Celebrate the females of Imperial Rome (A variety of pick and post)

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by expat, May 13, 2023.

  1. Curtis

    Curtis Well-Known Member

    I don't think you did! We've gotten through most of the easy Royal Ladies, so maybe it's harder to find a "next" that someone will be able to post. Domitian's female family members didn't elicit and responses (Domitia would be easiest, especially on Roman Provincials, presumably some other family relations are on coins, at least one of the Domitilla's had coins but I don't think they're common).

    But someone may be able to suggest an easier one. Or something else.

    In the interests of reviving the thread, I'll throw in a "duplicate"...

    We've already seen Otacilia (wife of Philip "the Arab" and mother of Philip II), but this is my most recently acquire Empress-on-a-Sestertius.

    Otacilia Sestertius Salton Earle Tags.png

    Otacilia AE Sestertius (30mm, 21.92g, 6h). Rome, c. 245-7 CE.
    Obv: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG. Bust of Otacilia Severa, diademed, draped, on crescent, right
    Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG S C. Concordia, draped, seated left, holding patera in right hand and double cornucopiae in left hand.
    Ref: RIC 203a.
    Provenance: Mark Salton-Schlessinger (1914-2005) Collection [Kuenker Auction 377 (20 Oct 2022), Lot 5990]; George H. Earle, Jr. (1856-1928) Collection [Henry Chapman Auction 25 June 1912, Lot 703; acquired by Henry Chapman for $1.80 (as agent for whom?)]; where was this coin between the Earle Sale (1912) and Salton Collection?


    Next: any Latin Lady that one wants to post.
    Then suggest a "Next" (or leave it open, your call)
     
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  3. lrbguy

    lrbguy Well-Known Member

    Ah, okay, that will work.

    We already have one for Sabina. Here's her momma Matidia (Hadrians mother-in-law):

    93979.jpg


    Now you know where Sabina got one of the fancy "Do-s" she used:

    L459-154692-180.jpg


    Can anyone show us something for Paulina, the late wife of Maximinus I?
     
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  4. lrbguy

    lrbguy Well-Known Member

    No takers for Paulina?

    Caecilia Paulina (died in 235/236) was a Roman Empress and consort to Emperor Maximinus Thrax, who ruled in 235–238.
    Paestum-monum.jpg

    Her full name, Diva Caecilia Paulina Pia Augusta, was preserved on an inscription (CIL X, 5054[see above]). On her coins she is termed simply Diva Paulina. The coins with her inscription were not struck during her life, but some time later, probably after she was deified. No sculptural likenesses of her survive.

    Paulina-den1b-sm.jpg

    Almost nothing is known about her life, as ancient writers rarely mentioned her by name. Her husband never set foot in Rome,[3] thus it is likely that neither did she, at least in her time married to the Emperor.
    Marcellinus refers to the Empress as the good wife (of the difficult husband) who had:
    ... led him back into the paths of truth and mercy, by feminine gentleness, as, in recounting the acts of the Gordiani, we have related to have been done by the wife of that truculent emperor Maximinus — Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History[5]

    Paulina had one son, Gaius Julius Verus Maximus, appointed Caesar in 236 by his father, but both men were murdered by the soldiers in May 238.
    MaxThraxFamily.jpg


    Paulina probably died around late 235 or early 236, as Maximus had her deified in 236.[3]

    Paulina-den2b-sm.jpg


    Let's try another, not as pricey perhaps. She was the wife of Aurelian, and mother of Gallienus. Her name was Mariniana.
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. lrbguy

    lrbguy Well-Known Member

    Sad to say it looks like the thread really is dead. Sorry to see it go down since there are so many other interesting coins to show. On that note, and to follow through on my last suggestion, we might as well close it off with a flourish.
    -

    Unlike many of the ephemeral emperors and rebels who bid for Imperial Power during the Crisis of the Third Century of the Roman Empire, Valerian was of a noble and traditional senatorial family. Details of his early life are elusive, except for his marriage to Egnatia Mariniana, who gave him two sons: later emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus and Valerianus Minor. [Wikipedia]

    Valerian's wife was also born of nobility:
    "The sister of the Hedii Lolliani, who were consules ordinarii in 209 and 211, married one of the Egnatii. Their daughter, (Egnatia) Mariniana married the future emperor Publius Licinius Valerianus and gave birth to the future emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus."
    -Inge Mennen, Power and Status in the Roman Empire 193-284 (Brill: Leiden, 2011) p.72


    Several coins bearing the obverse legend DIVAE MARINIANAE date back to the beginning (253-258) of the reign of Valerian and Gallienus. Given the practice of deifying the wives who died before their husbands' assumption of the Principate, it is possible that Mariniana died before AD 253. All of the coins listed in RIC bear only this obverse legend. The bust of the empress rests on a crescent, facing right with one of two hair styles, i.e. veiled with or without diadem.

    With but one very rare exception, two reverse types of the antoniniani for Mariniana share the CONSECRATIO reverse inscription. The exception is an exceptionally rare reverse featuring Felicitas standing left holding a caduceus and cornucopia under the words FELICIT DEORVM.

    The most commonly seen CONSECRATIO reverse features a depiction of the apotheosis of Mariniana (the elevation to divine status) in which the figure of the Empress rides the sacred bird of Juno, the peacock, in skyward flight. Usually the empress is seen riding on the left side of the bird which is flying to the right.

    MarinianaV6a1.jpg
    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, (no diadem)
    CONSECRATIO
    empress rides peacock ascending right, waving while facing left
    RIC 6a

    RIC also notes that the opposite orientation also exists, but groups both types under a single number, i.e. RIC 6.
    MarinianaV6b1.jpg

    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, (with diadem)
    CONSECRATIO
    empress rides peacock ascending left while facing right
    RIC 6b


    Less commonly seen, but more diverse in its form, is the CONSECRATIO type featuring a peacock standing in splendor, fan tail, looking either to right or left. These occur with or without diadem on the obverse.

    MarinianaV3a1.jpg
    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, with diadem
    CONSECRATIO
    peacock stands in splendor facing left.
    RIC 3

    MarinianaV3b1.jpg
    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, (no diadem)
    CONSECRATIO
    peacock stands in splendor facing left.
    RIC 3

    MarinianaV4a.jpg

    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, with diadem
    CONSECRATIO
    peacock stands in splendor facing right.
    RIC 4

    There is also a rare variant in which the bird is walking right. On all coins of this type the empress wears a diadem.
    MarinianaV5-1.jpg

    DIVAE MARINIANAE
    veiled bust r. on crescent, with diadem
    CONSECRATIO
    peacock in splendor advances right.
    RIC 5


    If you would like to see more in this thread, there are other approaches. For example, show us a coin of Herrennia Etruscilla that does NOT feature PVDICITIA.

    Or examples of Galeria Valeria from as many of the mints as we can.

    Or if you are still looking for a challenge, show us what you can for the ladies of the household of Didius Julianus.

    We have a looooong ways to go!
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2023
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