Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
First Portrayal of Octavian
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Obone, post: 4969829, member: 79892"]One of the most important figures in Roman history would be Octavian, or Augustus as he would later be known. Caesar’s heir, he took Rome from a republic to an empire, making himself the first emperor of Rome as well. Despite having a decently long and prosperous reign as emperor, Octavian’s rise to power wasn’t so easy, and this coin is reminiscent of that fact.</p><p><br /></p><p>Immediately after his great-uncle Julius Caesar’s assassination on the Ides of March, 44 B.C, Octavian was undergoing military service in Apollonia. When news of Caesar’s death reached Octavian, he went against the advice of army officers and sailed to Rome to determine his fate. Upon reaching Rome, he found that Caesar had adopted Octavian, making him his primary heir. After adopting his great-uncle’s name, Octavian set about carrying out his will. He needed massive funds to achieve Caesar’s wishes, and he demanded 700 million sesterces as the proportion of the funds set aside by Caesar for his Parthian Campaign. Using this fund to raise an army against the Senate’s enemy Mark Antony, Octavian found large support within the senate and Caesar’s veteran legionaries.</p><p><br /></p><p>While Octavian was enjoying rising popularity, tensions in the Senate ran high. Consul Mark Antony, another of Caesar’s former generals, was seeking the province of Cisalpine Gaul as his consulship was coming to its end. In the face of Octavian’s new army, he left Rome for Cisalpine Gaul. The previous governor of Cisalpine Gaul however, would not yield his province to Antony. After Antony laid siege against the Governor, military action was deemed necessary.</p><p><br /></p><p>On 1 January 43 BC, Octavian was made senator and granted propraetor imperium, or the power to lead an army. He led his army to relieve the siege of Cisalpine Gaul along with the two consuls, and eventually succeeded in defeating Antony’s forces in April 43 BC. However, in this battle both consuls were killed, leaving Octavian as the commander of their armies. After marching on Rome with his eight legions, he was elected consul on 19 August 43 BC along with his relative Quintus Pedius as co-consul.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/aJ8ppLlDNjs6JfDhi0d_DL81WQVdl8B4wNF4evaCJ-5c0NCRcwkfEIcJFYlKwSfsxlkCqBGgae88tOAK_WAeEjx7THaiYKNf3rYpO_ChsqvHJ9WizuCRxZMR2L8nO798SumIkaCF" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Octavian, AR Denarius. Military mint, 43 BC. 3.81g. C CAESAR IMP, Bare Head of Octavian right || SC, Equestrian Statue of Octavian left, right hand raised. Crawford 490/1, CRI 131, RSC 246</i></p><p><br /></p><p>This issue of Octavian holds special significance as it was the first portrait of the young Octavian to ever appear on Roman coinage. Minted at a military mint traveling with Octavian in Cisalpine Gaul, these denarii would have seen usage as pay for Octavian’s earliest soldiers. This issue was minted during a crucial time for Octavian and Rome itself, during his first conflict with Antony, eventually a conflict that would foreshadow the fall of the republic itself.</p><p><br /></p><p>Post your Octavian Portraits![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Obone, post: 4969829, member: 79892"]One of the most important figures in Roman history would be Octavian, or Augustus as he would later be known. Caesar’s heir, he took Rome from a republic to an empire, making himself the first emperor of Rome as well. Despite having a decently long and prosperous reign as emperor, Octavian’s rise to power wasn’t so easy, and this coin is reminiscent of that fact. Immediately after his great-uncle Julius Caesar’s assassination on the Ides of March, 44 B.C, Octavian was undergoing military service in Apollonia. When news of Caesar’s death reached Octavian, he went against the advice of army officers and sailed to Rome to determine his fate. Upon reaching Rome, he found that Caesar had adopted Octavian, making him his primary heir. After adopting his great-uncle’s name, Octavian set about carrying out his will. He needed massive funds to achieve Caesar’s wishes, and he demanded 700 million sesterces as the proportion of the funds set aside by Caesar for his Parthian Campaign. Using this fund to raise an army against the Senate’s enemy Mark Antony, Octavian found large support within the senate and Caesar’s veteran legionaries. While Octavian was enjoying rising popularity, tensions in the Senate ran high. Consul Mark Antony, another of Caesar’s former generals, was seeking the province of Cisalpine Gaul as his consulship was coming to its end. In the face of Octavian’s new army, he left Rome for Cisalpine Gaul. The previous governor of Cisalpine Gaul however, would not yield his province to Antony. After Antony laid siege against the Governor, military action was deemed necessary. On 1 January 43 BC, Octavian was made senator and granted propraetor imperium, or the power to lead an army. He led his army to relieve the siege of Cisalpine Gaul along with the two consuls, and eventually succeeded in defeating Antony’s forces in April 43 BC. However, in this battle both consuls were killed, leaving Octavian as the commander of their armies. After marching on Rome with his eight legions, he was elected consul on 19 August 43 BC along with his relative Quintus Pedius as co-consul. [IMG]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/aJ8ppLlDNjs6JfDhi0d_DL81WQVdl8B4wNF4evaCJ-5c0NCRcwkfEIcJFYlKwSfsxlkCqBGgae88tOAK_WAeEjx7THaiYKNf3rYpO_ChsqvHJ9WizuCRxZMR2L8nO798SumIkaCF[/IMG] [I]Octavian, AR Denarius. Military mint, 43 BC. 3.81g. C CAESAR IMP, Bare Head of Octavian right || SC, Equestrian Statue of Octavian left, right hand raised. Crawford 490/1, CRI 131, RSC 246[/I] This issue of Octavian holds special significance as it was the first portrait of the young Octavian to ever appear on Roman coinage. Minted at a military mint traveling with Octavian in Cisalpine Gaul, these denarii would have seen usage as pay for Octavian’s earliest soldiers. This issue was minted during a crucial time for Octavian and Rome itself, during his first conflict with Antony, eventually a conflict that would foreshadow the fall of the republic itself. Post your Octavian Portraits![/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
First Portrayal of Octavian
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...