Trofei

[gpittini]

DE GREGE EPICURI

Il trofeo consiste nelle spoglie dell'animale catturato o del nemico sconfitto e ucciso, ed è un elemento importante nella storia antica, e non solo. La sua evoluzione mostra la trasformazione dell'aggressività da forme di lotta e trionfo più cruente, ad altre meno sanguinose. Nella modernità invece si può presentare come targa, coppa o altro premio, specie nelle competizioni sportive.

PERIODO ARCAICO E SUOI RESIDUI

Non vi sono molti dubbi che, nel periodo più antico, all'uccisione del nemico seguisse l'esibizione del suo corpo, o di parti di esso, oltre che delle armi. Insomma, qualcosa di molto simile alle pelli d'orso o di tigre sul pavimento dei saloni, o delle corna di cervo appese alle pareti:

-Nel mondo celtico, le teste dei nemici uccisi erano appese alle groppe del cavallo e poi conservate a lungo nella casa del vincitore (a volte sotto olio o sale!) Esse compaiono anche su molte monete.

-Nell'Amazzonia (tribù Jivaro e altre) le teste dei nemici venivano essiccate e disidratate, rimpicciolite e conservate.

- Gli "scalpi" dei nemici erano trofei molto comuni fra i nativi dell'America del Nord.

-Sia fra i Celti che successivamente, e in molte parti del mondo, le teste dei nemici spiccate dal corpo venivano infilate su pali all'ingresso dei villaggi. L'uso è continuato anche in Europa, e non solo nell'antichità, per i briganti uccisi, con recrudescenze durante moti rivoluzionari, ribellioni, repressioni, anche nel XIX secolo. Esistono fotografie scattate negli anni '30 in Cina durante le guerre civili e cino-giapponesi, con teste di "ladroni" (leggi: nemici) alle porte dei villaggi.

-La tradizione vuole che l'imperatore Valeriano 1°, catturato dai Parti, abbia passato gli ultimi anni in cattività; si dice anche che, dopo la morte, sia stato "impagliato" come una volpe o uno scoiattolo, e tenuto così presso la Corte, che voleva ricordare il successo sui romani.

-Già nell'antichità si affrontò la questione della sepoltura dei cadaveri dei nemici, o piuttosto della loro "esposizione alle belve". Restano memorabili le suppliche di Priamo ad Achille per riavere il corpo di Ettore, e la "Antigone" di Sofocle sulla sepoltura di Polinice. La sepoltura è dovere di pietà voluto dagli dei, mentre il contrario è punito come "nefas" (Creonte).

[gpittini]

(segue)

TEMPI MENO CRUENTI

Nel mondo greco e romano, i trofei (in greco, TROPAION) erano composti di solito:

- da armi appese ad un ramo, o ad un tronco d'albero: di solito almeno uno scudo, un elmo, una lancia, una o più spade. Questo insieme nel tempo assume la forma classica di una sorta di "marionetta", costituita da un bastone alla cui sommità è appoggiato l'elmo, mentre lo scudo è appeso verticalmente e può essere sostituito da una corazza, la lancia è obliqua, e spade, o arco e faretra sono appesi.

-da grandi mucchi di armi affastellate alla rinfusa, le stesse sopra indicate, cui si aggiungono schinieri, bracciali, frecce ed archi in quantità, a volte altri elementi poco identificabili.

MONUMENTI

Questi trofei vengono raffigurati spesso non solo su monete, ma anche su monumenti: bassorilievi su vari archi di trionfo e sulle colonne traiana ed antonina. Esistono infine grandiosi complessi monumentali chiamati Trionfi, come quello eretto da Augusto sulle Alpi Marittime, per ricordare la sconfitta delle tribù celtiche e liguri, e la romanizzazione della regione (Trophaeum Augusti, oggi La Turbie).

