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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AncientJoe, post: 1967402, member: 44357&quot;]I haven&#039;t posted this coin of Sextus Pompey in quite some time, but it has a very interesting mythological scene on it:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/AncientJoe/Sextus_zpsc405fcbf.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;A stream of fire burst forth from Etna. This stream, so the story goes, flowing over the countryside, drew near a certain city of the Sicilians. Most men, thinking of their own safety, took to flight; but one of the youths, seeing that his father, now advanced in years, could not escape and was being overtaken by the fire, lifted him up and carried him. Hindered no doubt by the additional weight of his burden, he too was overtaken. And now let us observe the mercy shown by the Gods towards good men. For we are told that the fire spread round that spot in a ring and only those two men were saved, so that the place is still called the Place of the Pious, while those who had fled in haste, leaving their parents to their fate, were all consumed.&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>Octavian had always boasted of his own piety which pushed him to prosecute the murderers of his adoptive father, Julius Caesar. With the representation of the son risking his life to save his father, Sextus is now formally claiming this piety towards his own parents. He represents himself, exactly like Octavian, as a son who wants to follow in the footsteps of his murdered father, Pompey the Great. Pompey presided over the Mediterranean for some time as claimed on this coin, represented by Neptune, the master of the Sea. But he did not have the allegiance of all of his captains, evidenced by the fact that they did not adhere to his orders or honor the truce agreement with the triumviri. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Sextus Pompey AR Denarius. Uncertain mint in Sicily (Catania?), 42-40 BC. MAG PIVS IMP ITER, bare head of Pompey Magnus right; capis behind, lituus before / Neptune standing left, holding aplustre in right hand, resting right foot on prow, between the Catanaean brothers, Anapias and Amphinomus, carrying their parents on their shoulders, PRÆF above, CLAS ET ORÆ MARIT EX S C in two lines in exergue. Crawford 511/3a; Sydenham 1344; Sear 334; RRC 511/3a; BMCRR Sicily 7; Pompeia 27; Catalli 2001, 824. 3.96g, 20mm, 11h. Virtually Mint State. &quot;</i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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