The ancient Libyan city of Leptis Magna was founded as a temporary trading port by the Phoenicians in the 7th century BCE and expanded under the Roman Empire. Leptis Magna Leptis Magna was enlarged and embellished by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire, with its imposing public monuments, harbour, market-place, storehouses, shops and residential districts. Septimius Severus 193-211 AD Arch of Septimius Severus Medusa Heads at Severus Forum
Here is one with the personification of his beloved Africa Septimius Severus AR Denarius, Rome 207 AD. 20mm, 3.31gr. RIC 207, RSC 493, BMC 531 SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / P M TR P XV COS III P P, Personification of Africa standing right, holding out folds of drapery containing fruits, lion at feet walking right
Beautiful site - I know that Septimius struck architectural coins - they are very rare in all metals and it could be that the image is from Lepis - need to check. I posted this coin before but is is apropo I guess - I found another example of this coin in a famous collection but then lost the link and do not recall what the collection was. I am told that the Louvre has the only other example but the Louvre interface for viewing their collection is too difficult to use - as with other museums. The British Museum and Ashmolean are to be congratulated for being user friendly. But others require months of night school! Vatican Museum, for example - assuming it is possible at all - I could not figure it out - same with other famous collections. Why have a huge collection if it is inaccessible?
I too already posted this as of Geta : These "Di Patrii" ("ancestral gods") are Liber Pater and Hercules, the Roman version of the Punic gods Shadrafa and Melqart, gods of Leptis Magna. Leptis Magna was already great and magnificent when Septimius Severus was born, but when he became an emperor he favoured his home city. Several lavish monuments were built there under his reign, with de luxe marbles and precious stones, sometimes imported from distant quarries. In the 17th c. the French consul in Tripoli, Claude Le Maire, made a deal with the local Ottoman governor, removed from the site of Leptis Magna statues, sculptures and monolithic marble columns, and had them shipped to France. The columns were recut to obtain precious marble slabs that were used to ornate the Versailles Palace or several churches like Saint Germain des Prés in Paris or the Cathedral of Rouen. In 1816 a British officer, colonel Warrington, made the same kind of deal with the pasha of Tripoli. Several columns and capitals were carried to England and were erected in 1826 in the great park of the Windsor Castle, to create fake ruins. Ruins of Leptis Magna in the Great Park of the Windsor Castle.
Right and the - forget the name - that were sent to Rome in ancient times and that Egypt now wants back. Cultural patrimony humbug. Wonderful Geta As - I’m sure that sestertii were also struck but do not think any have been found. I bet it was also struck for Caracalla as well.
