MARCH 1st: MARS Victor party

March 1st was the signal for the start of the festivities in honor of Mars Victor, featuring the dance of the Salii which continues through the month. In ancient Roman religion, the Salii were the "jumping priests" (from the verb saliō "jump, leap") of Mars. They were twelve young patricians, dressed like archaic warriors: an embroidered tunic, a cuirass, a short red paludamentum, a sword and a spiked headdress called apex. Each year in March, the Salii made a procession round the city, dancing and singing the Carmen Saliare. The cult of Mars is essentially linked to war. Mars gave its name to the month that opens the season of war. Indeed, the war season lasts from March to October. When a war is declared, a Roman general must go to the sacrarium of Mars. He must then strike the ancilia (shields) and the sacred spear while pronouncing the formula "Mars vigila".


Pompeii painting


Victorinus


Numerian


As the god of war, Mars intervenes to ensure military victory in Rome. It is him who gives the impetus, who breathes courage into the troops, who multiplies the forces of the soldiers and ensures the quality of the armament. Mars is also a protective god of cultures. The god Mars is depicted holding a spear. He is usually helmeted and often wears a cuirass. He also sometimes has a shield or a sword or a trophy and often depicted naked (except for the boots ?) He is represented at rest or in the attitude of a fighter. I found that at least 32 Emperors used a depiction of Mars Victor on their coinage. Since I only have two of them, I’ll present a few others that maybe you have never seen, and moreover in gold. How many different examples can we pile in this thread ?
Please show me yours !


Commodus


Carinus


Marcus Aurelius


Severus Alexander


Aurelian


Septimius Severus

 

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Magnificent coins, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, and educational and entertaining write-up, too!

It's not just Mars' month, but it's also his day!

Unlike mardi, the French word for Tuesday, which is similar to the Latin Martis diēs ("day of Mars), the etymology of the English word for this day of the week isn't so apparent. But Tuesday stems from the Old English Tīwesdæg ("day of Tīw"), and refers to a Germanic god of war and the sky, the god Tīw being equated with the Roman god Mars. Compare with Swedish tisdag.

Here's my highest-grade Mars coin.



Trajan, AD 98-117
Roman AR denarius; 2.95 gm, 20 mm
Rome, AD 114-117
Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC, laureate and draped bust, right
Rev: P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R, Mars walking right with spear and trophy
Refs: RIC 337; BMCRE 536-40; Cohen 270; RCV --; Woytek 520v; Strack 230; BN 819.

But here's my favorite, for it depicts Venus begging her lover Mars not to go off to war.


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as, 11.96 g, 25 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 170-175.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: VENERI VICTRICI S C, Venus standing right, placing both hands on the arm of Mars, standing facing, head left, holding round shield in left hand.
Refs: RIC 1680; BMCRE 999-1001; Cohen 241; RCV 5305; MIR 42-7/10c.

 

This coin shows two of the sacred ancilia that the Salii were charged to protect and would carry around the city during the festival of Mars.

ANTONINUS PIUS
AE As. 9.56g, 27.9mm. Rome mint, AD 143-144. RIC 736a. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right. R: IMPERATOR II, two ancilia (oval shields with rounded projections above and below); ANCILIA in exergue, S C across field.

 

Beautiful example of that coin!!

 

Nice write up thanks....
Severus Alexander. 222-235 AD. AR Denarius (2.89 gm, 20mm). Rome mint. Struck 228 AD.
Obv.: IMP SEV ALE-XAND AVG, laureate head right.
Rev.: PM TRPVII COSII PP , Mars standing right, holding shield and spear.
RIC IV 83; BMCRE 503; RSC 337. aEF.

 

Roman Republic Beardless Mars


Roman Republic
Anon
AE Litra
241-235 BCE
Mars Beardless
Horse Head
Craw 25-3 Sear 594



Roman Republic
Minicuis Thermus 103 BCE
AR Denarius
Mars beardless looking left (maybe looking at @Roman Collector , trying to figure out these Old English words for his name...)
2 Warriors fighting over fallen warrior
Sear 197 Cr 319-1

 

Three coins of Mars in honor of his day!

Numerian AE Antoninianus. Lyons mint, 284 AD. IMP C NVMERIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / MARS V-ICTOR, Mars walking right, holding trophy and spear, C to right.


