Featured Spes -- The Final Frontier. JK, She's the Goddess of Hope.

Spes in Latin, in general, means "the expectation of something desired, hope."[1] Spes was an early Cretan goddess called Ἐλπίς (Elpis) in Greek. She was the one force left in Pandora's box after evil had escaped into the world. Spes was ruler of the underworld and of death's cousin, sleep. Her plant was the poppy, but otherwise nothing is known of her legends and meaning. In Greece and Rome, Spes became the personification of hope, worshiped in temples dedicated to her as early as the fourth century BC.[2]

In Roman mythology, Spes was originally a nature goddess. She represented at first the hope of fruitful gardens and fields, then of abundant offspring, and lastly of prosperity to come and good fortune in general, being hence invoked on birthdays and at weddings.[3]

Of her numerous temples at Rome, the most ancient was appropriately in the Forum Holitorium (vegetable market), built by Aulus Atilius Calatinus at the time of the First Punic War, and burnt down and restored several times since then. Its columns have since been incorporated into the San Nicola in Carcere church.[4]

San Nicola in Carcere, Roma, Italia. Photograph by Patrick Denker, 28 July 2006. Used with permission.​

The day of this temple's dedication (August 1) corresponded with the birthday of Claudius, which explains the frequent occurrence of Spes on the coins of that emperor.[5]

Claudius. AD 41-54. Æ Sestertius, RIC I 115. Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 497, Lot 428, 4 August 2021.​

On coins, Spes typically appears as a young woman, standing, or walking left, holding in her right hand a tender flower, for where a flower appears there is hope of fruit to come, and with her left hand, lifting up the hem of her stola.[6] Sometimes she wears a garland of flowers on her head, or holds a cornucopiae, ears of corn, or poppy-heads in her hand, symbolical of a prosperous harvest.[7] These attributes are more common in art than on coinage.[8]

Marble statue of Spes, part of a larger statue of Dionysus. Roman, Augustan or Julio-Claudian, c. 27-68 CE. New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. S.v. Spes, "The World of Religion." Online Companion: Religion, feminaeromanae.org/religion.html. Photo here.​

Sculpture by Bertel Thorvaldsen (born c.1770; died 1844), dated 1817, in the Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photography permitted in the museum without restriction. Public domain.​

For more than a quarter millennium, Spes appeared, walking left across the coins of Claudius, Vespasian, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Pescennius Niger, Albinus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Geta, Diadumenian, Elagabalus, Severus Alexander, Philip senior and junior, Herennius, Hostillian, Aemilian, Gallienus, Postumus, Tetricus senior and junior, Quietus, Claudius Gothicus, Tacitus, Probus, Carausius, Allectus, Julianus II, Valens, et pauci.

Here are some of my coins featuring Spes. Be sure to check out this thread by @Curtisimo for other examples and more information. Let's see yours!

Aelius, Caesar AD 136-138.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 27.19 g, 30.6 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 137
Obv: L AELIVS CAESAR, bare head, right
Rev: TR POT COS II, Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising skirt
Refs: RIC 1055; BMCRE 1914; Cohen 56; RCV 3986; UCR 825.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman AR denarius, 3.44 g, 16.6 mm, 7 h.
Rome, August, AD 156-157.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL, Spes standing left, holding flower and raising skirt.
Refs: RIC 497; BMCRE 1106-08; Cohen 24; RCV 4702; Strack 518; CRE 217.​

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 29.89 g, 31.0 mm, 6 h.
Rome, August, AD 156-157.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL S C, Spes standing left, holding flower and raising skirt.
Refs: RIC 1371; BMCRE 2200-01; Cohen 25; RCV 4711; Strack 1332.​

Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman AR denarius, 3.40 g, 17 mm, 12 h.
Eastern mint, AD 194-195.
Obv: IVLIA DO MNA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: BONA SPES, Spes standing left, holding flower and lifting fold of skirt.
Refs: RIC 614; BMCRE 412-13; Cohen/RSC 8; RCV 6575; CRE 387.​