[Illyricum65]

- da armi appese ad un ramo, o ad un tronco d'albero: di solito almeno uno scudo, un elmo, una lancia, una o più spade. Questo insieme nel tempo assume la forma classica di una sorta di "marionetta", costituita da un bastone alla cui sommità è appoggiato l'elmo, mentre lo scudo è appeso verticalmente e può essere sostituito da una corazza, la lancia è obliqua, e spade, o arco e faretra sono appesi.

Rompo il ghiaccio e posto alcune monete sul tema:

Età repubblicana:

Julius Caesar. Aureus, mint moving with Caesar 13 July 48-47 BC, 8.55 g. Female head r., wearing diadem and oak-wreath; in field l., ⊥II. Rev. CAE – SAR Trophy with Gallic shield and carnyx; in field r., axe. Bahrfeldt 17 and pl. III, 17 (these dies). B. Julia 25. C 17. Sydenham 1008. Sear Imperators 10. Crawford 452/1. Calicó 41 (this coin).

Extremely rare, among the finest of only ten specimens known.

This aureus was struck at the height of Julius Caesar’s campaign against Pompey and his allies, which climaxed on 9 August, 48 B.C., when Caesar defeated Pompey at the battle of Pharsalus. It is a self-promotional coinage that names only Caesar and bears the reverse type of a trophy of Gallic arms and armour. This design not only celebrates his success in the Gallic Wars, but it diverts attention from Caesar’s less honourable civil war against his fellow Roman Pompey.

An unusual feature of this coinage is the numeral LII on the obverse. It is generally accepted to represent Caesar’s age, 52, at the time this coinage was struck. Sydenham believed Caesar was born in 102 B.C., and thus concluded that this issue was struck in Gaul while Caesar was still in that province. The general consensus, though, is that Caesar was born in 100 B.C., which places this coinage in the year commencing 13 July, 48 B.C. Whether it was struck as a prelude to the Battle of Pharsalus or in its aftermath is not known, but it certainly was associated.

This was the first aureus any Roman had struck for more than a generation, with the previous ones being issues of Sulla and Pompey in the late 80s and late 70s B.C. It is typical of gold of the Imperatorial age in that it was struck under extraordinary circumstances, and though these aurei are very rare today, they must have been struck in large quantities since the companion denarii with the same design survive in large number.

The identity of the female the obverse is far from certain. The goddess or personification wears an oak wreath, and she has been described as Venus, Pietas and Clementia. The uncertainty of her identification is echoed by Caesar’s most substantial issue of aurei, from c. 46 B.C. (Cr. 466/1), which bear on their obverse a veiled female head normally described as Pietas or Vesta.

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[gpittini]

(segue)

MONETE

Trofei compaiono su molte monete greche (Capua, Coelia, Heraclea in Lucania, Amphipoli, Beotia, Pergamo, Atena, Calcedonia, Tracia, Tomi, Mitilene, Amblada...) A Roma, i primi li troviamo sui vittoriati, sia anonimi che con simboli e con nomi. Inoltre su molti denari della Repubblica: Emilio Lepido Paullo, Antestio Gragulo, Baebio Tamphilio (vitt.), Crasso Juniano, Cesare, ecc.

In età imperiale, sono associati in particolare ai rovesci con legenda VICTORIA (GERMANICA o SARMATICA, v. Gallieno e Claudio il Gotico), oppure GERMANICUS MAXIMUS (Gallieno), o GERMANIA SUBACTA (M.Aurelio), ma anche DE SARMATIS (M.Aurelio). Anche sui rovesci di Vespasiano dei tipi JUDAEA e JUDAEA CAPTA compare (non sempre) un trofeo.

Su Wikipedia non si trova molto, mentre una buona illustrazione di questo tema lo trovate in FAC, "Numiswiki", alla voce Trophy. Ve ne cito un brano: ..."Il primo trofeo di cui le storie romane fanno menzione è quello innalzato da C.Flaminio nel 224 a.C.; era d'oro e fu collocato in Campidoglio. Floro, richiamando questo fatto, parla anche di due altri trofei, eretti circa 100 anni dopo durante la guerra contro gli Allobrogi da D.Aenobarbo e Fabio Massimo, alla confluenza fra l'Isère e il Rodano..."