Gallienus, AE antoninianus. Rome. Sole reign. AD 263. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right / MARTI PACIFERO, Mars standing left, holding olive branch, spear and shield. A in left field.


Caracalla Denarius. 206 AD. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / PONTIF TRP VIIII COS II, Mars in military dress standing left leaning on shield holding reversed spear.

 

Gordian III. AD 238-244. Interesting Reverse Inscription in the Accusative Case.

AR Antoninianus (4.11 gm). Struck 240-244 AD.

Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: MARTEM PROPVGNATOREM, Mars walking right, holding transverse spear and shield.

Reference: RIC IV 147; Hunter 59; RSC 160; Sear (1988) 2442; Sear 8624.

 

ANONYMOUS ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Didrachm
OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Mars left, oak-sprig behind
REVERSE: ROMANO on tablet below head of bridled horse right, ear of wheat behind
Struck at Metapontum, 280-276 BC
19 mm, 6.55g
Cr13/1, Syd 1

TI VETURIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VETURIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted bust of Mars right
REVERSE: Youth kneeling l., between two warriors who touch with their swords a pig which he holds., ROMA above
Struck at Rome 137 BC
3.7g, 18mm
Cr.234/1; RSC Veturia 1

L VALERIUS FLACCUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VALERIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Draped bust of Victory right, star under chin
REVERSE: Mars walking left, carrying trophy; L. VALERI./ FLACCI. and a flamen's cap before and grain-ear behind
Struck at Rome 108-109 BC
3.7g, 18mm
Cr306/1, Syd 565, Valeria 11

L JULIUS CAESAR ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS JULIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: CAESAR Head of Mars left in crested helmet
REVERSE: Venus Genettris with scepter, in biga drawn by two Cupids left, lyre in field, contolmark above, L IVLI L F in ex.
Struck at Rome, 103BC
3.85g, 17mm
Cr320/1, Syd 593a.

 

Here is a denarius of Marcus Aurelius with Mars on the reverse.



It interesting to note that Minerva who was the goddess of wisdom was also tied to war. I guess the idea was give the generals the wisdom to devise strategies that would defeat the enemy.

The last of the 12 caesars, Domitian, worshiped Minerva, which made sense because his best days were probably spent fighting wars with his army. He had dream where Minerva came to him and said that Jupiter had taken her weapons and that she could no longer protect him. Hence he was now vulnerable to assassination, which occurred not too long after his dream.

Here is Domitian denarius with Minerva on the reverse.

 

Great coins on this thread for sure.

Here is a sestertius of Commodus (with a @dougsmit note on the date):


Commodus Æ Sestertius
(late 189 A.D.)
Rome Mint
M COMMOD [ANT P] FELIX AVG [BRIT P P], laureate head right / MAR[T PACA]T P M TR P XIIII IMP [VIII CO]S V DES VI, S C, Mars, nude except cloak standing left holding branch and inverted spear.
RIC III 543; BMCRE 636.
(21.13 grams / 28 x 26 mm)
eBay Feb. 2022
Notes:
OCRE says Mars is holding a "sceptre" but it is clearly an inverted spear on most specimens.
"The coin is dated to 189 AD by the...(TRP XIIII) and to the later part of that year by the designation (DES VI) that Commodus planned to assume his 6th consulship at the start of the next year."
Doug Smith on FORVM

Mars the Avenger on a Claudius II antoninianus:


Claudius II Æ Antoninianus
(Sept. 268-end 269 A.D.)
Rome Mint (1st Issue)
IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, / MARS VLTOR, Mars walking right, holding transverse spear and trophy of captured arms
RIC V 66 (see notes).
(2.69 grams / 21 x 18 mm)
eBay Jan. 2022 Ck
Attribution Notes:
Cunetio 1989; Normanby 668; Venèra 7329-7395; Çanakkale 1481-1509; Colonne 319; Hunter IV 21.
"Refers to Claudius' great victory over the Goths at Naissus...Against all advice, Claudius confronted the barbarians at Naissus in Upper Moesia....and annihilated them." (all info from FORVM listing)

 

Constantine I, AD 307-337 (struck AD 307/8), Trier Mint, 1st officina. AE Nummus: 6.65 gm, 26 mm, 6 h. Ex Spink 169, July 15, 2004.

 

I have no coins expressly portraying Mars Victor, but plenty of Mars in general:

Chubby Mars:

Roman Republic, Q. Thermus M.f., AR Denarius 103 BCE. Obv. Head of Mars left with crested, plumed helmet/ Rev. Roman soldier advancing right, fighting with uplifted sword a barbarian soldier before him, while protecting with shield a fallen comrade at his feet, Q THERM.MF. in exergue (THE and MF in monograms). RSC I Minucia [Q. Minucius Rufus] 19 (ill.), Crawford 319/1, Sear RCV I 198 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 653. 19.4 mm., 3.97 g.



Young Mars:

Roman Republic, Publius Fonteius P.f. Capito, AR Denarius 55 BCE [Harlan: 54 BCE], Rome mint. Obv. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars with slight beard, right, with trophy over far shoulder, P•FONTEIVS•P•F•CAPITO•III•VIR counter-clockwise around / Rev. Helmeted and caped Roman soldier on horseback galloping right, thrusting his spear down at helmeted Gallic warrior crouching beneath horse, holding his shield up with left hand to try to fend off horse, and thrusting sword with his right hand at unarmed captive to left; the captive’s Gallic helmet [and shield, off flan] sailing off to lower right; MN•FONT•TR•MIL clockwise above. Crawford 429/1, RSC I Fonteia 17, Sear RCV I 392 (ill.), Sydenham 900, Harlan RRM II Ch, 22 at pp. 174-175 [Harlan, Michael, Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins 63 BCE-49 BCE (2nd Revised Edition 2015)]. 17.8 mm., 3.97 g. (Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY, Aug. 2020. Ex: Roma Numismatics, E-Sale 54, Feb. 28, 2019, Lot 558 [see https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5704785]; Ex: Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 100, May 29, 2017, Lot 329 [see https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&l=114088]; Ex: Gerhard Hirsch Auction 168, Nov. 22-24, 1990, Munich, Lot 434. Formerly in NGC slab, Cert. No. 4629554-001, Graded Ch. AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface 4/5.) [Footnote omitted.]


Naked Mars:

Trajan AR Denarius, ca. AD 114, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate & draped bust right, IMP TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Rev. Mars, helmeted, naked but for cloak behind, advancing right, holding transverse spear, pointing up to right, with right hand and trophy over left shoulder with left hand, COS VI P P S P Q R. RIC II Trajan 299, RSC II Trajan 103, BMCRE III Trajan 516. Purchased Jan. 6, 2022 from Herakles Numismatics at NYINC 2022. 20 mm., 3.41 g.



Mars Ultor:

Severus Alexander AR Denarius 232 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate and draped bust right, seen from front, IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG/ Rev. Mars Ultor (“Mars the Avenger”) advancing right in military dress, holding transverse, spear and shield, cape flying behind, MARS VLTOR. RIC IV-2 246, RSC III 161a (ill.), Sear RCV II 7882 (ill.), BMCRE 831. 20 mm., 2.91 g.



Marti Propugnatori:

Hostilian Caesar (son of Trajan Decius), AR Antoninianus, 251 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, C VALENS HOSTIL MES QVINTVS N C / Rev. Mars running right, holding spear in right hand and shield in left, MARTI PROPVGNATORI (Mars the Defender). RIC IV-3 177b, RSC IV 15, Sear RCV III 9556 (ill.). 22 mm., 3.65 g.



Another Mars Ultor -- my cast bronze figurine of Mars Ultor, 2nd-3rd Century AD, based on the statue at Rome. Bearded face, military garb, crested helmet, cuirass, greaves, etc. Spear and sword lost in antiquity. Height: 60 mm. (2 3/8"). Ex: CNG, Sale 75, Lot 1514, May 23, 2007.





Finally, regarding the ancilia and the Salian priesthood of Mars, see the boldfaced portions of my description of this coin:

Roman Republic, L. Procilius L.f., AR Serrate Denarius, 80 BCE. Obv. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goatskin headdress; behind, S•C downwards / Juno Sospita wearing goatskin headdress, standing in biga right with galloping horses, holding figure-eight style shield [prob. an allusion to the mythological Shield of the Salii priests, or ancilia] in left hand and brandishing spear in right hand; coiled serpent below horses; in exergue, L•PROCILI•F. Crawford 379/2, RSC I Procilia 2 (ill.), Sear RCV I 307 (ill.), BMCRR Rome 3150, Sydenham 772, Harlan, RRM I Ch. 4 at pp. 19-22 [Michael Harlan, Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins, 81 BCE-64 BCE (2012)]. 20.05 mm., 3.97 g. (Purchased from Marc Breitsprecher, Oct. 2020.)*



