Shocking Blue sings it, and here she is with cupid in orichalcum with Faustina the Elder on dupondius..join me in giving praise to the Goddess and her Earthly Counterparts who grace us. POST YOUR COINS & COMMENTS PEEPS!
Venus....the great (x48 times) grandmother of Julius Caesar. Not many humans back then had the ego to claim their ancestor ( the aristocrat Anchises) "Glenn Quagmired" a Godess. Usually it was the other way around (some male God entrapping some young maiden). Anyway, Aeneas was the product of that human/Goddess relationship, and as he is wandering through the woods his Goddess-mother decides she is going to help him commit an aggravated sexual felony....because nothing says "motherly love" like helping your deviant son engage in depraved behavior. So Venus instructed Cupid to give Dido, Queen of Carthage, the ancient equivalent of a Bill Cosby cocktail so that Aeneas could (censored for family friendly content). So who here knew Cupid was a rufies drug dealer? Think about that next time you get a Valentines day card with an image of Cupid on it. Adult novels today got nothing on Ancient mythology when it comes to graphic adult content.
BANANARAMA VENUS of the Republic RR L and C Memmius L F Galeria 87 BCE AR Denarius Saturn harpa EX S C Venus driving Biga Cupid Sear 262 Craw 349-1 RR Faustus Cornelius Sulla 56 BCE AR Den Venus Signet Pompey S 386 Cr426-3 RR Cordius Rufus 46 BCE AR Den Jugate Dioscuri Venus scales S 440 Cr 463-1 RR Naevius Balbus 79 BCE AR Den Venus SC TRIGA Sulla S 309 Cr 382-1 RR Memmius 87 BCE AR Den Saturn SC Venus Biga Cupid S 262 Cr 349-1 RR Egnatius Maxsumus 76 BCE Bust Libertas pileus behind- Roma Venus stndg cupid on shoulder Wolf Head S 326 Cr 391-3
I posted this "plated, serrated" coin yesterday. It is the same "Venus in biga" type as @Alegandron posted above. L. Memmius Galeria, Denarius, 106 BC, fourree (plated), 2.60g, 19mm Obv: Saturn head l. Rev: Venus in biga r Frank S Robinson, November 15 2016 Bargain List, lot 122 I don't have any Roman Republican references nearby to explain the reverse. Not a lot of women knew how to drive in those days, yet the coin is said to depict Venus. How do we know and what is the story?
Julia Titi. Augusta, 79-90/1 AD. AR Denarius (3.13 gm). Rome mint. Struck under Titus, 80-81 AD. Obv: Diademed and draped bust right. Rev: Venus standing right, back facing, leaning upon column to left, holding helmet and scepter. RIC II 387 (Titus); RSC 12.
You know who loved Venus? Julia Mamaea. Here are some sestertii of hers with Venus reverses: Venus Felix (Happy Venus): Venus Genetrix (Venus the ancestress): Venus Victrix (Victorious Venus):
L JULIUS CAESAR ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS JULIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: CAESAR Head of Mars left in crested helmet REVERSE: Venus Genettris with scepter, in biga drawn by two Cupids left, lyre in field, contolmark above, L IVLI L F in ex. Struck at Rome, 103BC 3.85g, 17mm Cr320/1, Syd 593a. JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius OBVERSE: Diademed head of Venus right. REVERSE: CAESAR - Aeneas advancing left, carrying Anchises and palladium Carthage or military mint with Caesar in North Africa, 47 to 46 BC 4.0g, 17mm CRI 55, Sydenham 1013, RRC 458/1, S 1402
A couple of Victrix versions (Julia Mamaea as, and one of Venus's last appearances, on a Galeria Valeria follis):
