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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;zumbly, post: 2511577, member: 57495&quot;]I&#039;m just going to throw this one in since it&#039;s about taking vows...</p><p><br /></p><p>While the emperors took their vows every five or ten years, the public took vows every year, on January 3, for the health of the emperor.&nbsp; In the 4th century, small commemorative issues in bronze were struck by the Rome mint for use during these <i>vota publica</i>.&nbsp; It&#039;s conjectured that they may have been used as talismans (many of them found are holed), perhaps to be worn around the neck or even nailed to door frames of buildings. </p><p><br /></p><p>The coins often feature syncretic deities of Egyptian flavour, which though for reasons that remain unclear, have caused the coins to be associated also with the <i>Navigium Isidis</i>, a festival held in honour of Isis to usher in the important warm weather sailing season.&nbsp; The series is generally referred to as &#039;Festival of Isis&#039; coinage.&nbsp; It&#039;s also interesting to note that despite the deeply pagan roots of the Festival of Isis and the centuries old tradition of the <i>vota publica</i>, these coins were struck during the rule of every Christian emperor up until Valentinian II.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/3300409isisanubis-jpg.343449/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>FESTIVAL OF ISIS</b></p><p>Rome mint, circa mid 4th Century (temp. Julian II)</p><p>AE4. 0.79g, 12.5mm. Alföldi, Festival pl. VIII, 11; Vagi 3393. O: [ISIS F-A]RIA, draped bust of Isis right, wearing [hem-hem crown] and necklace. R: [VOTA P-]VBLICA, Hermanubis standing left, holding sistrum and caduceus.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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