Featured Victory Over Parthia

In honor of Independence Day in America, here's a relatively new purchase of mine depicting a historical victory. I acquired this coin because of an example posted by @Cucumbor around two years ago - it took until a few months ago to find one I liked. I originally passed up this coin as the auction images were underwhelming, but upon being offered it in person by the dealer who bought it at the auction, it took a nanosecond to say yes and write the check.



While fighting the battle of Philippi, Octavian vowed to avenge the assassination of his adoptive father Julius Caesar. Octavian set plans in motion to build a temple honoring the god Mars Ultor (“the Avenger”). Mars was the god of war, protector of Rome, and second only to Jupiter in importance. Caesar had stated earlier that he wished to build a temple honoring the god, but was assassinated before planning could begin.

With the help of Mark Antony and Lepidus, Octavian won the battle and upon assuming the title of Augustus, began planning for the temple to be built in the forum, stating that it would be “greater than any in existence”. This temple served a politically strategic purpose as well, further linking himself to the Roman people’s love for Julius Caesar by continuing and improving upon Caesar’s original concept. However, construction did not begin immediately due to an unstable political situation in the region.

While Rome had succeeded in conquering nearly the entire civilized Mediterranean world, they had never succeeded in conquering Parthia. The Parthian Empire was spread across Central Asia and posed a formidable challenge to Roman control.

Rome fought and lost to Parthia three times, the most devastating of which occurred in 53 BC. During this battle, Crassus, the leader of the Roman army, was killed and humiliated, and the standards of the Roman Legions were taken by the Parthians.

To the Roman military, the standard held deep symbolic significance and each legion would go to great lengths to protect their standard. The loss of a standard was considered a moral defeat and the Romans were known to sometimes spent decades fighting to recover them.

Upon the loss of their standards to the Parthians, the Romans fought back, seeking revenge. Julius Caesar and Mark Antony both attempted to reclaim the standards by force but failed due to heavy battlefield losses.

After ascending the throne, Augustus focused his attention on reclaiming the standards. Through his conquering of Armenia, he was able to secure a strong offensive position against the Parthians due to its proximity to their kingdom.

Even though he had a strategic advantage, Augustus didn’t want war with Parthia. However, the Parthian king felt threatened, proposing a truce to Augustus, offering to return the Roman standards and any surviving prisoners of war. Augustus agreed and the two superpowers avoided further bloodshed. Augustus hailed the return of the standards as a major political victory against the Parthians and used his coinage to celebrate the coup.

This coin is from the commemorative celebratory issues, with the reverse showing a reclaimed standard in a triumphal chariot within the Temple of Mars Ultor. At the time of its minting, the temple was not yet completed, taking at least ten more years to be built due to logistical issues. Augustus did not want to force the owners of nearby houses to move, so he needed to change his plans and purchase adjacent areas to accommodate his massive Forum.

When it was finally completed, the Temple of Mars Ultor was impressive. Modeled after the Temple of Venus but nearly twice the size, it was the focal point of the 8,000 square meter Forum of Augustus, built next to Caesar’s Forum.

The building became the official meeting room where the Senate would convene when decisions of war were required, as well as the departure point for commanders beginning their military service in the Empire.

Like the Temple of Venus, the Temple of Mars Ultor was built on a raised platform and lavishly decorated with fountains. Surrounding the temple were four-storey tall Corinthian columns, eight on each side, three of which still stand today.

The exterior was constructed in white marble and the interior flooring was laid with a mixture of colored marbles. The temple housed additional columns made of purple marble and a variety of statues, all adorned with extensive decorations and gilded rosettes.

Even though the Temple of Mars Ultor opened forty years after its conception, it was well worth the wait and represented an achievement in Roman engineering as well as epitomizing the grandeur and respect with which Rome treated its important gods.


Augustus, 27 B.C. – AD 14, Denarius (Silver, 3.85 g 6), Colonia Patricia, 18. CAESARI AVGVSTO Laureate head of Augustus to right. Rev. Round tetrastyle temple with a triumphal car, containing a legionary eagle and a miniature quadriga, within the central intercolumniation; to left and right, SP QR. BMC 385. BN 1210. C. 279. RIC 115. Beautifully toned. Extremely fine.
From the A. Lynn Collection, Ex. Helios 4, Munich 2009, lot 215, Ex. Leu 86, Zurich 2003, lot 750

Post coins depicting victories, or one which you consider a personal victory for acquiring.

 

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I do not have any coins that fit your parameters, but I have to say that is a great coin. Thanks also for the informative writeup.

 

Absolutely stunning AJ! Love the history behind it as well.

 

Wow what great coin

 

yup, i'm breaking out all 10 beavers for this one.

 

Oh no. It can't be. The never before seen 10 beavers. Historical. Both the 10 beavers and the coin AJ. This is another one of your coins I would love to have. Congratulations. It's beautiful (and deserves the 10 beavers).

