Let's talk about this 23rd day of August : In Roman religion, Vulcan is a very ancient god, of uncertain origin: for some, coming from Ostia, he would be the ancient god of the Tiber; for others, it would be a Mediterranean god who entered the Roman religion through Etruria (cf. the Etruscan god Velchans). It appears in the oldest Roman calendars (known as "of Numa") and would have been introduced in Rome by Titus Tatius. Another tradition attributes to Romulus the consecration of the Volcano. Jupiter Column in Arlon Its oldest place of worship was the Volcanal or Area Volcani, leaning against the Capitol, above the Comitium, containing a sacred tree, which was considered to be contemporary with the birth of Rome, as well as the statues of Romulus and Horatius Cocles. In addition, Vulcan had a temple of more recent construction, outside the Pomerium, on the field of Mars, where the god stood guard in a way outside the city to protect it from fires. During the feast of Vulcanalia, on August 23rd, to avoid the fires that threatened the crops, there were sacrifices made in various places of the city to Vulcan, Stata Mater, the Nymphs, Juturne, Ops Opifera and Quirinus, deities of fire, water and fertility. The Romans, rather artificially, interpreted Vulcan as the Greek blacksmith god Hephaestus, whose attributions he adopted. Vulcan with Apollo, Fortuna, Minerva and Mercury The primitive function of Vulcan - to ward off fires - is however still perceptible in the various altars which were consecrated to him in the city and, in particular, in those which Domitian had erected to fulfill a wish made following the Great fire of 64 AD. Rome burned for nearly six days. Several of the city’s districts were completely destroyed, and many others damaged irreparably. When the flames finally died down, just four of Rome’s districts (fourteen in all) were untouched by the fire – and, apparently, the wrath of Vulcan. The god was also associated with volcanoes; the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii took place the day after the Vulcanalia festival ended. Pliny the Younger wrote that the Vulcanalia was the point in the year in which to begin working by candlelight. He also described the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii in 79 AD., on the day after the Vulcanalia. Pliny was in the nearby town of Misenum, and witnessed the events first hand. He wrote : "Ashes were already falling, hotter and thicker as the ships drew near, followed by bits of pumice and blackened stones, charred and cracked by the flames... Elsewhere there was daylight by this time, but they were still in darkness, blacker and denser than any ordinary night, which they relieved by lighting torches and various kinds of lamp." The crater of mount Vesuvius. Finally, on August 23 rd in 217 AD, the Colloseum is repeatedly struck by lighting, and is set ablaze. It will be out of service for some time. Elagabalus began repairs in 218, and by 223 limited use of the amphitheatre was possible; it was at this point that the new emperor Severus Alexander celebrated its reopening. Restoration was completed by 244, at the end of the reign of Gordian III, after which the amphitheatre was used well into the Christian era. Now it's time to show off your coins. Please present us your own examples related to Vulcan, Fire, Volcanoes or Lightings ! Marcus Aurelius Corinth Vulcan with hammer and tool Valerian I Cologne Vulcan in temple
Vulcan! Neat write-up, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! Valerian I, AD 253-260. Roman AR antoninianus, 2.69 g, 21.2 mm, 7 h. Colonia Agrippina (Cologne) mint, AD 259-260. Obv: VALERIANVS·P·F·AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: DEO VOLKANO, Vulcan standing left within tetrastyle temple, hammer raised in right hand, tongs downward in left. Refs: RIC 5 (inaccurately attributed to the Lugdunum mint); Cohen 2 (inaccurately attributed to Valerian II); RSC 50c; Göbl 884d; Hunter IV 56; RCV 9934.
