It looks like fun to me to see how many different enemies of Rome we can find on ancient coins I found this article by Robin Levin that answered 'in a nutshell' the question what countries were considered as Rome’s greatest enemies. Here is the link https://www.quora.com/What-countries-were-considered-as-Rome-s-greatest-enemies I am probably not allowed to copy-paste the complete article in this post (due to copyrights) so I wrote down all the enemies that are mentioned in this article. Of course we can argue about the list, but my guess is that most 'big enemies' are on it. Please add enemies that are not on the list. This is the list: Latins Sabines Etruscans Samnites Gauls Pyrrhus of Epirus Carthage Seleucid Kingdom Macedonia Numidians (king Juba) Pontus (king Mithridates) Tribes living in Italy (Samnites and Marsi) Slave rebellion lead by Spartacus Pirates in the Mediterranean (Pompey) Parthians (Crassus, Marc Anthony....) Civil wars: Marius versus Sulla Civil wars: Pompey versus Sertorius Civil wars: Caesar versus Pompey Civil wars: Octavian and Marc Anthony versus the assassins of Caesar Civil wars: Octavian versus Marc Anthony German barbarians (Teutoburg Forest) Celts (Rebellion Boudicca) Judea Dacians Persians Muslim Saracens Nabataean kingdom (my attribution) etc. etc. etc. I was surprised to find out that I had quite a few Roman enemies on my coins. This is the one I chose. Love this coin cause of the link with the beautiful city of Petra. Aretas, denarius M. Aemilius Scaurus & Pub. Plautius Hypsaeus. 58 BC. 19mm, 3,99g. Obv. M SCAVR AED CVR EX S C; King Aretas III of Nabatea kneeling beside camel in an attitude of supplication, holding olive-branch. Rev. P HVPSAEVS AED CVR CAPTV C HVPSAE COS PREIVER; Jupiter in quadriga left, holding thunderbolt. Cr422/1a So my attribution to the list of enemies is: 27. Nabataean kingdom (king Aretas III) Note: This never turned into a big fight cause the king paid 'several hundred talents of silver' and recognition of Roman supremacy over Nabatea in exchange for peace with the Romans. So at the end this was not a 'big enemy'....... I am very curious to see how many coins we can find with enemies that are on the list and others that are not on the list...... Please name the enemy and the number on the list and show a coin with the enemy in person on it Maybe this is turning into one big chaos, but who cares
15. Parthian Kingdom. Orodes II (c. 57-38 BC). AR drachm. Kangavar mint (scarce mint). Orodes II was king of Parthia when Crassus made his disastrous expedition. Although Orodes was not present at the climactic Battle of Carrhae, he did meet Crassus afterwards. (Well, Crassus' head, anyway...)
#5 Gauls: #8 Celeucid Kingdom #9: Macedonia #18 Civil Wars- Caesar vs. Pompey #20: Civil Wars - Octavian v Marc Antony #24 Dacians #27: Nabateans
Fun thread! 6. Pyrrhos of Epeiros Syracuse, Sicily - Pyrrhos AR Oktobol (278–276 B.C.) Obverse: Head of Persephone to left, wearing wreath of grain leaves and pendant earrings; poppy seed behind. Reverse: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ - ΠΥΡΡΟΥ; Athena Alkidemos advancing left, brandishing spear with her right hand and holding shield aloft in her left. In my opinion Pyrrhos of Epeiros was one of the biggest enemies for the growing republic of Rome. If he focused on Italy who knows what he could have done. The problem is that he was way too ambitious and could not stay consistent and focus on one target. He already made a big mistake going to Sicily to fight Carthage, how could he have possibly thought he could fight both the Romans and the Carthaginians and win, both being two great powers and Pyrrhos army containing mostly mercenary troops and his treasury declining over time. He should have stayed and focused in Southern Italy. 8. Seleukid Empire Antiochos III Megas (223 B.C. - 187 B.C.) Sardeis mint (ca. 213 B.C.) Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right, hair rolled behind. Reverse: ΒΑΣΙΛEΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ. Elephant advancing left; A between the legs. Antiochos III Megas was a great threat for the expanding Rome into Greece. If he did not make his stupid decision for the Battle of Thermopylae which let to his massive failure in the Battle of Magnesia, then who knows what he could have achieved. Perhaps he could have liberated Greece? However, I got to blame the Greeks in general as well. What I hate most about Greek history is brothers fighting brothers rather than brothers fighting the common enemies. If all Greece unified their forces and together fought the rising Roman Republic, guaranteed they would have won. However, after the death of Alexander and so many Generals having great ambitions, it is impossible this could have happened. Perhaps if Alexander left a fully grown son, there would have been a more stable successor kingdom. I really wonder that if Alexander lived 10 years longer, how much our history would have changed.
