Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Sallent, post: 2876407, member: 76194&quot;]Gaius Licinius Macer was a Roman Praetor, historian, a poet, known for his outspoken advocacy for the rights of the plebeians. In the post-3rd Punic War Roman world, restraint, morality, duty, and honor had given way to gluttony, violence, and personal glorification. To speak against the oligarchs and their abuses of power was dangerous. But that never stopped Macer.</p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately, his history of Rome does not survive, but Livy and other Roman historians relied heavily on it for their accounts of the earlier periods of Roman history. However, Macer did leave us this coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]688489[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>C. Licinius L.f. Macer</b></p><p>Rome, 84 BCE.</p><p>AR Denarius (19mm, 3.58g, 6h). Diademed bust of Vejovis l., seen from behind, hurling a thunderbolt. R/ Minerva in quadriga r., brandishing javelin and holding a shield. Crawford 354/1; RBW 1355; RSC Licinia 16. Bankers&#039; marks on obv.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vejovis was a god associated with health, while Minerva is often associated with wisdom. So the message of this coin couldn&#039;t possibly get more awesome: Health and Wisdom. Vejovis is also featuring a crescent-shaped banker&#039;s mark. This is my second crescent-shaped banker&#039;s mark. My first being on my Julius Caesar portrait denarius.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are two excerpts from a speech given by Macer in 73 BCE. Although he is referring here to the Optimates (ie. those who supported the oligarchy of the Patricians over the Plebs), I can&#039;t help but think his words are as relevant today as they were 2,100 years ago:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Obviously, such a &quot;dangerous&quot; man could not be allowed to live, and whom better to wield the knife on behalf of the establishment than the Oligarchy&#039;s favorite status quo mouthpiece, Marcus Tullio Cicero.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]688481[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Marcus Tullius Cicero</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Cicero prosecuted Macer on charges of extorsion and arranged for the verdict to be anything but a foregone conclusion. Macer, seeing no path out of his predicament and knowing he was already convicted before the kangaroo trial had even started, committed suicide to preserve the honor of his family.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, the Licenian family did not fade into obscurity. Throughout more than 700 years of Roman history this family produced consuls, generals, famous politicians, some of the wealthiest Romans whom ever lived, historians, poets, and ultimately four emperors: Valerian, Gallienus, Licinius and Licinius II. You won&#039;t find such glory and honor coming from Cicero&#039;s family, nor most other Roman families for that matter.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Sources:</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licinius_Macer" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licinius_Macer" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licinius_Macer</a></p><p><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dcalvus-c-licinius-macer-bio-1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dcalvus-c-licinius-macer-bio-1" rel="nofollow">http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=calvus-c-licinius-macer-bio-1</a></p><p><a href="https://qcurtius.com/2017/04/09/c-licinius-macers-advice-to-his-people/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://qcurtius.com/2017/04/09/c-licinius-macers-advice-to-his-people/" rel="nofollow">https://qcurtius.com/2017/04/09/c-licinius-macers-advice-to-his-people/</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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