Per ora non mi dilungo ulteriormente, e vi mostro qualche moneta. Spero che arrivino molte integrazioni e molte immagini.

Eccovi un Vittoriato anonimo.

[gpittini]

Rovescio.

[Illyricum65]

Età Imperiale:

a ) Tipologia con trofeo portato da un personaggio mitico (solitamente Marte o Vittoria)

Antoninus Pius. (138-161 AD). Orichalcum sestertius (30.90 gm). Rome, 143-144 AD. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, head

laureate right / IMPERATOR II S C, Victory flying right, holding trophy with both hands. BMCRE 1610. RIC 717a. Cohen 433. Brown patina. Extremely fine.

A British victory type: Antoninus won his second imperatorial acclamation, recorded in the reverse legend, for a victory of his governor Lollius Urbicus over the Brigantes. Urbicus also constructed the Antonine Wall from Forth to Clyde in Scotland.

Caracalla. AD 198-217. AV Aureus (7.46 g, 1h). Rome mint. Struck AD 213. ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA GERMANICA, Victory advancing right, holding trophy in left hand over left shoulder and wreath in extended right hand. RIC IV 237 var. (bust type); Calicó 2833; BMCRE 64 var. (break in rev. legend); Cohen 645 var. (bust type). EF, lustrous, shallow scratches in right field on reverse, light edge marks. Outstanding portrait.

This military reverse type is a direct reference to Caracalla's campaigns against the Alemanni, a confederation of Germanic tribes. Caracalla claimed a great military success against these tribes, and was subsequently awarded the title Germanicus Maximus by the Senate. In reality, peace was achieved through the establishment of regular subsidies which kept the tribes pacified, a success of propaganda that was becoming more common in the Empire. The reverse type closely imitates a popular victory type that was first used on sestertii of Trajan, commemorating his victorious Dacian campaigns (cf. RIC II 534).

Claudius II Aureus, Mediolanum 269-270, AV 4.37 g. IMP CLAV - DIVS AVG Laureate head l. Rev. V – IRT – V – S AVG Mars, in military attire, advancing r., holding spear and trophy. RIC –. C –. Calicò 3964. Huvelin- Lafaurie, RN 1980, 45 (this obverse die).

Extremely rare, only very few specimens know, and one the finest aurei of Claudius II in existence. A spectacular portrait of high style and an unusually good surface.

Insignificant die-break on reverse field, otherwise virtually as struck and Fdc

Ex Tkalec sale 2000, 368.

The final year of Gallienus’ reign was not altogether different from any of the fourteen years before: a Gothic invasion and a rebellion within the army, both of which had to be addressed simultaneously. In this case the difference was in the magnitude of the events, for we are told that the Gothic invasion of late 267 or early 268 involved 2,000 vessels and 320,000 soldiers. After the Goths had pillaged Greece, Thrace, Macedon, and even parts of Asia Minor, they suffered a crushing defeat near Naïssus where perhaps as many as 50,000 of them died in a single day. The victory is traditionally given to Claudius II ‘Gothicus’, but many scholars now attribute it to Gallienus. If the defeat was the work of Gallienus, then he was not afforded the opportunity to follow it up, because a rebellion at Milan by the commander Aureolus commanded his attention. This was a dangerous situation because Aureolus had taken control of Milan, one of the empire’s most strategic cities, and had allied himself with the Gallic rebel Postumus. (We are certain of this because during his revolt Aureolus struck coins at Milan in Postumus’ name.) By the time Gallienus arrived in northern Italy, the siege of Milan seems to have been initiated by the commander of the Dalmatian Cavalry, the future emperor Claudius II. Upon arriving in northern Italy, Gallienus assumed command of the siege. His reasons were certainly personal: Aureolus was a trusted commander whom Gallienus had already forgiven for an earlier revolt, perhaps in 262. Regardless, the takeover must have upset Claudius, who probably suspected Gallienus had arrived at the pivotal moment to capture the glory for himself. Claudius then conspired with other officers, including the future emperor Aurelian, to murder Gallienus. The deed was achieved as Gallienus emerged from his tent upon hearing a false alarm indicating a counter-offensive. After the promise of a liberal bribe, the soldiers hailed Claudius their new emperor, and he continued the siege until Aureolus had been ousted and executed.

