It was the backbone of Roman currency through the Roman Republic with fair consistency at this weight. This standardized denarius contained 4.5 grams on average at the time or 1⁄ 72 of a Roman pound of silver. Rome overhauled its coinage around 211 BC and introduced a standardized denarius alongside a short lived denomination called the victoriatus. The name quadrigatus comes from the quadriga or four-horse chariot on the reverse, which was the prototype for the most common designs used on Roman silver coins for the next 150 years. Classic historians often cite these coins as denarii, but they are classified by modern numismatists as quadrigatus. the first distinctively Roman silver coin appears. They were most likely used for trade purposes and seldom used in Rome.Īround 225 B.C. These coins were inscribed for Rome, but closely resemble their Greek counterparts.
This was a Greek-style silver coin, very similar to didrachm and drachma struck in Metapontion and other Greek cities in Southern Italy. Contact with the Greeks prompted a need for silver coinage in addition to the bronze asses the Romans were using at that time. by Sailko is licensed under CC BY 2.5Īuthors: Alexander Meddings with contributions and additional edits from TTR.An early form of the denarius was first struck five years before the first Punic War, in 269 BC with a weight of 6.8 grams on average at the time or 1⁄ 48 of a Roman pound. But even without its former imperial splendor, the remains of the rostra on the Forum are still a must-see: they played a pivotal role in some of the most important moments in Roman history. Also, one can see the set of stairs of Caesar’s original structure on the western side. However, the recesses into which these oars were inserted are still visible. For millennia, they have been stripped of the very “rostra”-or ships’ rams – which gave them their name. The Rostra Augusti are very much shells of their former selves. Source: Classical Numismatic Group, used by permission of CNG. Unfortunately, he died prematurely the year after this coin was issued. The coin probably commemorates the renewal of Augustus’ friend Agrippa’s appointment as tribune. And only three prows can be seen here, while the “old” rostra counted six. It was struck in 13 BC, after the second rostrum was built by Augustus. It is a pure speculation, but the coin below may depict the second rostrum as it then appeared. Unfortunately, we have no traces of this second rostrum. His victory cleared the way to his absolute power. During this battle, Augustus’s fleet destroyed the forces of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. They came from ships captured during the great naval Battle of Actium. The structure was also decorated with the prows of galleys. In 29 BC Augustus built a second rostrum in front of the Temple of Caesar. He extended the curved platform backwards to form a rectangle.įurther modifications, columns and monuments were added to rostrum under the Flavians, the Severans and fifth-century Tetrarchy. In around 29 BC, Caesar’s heir, Augustus, sworn enemy of the, now late, Mark Antony, modified the structure. It was dedicated by his right-hand man and most ambitious general, Mark Antony. Julius Caesar moved the rostrum of Rome from its original position near the Comitium and Curia to its present site in 44 BC. Note that the rostrum still has its original circular form. He was instrumental in returning powers to the tribunes, which had been removed by Sulla. The reverse is likely to be dedicated to moneyer’s father who was tribune in 71 BC. The seat should not be confused with sella curulis, dedicated to curule offices, or the highest ranks in Rome. What is shown on this coin? The reverse of the coin depicts a rostrum and a subsellium – the seat of Tribune.
Rostra became symbols of Rome’s glorious past. A consul, Gaius Maenius, seized the ships of Rome’s enemies, cut off their rams (or prows) – called rostra in Latin – and placed six of them upon the speakers’ podium.
They have only been called like this since 338 BC, after the end of the Latin Wars which ravaged Italy. The name “rostra” is more recent than the first construction. Here Romans would give speeches, deliver eulogies, and present emperors (dead or alive) to the crowds. It was rebuilt and enlarged over centuries but remained at the same site. The first Rostrum was constructed in Rome in the 6th century BC. It was the place from which the voice of Rome was heard by its People. Here ordinary Romans found contact with their institutions and leaders. A rostrum was not a mere platform or podium for the talkers, but a true symbol of the Roman state.
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