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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GinoLR, post: 24742581, member: 128351&quot;]These Constantine and Licinius <i>Sapientia Principis</i> coins are very interesting.</p><p>The owl on an altar, with a helmet, a shield and a transverse spear on the ground, are all attributes of the goddess Minerva.</p><p><br /></p><p>These coins were minted c. 313. Twelve years later, in 325, Constantine will refound Byzantium as <i>Constantinopolis</i> and order the building of two sanctuaries dedicated to Εἰρήνη (<i>Pax</i>) and Σοφία (<i>Sapientia</i>). At this time Constantine favoured Christians but was not himself a Christian (he will be baptized only on his deathbed), and is not certain these two temples were supposed to be churches from the beginning. Under his son Constantius II, an Arian Christian, they were consecrated as Hagia Eirene (Saint Irene or Holy Peace) and Hagia Sophia (Saint Sophia or Holy Wisdom).</p><p><br /></p><p>The coins of 313 with <i>Sapientia Principis</i> are a pagan view of this Holy Wisdom, represented not as some anthropomorphic allegory or deity, but through the attributes of Minerva.</p><p><br /></p><p>There is also a rare solidus version of this reverse type : </p><p>(not my coin of course)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1582766[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t know who determined which reverse type was best to illustrate the abstract notion of &quot;<i>Sapientia Principis</i>&quot;. He drew inspiration from old quadrantes minted two and a half centuries ago under Nero :</p><p>(not my coin)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1582765[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The legend is a single formula to be read on obverse first, then on reverse : NERO CLAV CAE AVG GER / P M TR P IMP P P - S C. This suggests the obverse and reverse types must be brought together, while on Constantinian coins all the elements are grouped in a single reverse type.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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