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Modificato 15 Novembre, 2010 da Illyricum65

[gpittini]

Eccovi un asse di Traiano, con due trofei (RIC II, p.292, 681). Purtroppo è malandato.

[gpittini]

Rovescio

[gpittini]

Ecco M.Aurelio, sesterzio, GERMANIA SUBACTA. Condizioni orrende, accontentatevi.

[gpittini]

Rovescio.

[gpittini]

Questa invece è una bella moneta: Probo, VICTORIA GERM

[gpittini]

Rovescio. E per ora mi fermo.

[Illyricum65]

b ) Tipologia con trofeo e presenza di almeno un nemico prostrato

Septimius Severus, 193 – 211 Aureus 210, 7.08 g. SEVERVS – PIVS AVG Laureate head r. Rev. P M TR P XVIII COS III P P Victory advancing r., holding trophy over l. shoulder and leading captive by hand. C 544. BMC 23. RIC 237. Calicó 2517 (this coin). Biaggi 1096 (this coin). Rare.

VESPASIANUS, 69-79 Aureus, 69-70. AV 7.31 g. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG Laureate head r. Rev. IVDAEA Judaea, draped and veiled, seated r., on ground, propping her head on her l. hand, behind her, trophy. RIC 58, 1. C. 225. BN III, 89, 20. Calicó 141, 643. Very rare.

Lucius Verus. AD 161-169. Æ As (10.37 g, 11h). Rome mint. Struck AD 164. L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, bare head right / TR P IIII • IMP II COS II around, ARMEN in exergue, S C across field, Armenia seated left on ground in attitude of mourning; in background, shields, vexillum, and trophy. RIC III 1364 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 70-19/10; BMCRE 1135. Near EF, brown patina, traces of smoothing in fields.

Traianus, Aureus 117, 7.28 g. IMP CAES NER TRAIAN OPTIM AVG GER DAC PARTHICO Laureate bust r., with aegis on l. shoulder. Rev. P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R Two mourning captives seated on ground back to back with trophy between them; on either side of captive, bow in bow-case erect. In exergue, PARTHIA CAPTA. RIC 325 var. (globe below bust). BMC 606 var. (globe below bust). C 186 var. (globe below bust). Calicó 1037 (this coin). Biaggi 498 (this coin).

Trajan departed Rome in October, 113, to launch his last great campaign in the east. After rejecting a proposal by a Parthian embassy in Athens, Trajan moved onto Antioch, where he wintered in preparation for the anticipated Armenian campaign of 114. After the successful conclusion of this initial campaign, Trajan once again wintered in Antioch, and in the spring of 115 led his army into northern Mesopotamia and Adiabene; he found success in both places and added the former to the Empire. Trajan’s greatest triumph, however, did not come until 116, when he once again left Antioch, initially to revisit Adiabene, and then to march down the Tigris and sack the Parthian capital Ctesiphon. The campaign was an enormous success: the capital was stripped of its legendary wealth and by mid-116 the defeat of Parthia seemed complete. Afterward, Trajan felt sufficiently secure to make a brief excursion to the Persian Gulf. However, he soon realized his gains were ephemeral, and in an effort to preserve some control over the Parthians he installed the pro-Roman king Parthamaspates on the throne, but his puppet-king did not fare well. At the end of Trajan’s long and productive life he witnessed the consequences of his decades of expansionism, as revolts erupted in Armenia, Mesopotamia, Cyprus, Egypt, Cyrene, western North Africa and the Empire’s northern borders in Europe. Before Trajan could march westward to address some of these uprisings, he died while encamped in Cilicia. His successor, Hadrian, scaled back Trajan’s expanded empire to a more manageable size and as a result enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign.