Tetricus II, Caesar AD 273-274.
Roman Æ antoninianus, 18.1 mm, 3.48 g.
Mainz or Trier, AD 273 - spring 274.
Obv: C PIV ESV TETRICVS CAES, radiate and draped bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: SPES AVGG, Spes advancing left, holding flower and lifting skirt.
Refs: RIC 270A; Cohen 88; Hunter 11; RVC 11292; Cunetio 2647; Elmer 791; Schulzki AGK 9a.​

~~~

Notes

1. A Latin Dictionary Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary: revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1879. Online version available at the Perseus Project; s.v. spes.

2. Monaghan, Patricia. The New Book of Goddesses & Heroines. Llewellyn Publications, 1998.

3. "Spes." Theodora.com - ENCYCLOPEDIA, theodora.com/encyclopedia/s2/spes.html.

4. "Forum HOLITORIUM." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 July 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Holitorium

5. Theodora.com, op. cit.

6. Stevenson, Seth William, et al. A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Republican and Imperial. G. Bell and Sons, 1889, p. 756.

7. Theodora.com, op. cit.

8. "Elpis or Spes." Forum Ancient Coins, www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=1896.

 

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Nice article (as always), RC! I can add a few coins of the Greek counterpart, Elpis.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
AE drachm, regnal year 16
Obv: laureate draped bust left
Rev: Elpis standing left, lifting hem of garment; L I - S in fields
Ref: Emmett 1501.16
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago


EGYPT, Alexandria. Constantius I
year 1, CE 292/3
potin tetradrachm, 19 mm, 6.7 gm
Obv: ΦΛAKωCTANTIOCK; laureate draped bust right
Rev: Elpis standing left, holding flower, raising hem; L - Α
Ref: Emmett 4185(3), R3; Milne 5165
From a large group lot later Alexandrian tets


EGYPT, Alexandria. Carinus
year 2, CE 283/4, Augustus
tetradrachm, 18 mm, 6.2 gm
Obv.: AKMAKA PINOCCEB; Laureate, cuirassed bust right.
Rev: Elpis standing left, holding flower and clutching hem of robe; across fields L-B
Ref: Emmett 4007.2, R1
ex JBGood

 

Some Spes, sorry too lazy to give the attribution...

Vespasian As

Titus As


Tetricus II

 

Thanks RC, great write up.

 

GETA, As Caesar
Denarius, Rome 199
S 7203 - C 193 - RIC 4
L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES, Bare-headed bust right
SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flowers and raising skirt

 

Spes, my favorite goddess. (Please don't tell Venus).

Aelius (as and sestertius):

Caracalla:

Severus Alexander:

Tacitus:

Trajan:

Valerian II:

Vespasian:


And a couple with Elpis:

Egypt Potin Tetradrachm
Maximianus
Year 2 (287/288 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
AKMOVA MAΞIMIANOC CEB laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / Elpis standing left holding flower, star r., L B across fields.
Dattari 5875 var. (legend); Emmett 4114; Milne 4828.
(8.48 grams / 18 mm)
eBay Sep. 2020


Egypt Potin Tetradrachm
Diocletian
Year 10 (293/294 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
[DI]OKLHTIANOC CEB, laureate and cuirassed bust right / Elpis advancing left holding flower and lifting hem of skirt; L I across field, A or Δ in ex.
Dattari 5680; Emmett 4046.10.
(5.39 grams / 18 mm)
eBay Sep. 2020

 

Another great article, great coins and hilaritas...I mean hilarious title:


Also, very kind of you to educate those too lazy to Google who Spes is (insert eye filing emoji here).

Here's my latest Spes, just came in this week. Though none too pretty she's a rarity:

Pescennius Niger
(193-194). AR Denarius (16 mm, 2.17), Antioch, 194 AD.
Obv. IMP CAES C PESC NIGER IVS AVG COS II, Laureate head of Pescennius Niger to right.
Rev. BONAE SPEI, Spes advancing left, holding up flower in her right hand and hem of her skirt with her left.
RIC 3d. fine. Purchased from Savoca Sept 2021

And here's a very popular Spes:

Fausta
Æ Nummus. Siscia, AD 326. FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG, draped bust right, wearing pearled necklace / SPES REI P-VLICAE, Empress or Salus standing facing, head left, cradling two infants in her arms; •∆SIS•. RIC VII 205;

 

Elpis on Aurelius coin

Marcus as Caesar from Alexandria:

Type: AE Drachm, 33mm, 22.95 grams of Alexandria

Obverse: Bare headed and draped bust of Aurelius right
M AVPHLIOC KAICAP

Reverse: Elpis Standing left holding flower and hitching skirt
LEND EKATOV

Reference: BMC 1238 listed as "rare" by R.A. Numismatics

 