The Carthaginians rank high as enemies of early Rome. Rome fought Carthage in the three Punic Wars, from 264 BC - 146 BC, finally chasing the Carthaginians from Sicily & North Africa. The coin pictured below was struck by the Carthaginians at the Entella Mint in Sicily, circa 300 BC - 289 BC. AR Tetradrachm, 25 mm, 17.15 gm.
I often wondered what the world would be like today if the Romans did not subject themselves to all those civil wars. What if they had a workable emperor succession scheme? They might have been able to conquer to the frontiers of modern day Russia and India.
Well, a generic enemy. - Maybe Sarmatian. With regard to @Hamilcar Barca 's post the Romans tried several times to replicate Alexander's feats (Trajan, Carus) something always happened to prevent this - mainly the Parthians/Sassanians proved too be too much of an obstacle for permanent Eastern expansion.
This could be a very large list. Crispus Mint: Sirmium 324/325 AD AE Follis Obvs: FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES, bust laureate head right. Revs: ALAMANNIA DEVICTA, Victory advancing right holding trophy & palm, next to bound captive on right. •SIRM• 18x19mm, 3.14g Ref: RIC VII 49 Hannibal fled to seek refuge with this king and became a naval commander under him for a short period. Antiochus III Mint: Antioch on the Orontes Series I 223 to 187 BC Obvs: Laureate head of Antiochus as Apollo right. Dotted border. Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY, Apollo seated left on omphalos testing arrow and resting left hand on grounded bow. Control mark ¥ outer left. 23x24mm, 11.96g Ref: SC Vol.1 1048.1a; HGC 10, 466(R2) War in Spain lasted a very long time before it was conquered. Titiakos 100 to 80 BC AE AS Obvs: Bearded male head right. Ψ behind Revs: Horseman riding right, holding spear. ΨΨPXM below 23x24mm, 7.7g CNH 296.12
NICE idea for a thread, @Marsman ! And great Scaurus! There are a couple more to add to the list: MARSIC CONFEDERATION (Social War 90-88 BCE) Marsic Confederation Denarius 89 BCE Obv: Italia Rev: Italia seated shields, -victory crowning, In Ex: retro B Corfinium Mint Campana 105 HN Italy 412a Sear 228 RARE CAPUA - During the War with Hannibal: I understand Hannibal occupied Capua starting in 216-212 BCE. These coins were minted during that period under Capuan Magistrates allied with Hannibal. Capua - Defected to Hannibal in 216 BCE after the Battle of Cannae. Hannibal had promised that should Rome be destroyed, Capua would become the capital of Italia. Subsequently, when Rome retook Capua in 211 BCE, they punished the Capuans severely, and destroyed much of their coinage to erase any memory of Hannibal. Coins from Capua from this period are difficult to capture: Campania, CAPUA AE Uncia Attribution: SNG ANS 210 Date: 216-211 BC Obverse: Bust of Diana right, with bow and quiver over shoulder Reverse: Boar right, one pellet above, KAPV (retrograde) in exergue Size: 20.72 mm Weight: 6.56 grams 2nd Punic War - Hannibal promises Capua as Capital of Italia after Rome destroyed. Scarce I have most of the list, but here are a couple that I can help with: 3) ETRURIA (RASENNA in their language) Possibly the first coin depicting a Sub-Saharan African. Etruria 3rd C BCE AE Quartuncia 18mm 4.76g Head of African r Elephant r