268 Silver Double Denarius Asia Minor mint, A.D. 255-256 Obv: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS P F AVG Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI - Emperor with spear, receiving globe from Jupiter, on right, leaning on scepter Wreath in field RIC 440 21mm, 4.5g. Valerian II Caesar, A.D. 253-258 Silver Double Denarius Rome mint, A.D. 253-255 Obv: P LIC VALERIANVS CAES Rev: IOVI CRESCENTI - Jupiter, as a child, riding, right, on goat RIC 13 20x23 mm, 4.3g. Saloninus Caesar, A.D. 258-260 Augustus, A.D. 260 Cologne mint Silver Double Denarius Obv: SALON VALERIANVS CAES Rev: SPES PVBLICA - Spes, walking left, holding flower and raising skirt RIC 13, var. 22x20mm, 2.2g.
Great write up @Roman Collector ! I remember this lecture so well from over 40 years ago. This lecture focused on the Roman Republic, as it influenced how the Famalias were organized, controlling the City, the Senate, Society Structure, Farms out in Italia, Colonies, etc. It was so rooted in the fabric of Rome, and roots of the concept of Famalias harkoned back to the time of the Founding of Rome and especially when they established the Republic in 509 BCE... If you do not mind, here are a few from The Republic SCIPIO Scipio defeated Hannibal in the 2nd Punic War. This was when he started beating on the Barcids in Spain. First representation of a Roman on a Coin, of course it was FAR away from Rome, but befitting of Scipio's personality. Later became Scipio Africanus. Carthago Nova SCIPIO Africanus Roman Occupation 209-206 BCE Sear Vol2 6575 Left R Younger Brother of Scipio Africanus was Scipio Asiaticus RR L Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus Asiagenus AR Serrate Denarius 4.0g 19mm Rome 106 BCE Hd Jupiter Left - Jupiter quad r scepter tbolt L•SCIP•ASIAG B Cr 311-1e Syd 576
POMPEY RR Sextus Pompeius 137 BCE AR Den She-Wolf Rom Rem S112 Cr 235-1a RImp Pompey 42-38 BC AE As Janus Prow Magnus S 1394 Cr 479-1
GENS ANONYMOUS / FAMALIA ANON I keep running across this "Anonymous" Family! WOW, they were PROLIFIC!!! I have SEVERAL coins from that Familia. Must had been a founding Famalia of Rome! The name must be akin to the UGLIES. This Famalia does not go out of their house very much, but I thought since times have been troubled, that they would have a chance to get out and play! They must had bred like rabbits! Here are a few of their work... RR Anon AR Quinarius 81 BC Apol MARIUS GAUL Vict var 2 i S 305 Cr 373-1b RR Anon AR Quinarius 211-208 BC Roma Dioscuri S 42 Cr 47-1a RR Quinarius 212-195 BCE 1.8g Luceria mint Anon Craw 098-B1 L VERY RARE RR Anon AR Victoriatus 211-206 BC Jupiter Dioscuri FINE S 49 Cr 44-1 RR Anon AR Sestertius 211-208 BC Roma Dioscuri S 46 Cr 44-7 RR Anon AE Quartuncia 217-215 BC Roma Prow Cr 38-8 S 624 RR Anon AE Double-Litra 275-270 BC Apollo Lion S 590 Cr 16-1a RR Anon AE Half-Litra 234-231 BCE Roma Phrygian Dog S 598 Cr 26-4 RR Anon AE Litra Crawford 25-3
Here are Constantius I and Helena, their son Constantine the Great, and grandson Constantine II. I don’t have a Crispus, but I think it’s probably OK to leave Crispus out of a Family Day post