Nice coins and article! Here is an eastern denarius of Geta comparable to @Alwin's example from the Rome mint:


Geta, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 198–200 AD, “Laodicea” mint. Obv: L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES; bust of Geta, bare-headed, draped, r. Rev: SPEI PERPETVAE; Spes, draped, advancing l., holding flower in r. hand and raising skirt with l. hand. 20mm, 3.19g. RIC IV Geta 96.

 

Spes is often featured on coins of Caesars and/or those “next in line”, as they are the hope for the future.

Saloninus

 

An interesting and informative article, @Roman Collector!

Public Domain: Painting by John William Waterhouse (1847-1917)

As an aside - Pandora's "box" wasn't a box as we know it. Through a translation by Erasmus of Rotterdam (AD 1456-1536) Greek πίθος (pithos or "storage container") became in his Latin translation, pyxis (“small box”). Here's what a Pithos would look like:


Pithoi in Knossos, image modified from original under CC-SA 3.0 license via Wikimedia Commons

Here's a favorite Elpis, from Alexandria & more in this note "Hope by any other name".

Egypt, Alexandria, Salonina, Augusta & wife of Gallienus, AD 254-268, Tetradrachm, dated RY 15 (AD 267/8)
Obv: KORNHLIA CALWNEINA CEB, draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: Elpis advancing left, holding flower and hem of skirt; palm frond before, IЄ/L (date) to right.
Ref: Dattari (Savio) 5334

 

Wonderful coins and great write up as always @Roman Collector ! Thank you for the shout out to my write up as well.

Here is my Elpis / Spes.


Egypt, Alexandria
Antoninus Pius
BI Tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, RY 11 = AD 147/8.
Dia.: 24 mm
Wt.: 13.81 g
Obv.: ANTωNEINOC CEB EYCEB, Laureate bust right
Rev.: L ENΔEKATOV, Elpis standing left, lifting hem of skirt and holding flower
Ref.: Dattari-Savio pl. 111, 8160 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 1383.11; RPC Online IV temp #13607 (this coin cited).
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.511); ex Giovanni Dattari Collection (1853-1923)

 

Great write-up and coins! Here's a Spes that I don't think anyone has posted yet:

Herennius Etruscus Caesar (son of Trajan Decius), AR Antoninianus, 250 AD. Obv. Radiate & draped bust right, Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C / Rev. Spes advancing left, raising skirt & holding flower, SPES PVBLICA. RIC IV-3 149, RSC IV 38. 22 mm., 4.37 g.

 

Most of these traditional roman deities disappeared from the bronze coinage with Diocletian's coinage reform. By the time of Constantine SPES legends on the bronze coinage are accompanied by imperial reverses. It was the emperor and his family who were delivering the hope, not Spes! Ditto for Salus.

Spes herself had not totally disappeared though. She did appear on two gold coins of Constantine: a Trier aureus from 306-307 AD (RIC VI Trier 633), and an unlisted Ticinum solidus from 315 AD (for Constantine's decennalia).

Not in my collection, sadly, but here are these types from the British Museum:



Are there any later appearances of Spes?

 

I've wondered about this! Thanks RC, and for all the other excellent info too.

I'm facing a very serious health issue at the moment (will write about it soon), so I could do with a lot of Spes. Here's a bunch:


Domitian As, RIC 350 (Titus)


This Sev Alex as Caesar INDVLGENTIA type features Spes. (Denarius, obviously.)


Grown-up Sev Alex, AE As. (One of his more common middle bronze types.)


Carus, Ticinum ant. With Greek "KARVS" spelling.


Alexandrian tet of Maximian with Elpis, ex Emmett (295/6, last year that Alexandrian tets were issued)

And a couple of interesting imitations:


This one is weird... the engraving of the bust and figure of Spes is very professional, but the legends are seriously messed up: IMP CAE L SEP SEVR PERT II / PONΛE ISPLTI (!). Must be an imitation. A talented but illiterate artist?


"Barbarous radiate" imitating Gallienus, Spes reverse (missing head!)

 

I'm sorry to hear that, Sev. Get well soon!

 

Thanks, RC!

 

Here here! Take care @Severus Alexander , laugh a lot and enjoy fam time. Sending lots of CT buddy love

That reminds me, I think I have a barbaric Spes *I've always preferred that term to barbarous, thanks to Conan

 

Great post as usual, RC.


Titus, As, Lugdunum, (28mm, 8.51g), Laureate head right, globe at point of bust / Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt. RIC II 1273 (Vespasian).

 

I'm sorry to hear your news. All my best to you for a complete recovery.