letter below SNG COP 48 HNI 69 SNG Paris 138-140 SNG Morcom 44 RARE CNG Write-up for a very similar coin (I purchased from another source): "ETRURIA, Arretium (?). The Chiana Valley. Circa 208-207 BC. Æ Quartunica. Head of African right; monogram to left / Indian elephant standing right, bell around neck; monogram below. HN Italy 69; SNG ANS 41 (same obv. die); SNG Copenhagen 48. rare. This enigmatic issue has been much discussed. It was Sestini in 1816 who first indicated their area of circulation in and around the Chiana (Clanis) valley and lake Trasimeno, dominated by the cities of Arezzo, Chiusi and Cortona. The traditional attribution of the issue to 217 BC, as representing the propaganda of Hannibal’s approach to Etruria, was modified by Robinson (op. cit.), who saw it as a provocative seditious type of Arretium, which was in a state of high tension with Rome in 209/8, in the hoped for arrival of Hasdrubal from Spain with reinforcements. However, the reverse depicts an Indian rather than African elephant with a bell around its neck reminiscent of the elephant/saw aes signatum issue (Crawford 9/1) of about 250-240 BC and associated with the battle of Maleventum (soon to be called Beneventum) in 275 BC when the captured elephants of Pyrrhus were brought to Rome in triumph. A similar Indian elephant is also depicted as a symbol on the Tarantine nomos issue (Vlasto 710-712), indicating the presence of Pyrrhus in the city in 282-276. The Barcid coinage of New Carthage (Villaronga CNH, pg. 65, 12-15) and that of Hannibal in Sicily (SNG Cop. 382) clearly depict African elephants belonging to the elephant corps from about 220 BC. As Maria Baglione points out in "Su alcune parallele di bronzo coniato," Atti Napoli 1975, pg.153-180, the African/elephant issue shares control marks with other cast and struck Etruscan coins of the region, she quotes Panvini Rosati in ‘ Annuario dell’accademia Etrusca di Cortona XII’, 1964, pg. 167ff., who suggests the type is to be seen as a moneyer’s badge or commemorative issue in the style of Caesar’s elephant/sacrificial implements issue of 49/48 BC (Crawford 443/1). The elephant, an attribute of Mercury/Turms, is an emblem of wisdom and is also a symbol of strength and of the overcoming of evil." 4) SAMNIUM The Samnites were a group of 4 tribes from South-Central Italy. They were an off-shoot of the Sabines, and were a very tough, sturdy people. As the Republican Romans absorbed many of the tribes, cities, and regions into their Empire, they fought three brutal wars with the Samnites in 343- 341 BCE, 326- 304 BCE and 298-290 BCE. Fighting the Samnites was a real struggle, brutal, and really toughened the Romans when they eventually defeated them. They learned that fighting a "backwards" mountain people would really give them a bloody nose. I believe that they incorporated the characteristic feather in the Helmet as a substitute or an addition to the horse-hair comb from the Samnites. I saw this and had to get it. SAMNIUM, Aesernia. Circa 263-240 BC. Æ (20mm, 7.14 g, 8h). Obv: Head of Vulcan left, wearing pilos; tongs to right Rev: Jupiter in biga galloping right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses. Campana 4; HN Italy 430. Good Fine, dark green-brown patina. From the Camerata Romeu Collection.