This aureus was struck at the height of Trajan’s success, and is dated by Hill to early 117. The reverse type is of an ancient and familiar composition, with two dejected captives seated at the base of a trophy composed of arms and armour. In this case the captives are in Parthian attire with bows-in-cases upright at their feet. Beneath is the explicit and unapologetic inscription PARTHIA CAPTA.

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[Illyricum65]

Qualche tardo imperiale:

Non è un vero e proprio trionfo ma ci sono i due nemici a terra sotto lo stendardo ed è ... un classico:

Constantine I. AD 307/310-337. Æ Follis (19mm, 3.11 g, 6h). Londinium (London) mint. Struck AD 320-321. CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS EXERCIT, signum; bound captive seated to left and right; PLN. RIC VII 191. Good VF.

The output of the mints at Londinium, Lugdunum, and Treveri served as an important source of propaganda for the entirety of the western empire during the first quarter of the fourth century AD. Constantine and Licinius both drew upon a variety of reverse designs in order to signify such ideas as strength, tranquility, and prosperity, though matters between the two were ever-unstable as war broke out between them in AD 316, most likely over a mutual envy and mistrust of one another. The resulting peace in early AD 317 was short-lived and tensions were only subdued, as hostilities once again gradually increased, culminating in the battle of Chrysopolis in AD 324, the execution of the Licinii, and the sole-reign of the house of Constantine.

The virtue of the empire’s forces is represented and honored with the virtus exercit(um) type, and this particular coinage was possibly used for donatives to the troops.

CONSTANTIUS II. 3337-361 AD. AV Aureus (4.43 gm, 1h). Cyzicus mint. Struck 346 AD. FL IVL CONSTAN-TIVS PERP AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM, Victory advancing left, holding wreath inscribed XXV in raised right hand, extending palm in left hand and cradling trophy in left arm; to left, Persian kneeling facing, head right, raising both hands; SMKB. RIC VIII -; cf. Depeyrot 6/1 (Antioch); Hunter -; DOC -. Superb EF. An apparently unpublished type for this mint.

Shortly after becoming emperor, Constantius II was engaged in a renewed war against Persia. Key to the war was Nisibis, a city in northern Mesopotamia which could be used as a potential staging area for further operations against the Sasanians. In the spring of 346 AD Shahpur II decided to lay siege to the city for a second time, but his action proved unsuccessful, and the Persians forces retreated.

Solidi with this reverse are known from three eastern mints: Constantinople, Nicomedia, and Antioch. It is safe to assume that these coins were struck between 21 March 346 AD when, according to the Codex Theodosianus, Constantius II was residing in Antioch, and 26 May 346 AD, when he was in Constantinople. As he made his way slowly from capital to capital, coins were struck commemorating the lifting of the siege. Apparently his stops included Cyzicus, where this coin was struck.

Constantine II, 317-326. Solidus 317, Thessalonica. CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB CAESAR Armoured and draped bust, frontal, with laureate head turned to l. Rev. VIRTVS EXER – CITVS GALL Helmeted Mars, nude, advancing to r., chlamys flying l. and r. from shoulders. Holding trophy across l. shoulder with l. hand and transverse spear in r. hand. On ground line, r. and l., two captives. ·SM·TS· in exergue. 4,46 g. RIC 17. C. 263. Rare. Almost extremely fine.

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[gpittini]

DE GREGE EPICURI

Grazie Andrea, sono bellissime...ma ti eri preparato, dì la verità! Gli aurei formano un bel contrasto con alcuni miei bronzi quasi illeggibili, ma assieme si completano. A questo punto, aggiungo la Vittoria Germanica di Claudio 2°.

[gpittini]

Rovescio.

[Illyricum65]

da grandi mucchi di armi affastellate alla rinfusa, le stesse sopra indicate, cui si aggiungono schinieri, bracciali, frecce ed archi in quantità, a volte altri elementi poco identificabili.

Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Æ Sestertius (31mm, 28.62 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 177. M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARM TR P XXXI, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / IMP VIII COS III · P · P ·, pile of arms; DE GERMANIS in exergue. RIC III 1184 var. (bust neither draped nor cuirassed); MIR 18, 370-6/37; Banti 64. Near EF, green-brown patina. Exceptional reverse detail; rare.

This reverse type commemorates the victories of Marcus Aurelius over the Germanic tribes along the Danube frontier in the early 170s AD. Unlike many emperors who took credit for the campaigns of their generals, in this campaign Marcus personally led his legions. Aurelius also wrote his famous "Meditations" during this time along the frontier.

Commodus. AD 177-192. Æ Sestertius (29mm, 24.86 g, 12h). Struck AD 177. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / DE GERMANIS in exergue, large pile of German offensive and defensive arms, trumpet and standards. RIC III 1570 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 398-16/37; Banti 34. VF, brown patina.

Ciao

Illyricum

:)

PS: Gianfranco scusa se ho incasinato la tua esposizione!!

[gpittini]

E questa è Gallieno, GERMANICUS MAX V

[gpittini]

Rovescio.

[Matteo91]

complimenti per la discussione davvero interessante.

sarebbe bello se temi come questi non andassero persi nella sezione :rolleyes:

Modificato 15 Novembre, 2010 da Matteo91

[Mirko8710]

Ottimo lavoro come sempre Gianfranco e Illyricum! :D

Aggiungo qualche moneta:

Ottaviano. La prima è una commemorativa della battaglia di Naulochus, con il tempio di Diana e i trofei navali. Nella seconda, lo stesso, però al dritto c'è Augusto.

Questa, invece, è un Denario della gens Aemilia, con al Dritto la Concordia e al Rovescio il trofeo con Aemilivs Pavllvs Cr415 / 1

[Mirko8710]

Aggiungo, infine, qualche esempio non monetaro di trofeo. :D

Roma, Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella sull'Appia Antica - CIL VI 1274

Iscrizione con trofeo sulla sinistra.

Roma, scalinata che porta a Piazza del Campidoglio

Trofei di Mario.

Roma, colonna Traiana

Trofei daci.

Francia, Trofei delle Alpi - Particolare

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trofeo_delle_Alpi

Romania, Trofeo di Traiano

Ricostruzione del Mausoleo con in vetta il trofeo commemorativo della campagna dacica.

Domani vediamo se trovo qualche altra informazione...o moneta...:D

[Exergus]

Dopo il particolare della colonna Traiana dei trofei Daci postato da Mirko, aggiungo questo mia monetina di Traiano con la Dacia "afflitta" sotto un trofeo.

RIC II (1926) 223, 103-111 d.C.

D: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P

V: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Anche nella monetazione di Domiziano ci sono esempi di rovesci con trofei, intesi a celebrare le vittorie militari, in particolare la campagna contro i Catti.

Questo successo gli valse l'appellativo di Germanicus, apposto sulle monete a partire dall'anno 85.

Di seguito:

1) Sesterzio "Germania capta".

"Trophy; to left, captive German woman seated left on crossed shields in attitude of mourning; to right, captive German man standing right, looking left; shield to right."

[FlaviusDomitianus]

2) Altro Sesterzio:

"Victory standing right, foot on helmet, inscribing DE/GER in two lines on shield attached to trophy; at foot of trophy to right, Germania seated right, resting head on hand in attitude of mourning."