August 23rd? How strange because we are evacuating today starting at 11am Pacific because of red flag fire danger and lightning strikes for the area. Last week 10,800 lightning strikes were recorded on August 16th by Cal Fire. Here's a Commodus featuring Zeus and his Thunderbolt. Mint of Alexandria, Egypt. Commodus (180-192. A.D.) Type: Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 11.06 grams Obverse: M AVΡ KOMMO ANTΩNINOC CE, Laureate bust of Commodus right Reverse: VΠAT OCTOΔ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt, K theta in field Reference: Emmett 2567
Excellent write-up, and great coins, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix I have a couple from Samnium. One is their typical split flan for this issue, and the other is a harder-to-get NO splits in the flan. I really like the splits... pretty cool addition, and very typical look to this coin. The Samnites went through 3 Wars with Rome (Samnite Wars 343 BCE - 290 BCE). They were very brutal and tough fighters, and were mountain folk from the Apennine mountain spine of Italia. They really bloodied the Roman Republic during these wars for control of Italia and Campania. VULCAN from SAMNIA Samnium, Aesernia AE21 263-240 BCE HN Italy 430 Vulcan Left - Biga Samnium, Aesernia 263-240 BCE AE 20 Vulcan Pilos Tongs Jupiter Biga Left
Great writeup.. thanks! UMBRIA, Ariminum AE20. 3.74g, 19.7mm. UMBRIA, Ariminum, circa 268-225 BC. SNG ANS 101; SNG France 155; HN Italy 8. O: Bust of Vulcan left, wearing pileus. R: ARIMN, Warrior advancing left, holding large shield and spear. Ex Tony Hardy Collection (CNG E-Sale 139, 10 May 2006, lot 4)
Iberia, Malaka. 2nd century BC. Æ Unit (25mm, 14.19g, 11h). Obv: Bearded head of Hephaistos left, wearing conical cap; tongs to right; all within laurel wreath. Rev: Radiate facing head of Helios. Ref: ACIP 790. From the Asher D. Atchick Collection. Photo courtesy CNG.
I should add - today's lightning (23rd) is supposed to approximate that of August 16th. Here's an example from that storm over San Francisco.
Valerian II. Caesar, 256-258 AD. Aspendos, Pamphylia. Æ 32 (16.91 gm). Obv: ΠOΥ ΛIK KOΡ OΥAΛEΡIANON KAIΣ ΣE, his bare and draped bust, right, above an eagle with wings spread. Mark of value "A" in right field not visible. Rev: AΣΠEN-ΔIΩN, Hephaistos wearing conical cap seated right, holding hammer in r. hand, and shield of Achilles (?) in left hand. Flaming forge below and to his right. BMC__; SNG Cop__; von Aulock__; SNG France__; SNG PFPS__; Leopold__; Isegrim__. Cf. SNG France 207 (for rev. type [Valerian I]). Apparently unpublished. A single example found at: https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=13106
Wee doggies...Here's the giant statue of Vulcan we have down here in Birmingham, Alabam. They aint taking this one down... He's moonin' too!
Ooh ! I know this is related to volcanology (study of volcanos) and it is a branch of geology (study of earth) but talking about Roman’s fire god or volcano god, Vulcan, and mount Vesuvius, the hotspot of volcanology, then I have to hear more about this!
I'm not sure, and perhaps a more Flavian-oriented CT member could chime in, but I believe this specific coin was minted just after the eruption of the Vesuvius: ROMAN IMPERIAL, Titus. Denomination: AR Denarius, minted: Rome, Italy; 80 AD Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M Head of Titus, laureate, right Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P Curule chair; wreath, above Weight: 2.98g; Ø:1.7mm. Catalogue: RIC II 108. Provenance: Ex Feddema Numismatics Drachten; acq.: 09-2019
Nice write-up and coins! Vulcan is hard to find on Roman coins. Mine is probably the most common type featuring this deity: Valerian I, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 258 AD, Lugdunum mint. Obv: Obv: VALERIANVS P F AVG; bust of Valerian I, radiate, draped, l. Rev: DEO VOLKANO; Vulcan, draped, wearing pilos, standing l. in temple, holding hammer in r. hand and pincers in l. hand; at his feet l., anvil. 22mm, 3.16g. Ref: RIC V Valerian 5. Apart from this type and a couple of rare Civil War denarii, there also is an issue by Claudius Gothicus showing Vulcan on the reverse. I keep looking for one, but it's an exceedingly rare coin... Until then, here is my bread and butter Vulcan accompanied by the rest of the Roman pantheon: