Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Venus Cloacina
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 3759829, member: 103829"][ATTACH=full]1007453[/ATTACH]</p><p>Dear Friends of ancient mythology!</p><p><br /></p><p>For a long time I have wondered how Venus, goddess of love and beauty, could have this cognomen, which have a special smell. Here I will try an explanation. But first the coin:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Coin:</b></p><p>Roman Republic, L. Mussidius Longus, gens Mussidia</p><p>AR - denarius, 3.73g, 17.5mm</p><p> Rome, 42 BC</p><p>Obv.:Bust of Concordia, veiled and diademed, r.</p><p> behind CONCORDIA</p><p>Rv.:Round platform with balustrade and inscription CLOACIN, on which two female </p><p> figures are standing (probably Cloacina and Venus), resting with l. hand on </p><p> cippus. Left figure holding branch (probably myrtle) in raised r. hand; a small </p><p> stairway on the left side with porticus.</p><p> above L.MVSSIDIVS.LONGVS</p><p>Ref.: Crawford 494/42a; Sydenham 1093; Mussidia 6b; BMCR 4242</p><p>nice VF, bankers mark on obv.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1007452[/ATTACH] </p><p>The rev. shows the shrine of Venus Cloacina whose fundaments could be seen today on the Forum Romanum in Rome at the South side of the Bsilica Aemilia. This sanctuary is one of the oldest on the Forum. It is so old that even the Romans didn't understand its real meaning and invented myths to explain it. Cloacina probably is derived from the ancient Latin word '<i>cluere</i>', meaning 'to purify'.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Mythology:</b></p><p>After the rape of the Sabin women - look at the article in this series - a war broke out between the Romans and the Sabins. The raped women bravely went between their fathers and their new husbands andso stopped the slaughter. A reconciliation should have been occured at this very place with an expiation and purification (<i>cluere</i>!) ritual, as Plinius reports in his Roman history (NH X, 119-120). There Myrtles had played an important role. It is said that they were found here and they were used for purification because they should have great purification power. Furthermore they were sacred to Venus, the ancestress of the Romans.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then at this place Vergina or Virginia, the beautiful daughter of Lucius Virgineus, a plebeian centurio, was killed by him to avoid the shame to become the slave of the tyrannic decemvir Appius Claudius Crassus. Appius Claudius was fallen in love to her and claimed that she was the daughter of a slave who had escaped from him. Due to the rigorous Laws of the Twelve Tables then she too was his property. This murder led to the abolishment of the decemviri (449 BC) and Lucius Virgineus became the first elected tribune. This story probably based on the myth of Lucretia who was raped by the son of king Tarquinius Superbus and because of that commited suicided. This event was the end of the Etruscian kings in Rome and the begin of the Roman Republic. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Background:</b></p><p>The sanctuary of Venus Cloacina marks the place where the Cloaca Maxima reaches the Forum and takes the river Velabro. This river was the frontier between the region of the Romans and the Sabins where now the adversary parties have made peace. The sanctuary - known by its depiction on these coins - was not roofed but made by a round embracing wall and two cult statues. Originally it was probably the shrine of Cloacina (Liv. III. 48). The origin of her cult and the erection of her sanctuary probably belongs to the the first period of the history of the Cloaca Maxima, either of the time of its construction or of the time of an important renovation even though the tradition ascribed it to Titus Tatius (Lact. Inst. I. 20.11). In the course of time Cloacina was identified with Venus and called Venus Cloacina. In doing so the fact could have played a role that the myrtles were sacred to Venus. So this myth, the reconciliation of the Romans and the Sabins, could be the attempt to explain these unknown connection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Before the Forum Roman became the center of the Roman Empire it was an unsane marsh, full of Malaria mosquitos, only crossed by cattle trails. It could not be populated before it was drained and dewatered by the Cloaca Maxima. The Lacus Curtius reminds on its watery past. The originally open sewer was built by Etruscians the great taskmaster of the Romans. Because of that Cloacina probably was an Etruscian goddess and the Romans - as so often - have absorbed her. So it is explicable that she too is responsible for the wedding bed. The Cloaca Maxima was a great revolutionary invention. It first made Rome habitably. It is not overstated to say 'Rome, that is the Cloaca Maxima'! And to have a goddess for it is well understandable!</p><p><br /></p><p>The relicts of the shrine were found AD 1899-1901 in front of the Basilica Aemilia. It consists of a round marble base with a diameter of 2.40m, resting on a slab of Travertine and eight courses of various kinds of stone. The character of these courses shows that the foundation was gradually raised as the basilica encroached upon it. The shrine shows two female deities. The left one seems to raise a myrtle branch. This then would be a symbol of purification and of the wedding ritual of passage. The right one seems to be armored and then would be the guardian of the enclosure.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have added two pictures: </p><p>(1) The first shows a model of the shrine of Cloacina,</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1007453[/ATTACH] </p><p>(2) the other shows the fundament of the shrine how you can see it today on the Forum Romanum.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1007454[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>At the end I would like to recommend the following link to everyone interested in Roman history: <a href="http://home.surewest.net/fifi/index50.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://home.surewest.net/fifi/index50.html" rel="nofollow">http://home.surewest.net/fifi/index50.html</a> Here you can find a nice 3D view of the Forum and naturally the shrine of Cloacina!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sources:</b></p><p>(1) Wikipedia</p><p>(2) Willian Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (online)</p><p><a href="http://www.vroma.org/~jruebel/cloacina.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.vroma.org/~jruebel/cloacina.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.vroma.org/~jruebel/cloacina.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Best regards[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 3759829, member: 103829"][ATTACH=full]1007453[/ATTACH] Dear Friends of ancient mythology! For a long time I have wondered how Venus, goddess of love and beauty, could have this cognomen, which have a special smell. Here I will try an explanation. But first the coin: [B]The Coin:[/B] Roman Republic, L. Mussidius Longus, gens Mussidia AR - denarius, 3.73g, 17.5mm Rome, 42 BC Obv.:Bust of Concordia, veiled and diademed, r. behind CONCORDIA Rv.:Round platform with balustrade and inscription CLOACIN, on which two female figures are standing (probably Cloacina and Venus), resting with l. hand on cippus. Left figure holding branch (probably myrtle) in raised r. hand; a small stairway on the left side with porticus. above L.MVSSIDIVS.LONGVS Ref.: Crawford 494/42a; Sydenham 1093; Mussidia 6b; BMCR 4242 nice VF, bankers mark on obv. [ATTACH=full]1007452[/ATTACH] The rev. shows the shrine of Venus Cloacina whose fundaments could be seen today on the Forum Romanum in Rome at the South side of the Bsilica Aemilia. This sanctuary is one of the oldest on the Forum. It is so old that even the Romans didn't understand its real meaning and invented myths to explain it. Cloacina probably is derived from the ancient Latin word '[I]cluere[/I]', meaning 'to purify'. [B]Mythology:[/B] After the rape of the Sabin women - look at the article in this series - a war broke out between the Romans and the Sabins. The raped women bravely went between their fathers and their new husbands andso stopped the slaughter. A reconciliation should have been occured at this very place with an expiation and purification ([I]cluere[/I]!) ritual, as Plinius reports in his Roman history (NH X, 119-120). There Myrtles had played an important role. It is said that they were found here and they were used for purification because they should have great purification power. Furthermore they were sacred to Venus, the ancestress of the Romans. Then at this place Vergina or Virginia, the beautiful daughter of Lucius Virgineus, a plebeian centurio, was killed by him to avoid the shame to become the slave of the tyrannic decemvir Appius Claudius Crassus. Appius Claudius was fallen in love to her and claimed that she was the daughter of a slave who had escaped from him. Due to the rigorous Laws of the Twelve Tables then she too was his property. This murder led to the abolishment of the decemviri (449 BC) and Lucius Virgineus became the first elected tribune. This story probably based on the myth of Lucretia who was raped by the son of king Tarquinius Superbus and because of that commited suicided. This event was the end of the Etruscian kings in Rome and the begin of the Roman Republic. [B]Background:[/B] The sanctuary of Venus Cloacina marks the place where the Cloaca Maxima reaches the Forum and takes the river Velabro. This river was the frontier between the region of the Romans and the Sabins where now the adversary parties have made peace. The sanctuary - known by its depiction on these coins - was not roofed but made by a round embracing wall and two cult statues. Originally it was probably the shrine of Cloacina (Liv. III. 48). The origin of her cult and the erection of her sanctuary probably belongs to the the first period of the history of the Cloaca Maxima, either of the time of its construction or of the time of an important renovation even though the tradition ascribed it to Titus Tatius (Lact. Inst. I. 20.11). In the course of time Cloacina was identified with Venus and called Venus Cloacina. In doing so the fact could have played a role that the myrtles were sacred to Venus. So this myth, the reconciliation of the Romans and the Sabins, could be the attempt to explain these unknown connection. Before the Forum Roman became the center of the Roman Empire it was an unsane marsh, full of Malaria mosquitos, only crossed by cattle trails. It could not be populated before it was drained and dewatered by the Cloaca Maxima. The Lacus Curtius reminds on its watery past. The originally open sewer was built by Etruscians the great taskmaster of the Romans. Because of that Cloacina probably was an Etruscian goddess and the Romans - as so often - have absorbed her. So it is explicable that she too is responsible for the wedding bed. The Cloaca Maxima was a great revolutionary invention. It first made Rome habitably. It is not overstated to say 'Rome, that is the Cloaca Maxima'! And to have a goddess for it is well understandable! The relicts of the shrine were found AD 1899-1901 in front of the Basilica Aemilia. It consists of a round marble base with a diameter of 2.40m, resting on a slab of Travertine and eight courses of various kinds of stone. The character of these courses shows that the foundation was gradually raised as the basilica encroached upon it. The shrine shows two female deities. The left one seems to raise a myrtle branch. This then would be a symbol of purification and of the wedding ritual of passage. The right one seems to be armored and then would be the guardian of the enclosure. I have added two pictures: (1) The first shows a model of the shrine of Cloacina, [ATTACH=full]1007453[/ATTACH] (2) the other shows the fundament of the shrine how you can see it today on the Forum Romanum. [ATTACH=full]1007454[/ATTACH] At the end I would like to recommend the following link to everyone interested in Roman history: [URL]http://home.surewest.net/fifi/index50.html[/URL] Here you can find a nice 3D view of the Forum and naturally the shrine of Cloacina! [B]Sources:[/B] (1) Wikipedia (2) Willian Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (online) [URL]http://www.vroma.org/~jruebel/cloacina.html[/URL] Best regards[/QUOTE]
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
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Venus Cloacina
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...