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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 7929759, member: 110226&quot;]It goes without saying that much of Roman mythology was borrowed from the Greeks, and the retelling of the story of Proserpina (Persephone) is no exception.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a link to a full article on Proserpina, the goddess of fertility, wine and agriculture, Ceres, her mother and goddess of grain and harvest, their cult during the Roman Republic, and the story of her abduction by Pluto.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina</a></p><p><br /></p><p>One of the poignant aspects of the tale has Pluto, ordered by Jupiter and Mercury to free Proserpina, make her eat six pomegranate seeds, thereby assuring that she would never return the world of the living.&nbsp; She would live six months with Pluto (Winter) and six months with her mother, Ceres (Spring).&nbsp; Thus we have one version of the change of seasons.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a famous work by Rossetti (1873-1877), of Proserpina holding the pomegranate from Pluto.&nbsp; Clearly, she in not happy about the consequences of consuming the six seeds, but she really had no choice in the matter.&nbsp; Living year-round, forever, with Pluto, her abductor, was not an attractive alternative to say the least!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1370885[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>So, why this thread?&nbsp; Well, I came across a coin that I&#039;ve had for a while and forgot about, a very common occurrence these days.&nbsp; This is an AE 30, from Henna (Enna), Sicily, minted between 44-36 BC. </p><p><br /></p><p>Henna was the center for the cult of Ceres, with her daughter, the &quot;Mother and Maiden&quot;.&nbsp; The grove of Ceres in Henna was known as the <i>umbilicus Siciliae</i> (&quot;The navel of Sicily&quot;).&nbsp; Her temple there was famed for the cult&#039;s worship.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1370918[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, 44-36 BC</p><p>L. Cestius and L. Munatius (duoviri)</p><p>Æ30 of Henna, Sicily</p><p>L MVNATIVS M CESTIVS, veiled head of Ceres left, wearing grain ear wreath; torch behind / Pluto and Proserpina driving quadriga right; MVN HENNAE above. RPC 661; Calciati 12; SNG ANS -. 16.17g, 30mm, 12h.</p><p><br /></p><p>Very Fine.</p><p><br /></p><p>From a private European collection, acquired from Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1370906[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>So, please post any coins on this subject or anything else you please....</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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