 

the boscoreale coins would get the only higher than 10 beavers.

here is my favorite victory coin...with victory reverse since AJ requested some coin to keep his stunner company.

 

Wow, that's not a bad coin ... I'll bid one cougar, two mid-sized beavers and a quail (a really athletic quail)

=> sweet addition (congrats)

Happy 4th of July, and happy belated Canada Day

 

AJ - Excellent choice. I would welcome this coin into my collection. I too would have to give this coin 10 beavers .

 

a really, really athletic quail

 

Great coin/thanx for the writeup too....

 

Totally floored by that coin! I can see why you snapped it up. If it were mine, I don't think I'd be able to stop staring at it.

 

Great coin, wonderful write up, and an honour to be at the origin of your purchase. Hope it didn't cost you an arm and an eye though, Ms AJ would regard me as Devil

Here's mine again for comparison, not as nice I'm afraid


Augustus, Denarius Colonia Patricia mint ? ca. 19-18 BC
CAESARI AVGVSTO, laureate head right
SP - QR on either side of a domed terastyle temple, in which is a chariot with aquila.
3,66 gr
Ref : RSC # 279, RIC # 119

Q

 

I believe that the best coin to match Independence Day is the one commemorating the historical decisive battle of Constantine the Great in the Milvian Bridge. After his famous vision, Constantine marched over Rome, Ostia and Arles. Thus he imposed a new era by which we are still impressed in our modern life of today. I wished the coin was in a little better condition. Cheers..

 

Absolutely fantastic coin and writeup! The iridescent red toning around the chariot is a particularly nice and appropriate accent.

Personal victory for acquiring? Definitely my Agathokles tetradrachm. It was quite an ordeal . The story is here.


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637

Described as a 'tyrant of Syracuse', Agathokles certainly was aggressive and murderous in his earlier years. During his reign the kingdom was somewhat more peaceful. History regards him more kindly in his later years.

Arethusa is a water nymph who was transformed into an underground stream emerging as a freshwater spring on the Sicilian island of Ortygia, the future site of Syracuse. Ovid wrote of her in Metamorphoses (AD 8). English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote a lovely poem about her in his 1820 composition, Arethusa. Roman poet Virgil also wrote of her in book III of his 19 BC epic, The Aeneid.

The quadrigia is shown in 3/4 perspective, possible to show it executing a left during a race. You can see the turned heads and bunched-up legs of the near horses as their gait shortens to enter the turn, with the far horses still in near-full gallop. Whether this was done to fit the whole scene on a limited canvas or through artistic intent, I don't know.

The triskeles symbol is known three millennia before appearing on Syracuse coins. Initially a religious symbol of the sun, it likely represents Baal. Agathokles adopted it as his emblem, in theory because the triangular shape resembles the shape of Sicily. For an in-depth review, see The Triskeles on Ancient Greek Coins, an article by John Voukelatos, 2011. Later Sicilian depictions include a gorgon face in the center and that emblem is featured on the flag of Sicily.

 

exellent coin(s)

 

What a beautiful coin and great write-up.

That said, let's not be unfair to Julius Caesar. He was assassinated in Rome while preparing for his initial invasion against the Parthians.

An interesting coin that would complement yours is the Parthian Musa coin. (Not my coin. I was easily out-bid.):




"Musa was a beautiful slave girl presented by Caesar Augustus to King Phraates IV in exchange for the Parthians returning the Roman standards lost at Carrhae. She quickly became Phraates' favorite wife and, after bearing a son to him, she arranged for his murder and the succession of their son, Phraataces. Following Magian custom, she married her own son and ruled for several years as the power behind the throne. But having a female ruler, and a foreigner at that, proved unacceptable to the Parthian aristocracy and in AD 4 Musa and her son were overthrown and replaced by Orodes III. "

A good review of the Parthian-Roman Wars:

http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=war_roman_parthian

Good stuff. Thank you.



guy

 

All I can say is "wow", AncientJoe. Absolutely floored by the quality of your coins as always. I do have a few related to victory though, here is my most recent purchase:


Roman republic AR Denarius(3.83g, 19mm), P. Servilius M. F. Rullus, moneyer, 100 BC. Bust of Minerva left, wearing Corinthian helmet and aegis; behind, RVLLI upwards. Border of dots. / Victory in biga right, holding palm-branch in left hand and reins in right hand; below P; in exergue, P•SERVILI•M•F. Border of dots. Crawford 328/1

This is only an auction house photo from a time it sold previously. Once I have it in-hand and have finished up some research I will do a full write-up on it but the reverse on this coin is thought to symbolize Marius' victories over the Teutones, Ambrones and Cimbri in previous years.

 

Incredible coins and fascinating write-ups!!!

Unfortunately, my best 'personal' victories were a TET and Shekals I was forced to sell a number of years ago---but I'll be in the hunt looking for more...

 

A beauty