Civil Wars: Caesar vs. Pompey Weight 2.69g Diameter 18.3mm Imperatorial coins L. Cornelius Lentulus Crus and C. Claudius Marcellus Denar 49 BC Chr., Army mint. the Pompeian to Apollonia in Illyria. Triskeles with winged Medusenhaupt and ears / Jupiter with eagle and lightning bundle. Cr. 445, 1b; Syd. 1029. 2.69 g .; Fine, slightly bluish tint Very beautiful Subaerat The Triskeles refers to the conquest of Sicily by M. Claudius Marcellus in the year 212 BC. The island was known in antiquity as Trinakria Gauls These lucky gauls have since been freed =)
#11: King Mithradates VI of Pontus, 109 - 89 BC Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena right Reverse: Perseus facing, holding harpa and head of Medusa; Medusa’s body at his feet right; AMI-ΣOY across fields, AMTE and ΩΣ monograms below
#9- Macedonia - Philip V- After an unsuccessful alliance with Hannibal and then taking huge losses in the 2nd Macedonian war, Philip decided to change loyalties and cut a deal with the Romans to save himself and what was left of his empire. Philip V of Macedon, Uncertain mint in Macedon, c. 183–179 BC, (AE 7.45g, 19mm). Bearded head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin / Harpa; ΔΙ monogram above; all within wreath.
Great thread idea and just some insane coins right here folks! #25: This fella beat up on Constantine and his sons. Though you could say Constantine was an enemy if Rome. I mean he did move the capital away to Constantinople and was a total psycho path n all. Shapur II Sasanian Kingdom AD 309-379. Drachm AR 23mm., 4,04g. Bust of Shapur II right, wearing mural crown with korymbos and inner ribbon / Fire altar with ribbon and bust right in flames, flanked by two attendants, each wearing mural crown with korymbos, legend on altar shaft. very fine. Former Savoca
#7 Carthage was perhaps the most formidable attack upon Rome. My memories, as a boy, reading about the rivalry..........
11. Pontus (King Mithridates) This one is a little bit more obscure, but this is Ariarathes IX Eusebes Philopator, who was one of the sons of Mithridates VI. In 101 BC, Mithridates installed Ariarathes as the King of Cappadocia when he was just 8 years old. He was mostly a puppet ruler during that time, and was deposed by the Romans in 96 B.C. His dad managed to get him reinstated as king, but he was booted out of power by the Romans again in 89 BC, and died in battle two years later. Kings of Cappadocia. Ariarathes IX Eusebes Philopator 101-87 BC. AR Drachm, (18mm, 3.94g.) Diademed head right, with the features of Mithradates VI of Pontos / Athena Nikephoros standing left, monogram to inner left, Δ (date) in exergue.
Just received this coin The soldier on the reverse of this coin is thought to be Bituitus, a king of the Arverni M. Aurelius Scarus 118 BC AR Denarius 3.95g 19mm Narbo Mint M AVRELI ROMA XVI monogram behind helmeted head of Roma right Gallic warrior driving biga right, SCAVRI below/ L LIC CN DOM
CARTHAGE Wars with Rome: FIRST PUNIC WAR Carthage Zeugitania First Punic War 264-241 BCE Double Shekel 26 mm 13.9 g Wreathed Tanit Horse stndng r star above SNG Cop 185 Scarce SECOND PUNIC WAR Carthage mint 2nd Punic War 203-201 BCE BI 1½ Shekels 24mm 9.4 g Wrthd Hd Tanit - Horse stndng R hd L, raised foreleg Pellet SNG COP 394 THIRD PUNIC WAR Carthage Third Punic War Serrate Double Shekel 149-146 BCE 12.8g 26mm Wreathd Tanit-Horse pellet raised leg SNG COP 404 comments: Scarce. From the last issue of Carthage before its destruction by a vengeful Rome following the Third Punic War (149-146 BC). The serrate edge is found on both electrum and billon coins of the period and is similar to the flan treatments of contemporary Macedonian and Seleukid bronze coins. The reason for this added detail remains a mystery. SCARCE Jenkins & Lewis pl. 28, 14; MAA 100b; cf. SNG Copenhagen 403 (pellet below legs)