* See Crawford at p.396, stating that the moneyer, Lucius Procilius son of Lucius, “is presumably to be identified with the Senator attested in 56 [citing Cicero] and with the man later condemned for misconduct in that year [also citing Cicero].” The presence of Juno Sospita on both sides of the coin “reveals the moneyer’s Lanuvine origin” (id.), as does the presence of the serpent, which “alludes to a sacred ritual performed at Lanuvium.” Harlan, RRM 1, Ch. 4 at p. 20.

Regarding the type of shield held by Juno Sospita and its connection to the ancilia, that connection is supported by David R. Sear, whose online Glossary of Frequently Encountered Terms in Roman Coin Descriptions (also found in each volume of the Millenium Edition of Roman Coin Values) states as follows: "Ancile a shield of distinctive form (narrow central section of oval shape with broad curving extensions at top and bottom). It was a particular attribute of Juno Sospita and was associated with the Salian priesthood of Mars." See https://www.davidrsear.com/academy/roman_glossary.html#Ancile. See also the discussion of the ancile at https://www.romanumismatics.com/historicarticles?view=article&article_id=509, with a photo of an example of an Augustus denarius (RIC 343) depicting two ancilia on the reverse.

 

Thank you for my lesson of the day. Enjoyed the read.

 

Nice thread! Below are some of my imperial Mars coins.

1.) Mars victor ("Mars the victor"):

Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, denarius, 198–202 AD, Antiochia mint (previously attributed to Laodicea ad mare). Obv: L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: MARTI [VICTO]RI; Mars, helmeted, in military attire, standing r., resting r. hand on shield and holding reversed spear in l. hand. 19mm, 3.01g. Ref: RIC IV.1 Septimius Severus 508.


Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 263 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: P M TR P IIII COS III P P; Mars, walking r., holding spear in r. hand and trophy in l. hand. 21mm, 2.84g. Ref: Mairat 255; RIC V Postumus 57.

2.) Mars pacifer ("Mars the pacifier"):

Severus Alexander, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 224 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG; bust of Severus Alexander, laureate and draped, r. Rev: P M TR P III COS P P; Mars standing l., helmeted and in military attire, holding spear and branch. 18mm, 3.21g. Ref: RIC RIC IV Severus Alexander 37.


Probus, Roman Empire, AE antoninian, 281 AD, Ticinium mint. Obv: IMP C PROBVS AVG; radiate bust of Probus l., wearing imperial mantle, and holding eagle-tipped sceptre. Rev: MARTI PACIF; Mars walking l., holding olive-branch, spear and shield; in fields, I – *; in exergue, QXXI. 22mm, 3.38g. Ref: RIV V Probus 508.

3.) Mars propugnator ("Mars the defender"):

Gordian III, Roman Empire, AE sestertius, 244 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, draped, cuirassed and laureate, r. Rev: MARTEM PROPVGNATOREM, Mars, helmeted, in military attire, hastening r., holding transverse spear in r. hand and shield in l. hand; in fields flanking, SC. 30mm, 23.58g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 333.

4.) Mars conservator ("Mars the keeper"):

Constantine I, Roman Empire, AE1 ("follis"), 309 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG; bust of Constantine I, laureate, cuirassed, r. Rev: MARTI PATRI CONSERVATORI; Mars, nude, helmeted, standing r., leaning on reversed spear with r. hand and placing l. hand on shield; in fields, T-F; in exergue, PTR. 27mm, 5.94g. Ref: RIC VI Treveri 830.

 

Great coins! Thanks for sharing.

 

Great thread with some great coins!
NOBODY struts off to war like Mars:

 

Well, I can't show you mine because I don't have one (ha, ha), but I always thought that such "gods" would be depicted as being better hung!! sorry...

 

Antoninianus of Claudius Gothicus with Mars Propugnator, ( with an exceptionally large butt).



Antoninianus of Hostillian with Mars propugnator ( after losing his butt seen above)




Sestertius Alexander Severus with Mars Ultor..



Sestertius of Vespasian with Mars advancing right



Marcus Aurelius with Mars standing