La Lupa Capitolina

[Illyricum65]

Ciao,

uno dei miei ultimi acquisti è un sesterzio di Antonino Pio. “Vissuto”, o più correttamente detto “circolato”, ha un bel modulo (32.5 mm) e un bel peso (ben 28 gr). L’ho acquistato anche per un buon rapporto qualità/prezzo rispetto ad un’iconografia tipicamente latina e non troppo comune sui sesterzi: la Lupa che allatta i gemelli. Se n’era parlato già alcuni anni fa:

http://www.lamoneta.it/topic/47968-sesterzio-antonino-pio/

Non comunissimo, trae in genere buone quotazioni, a mio parere, proprio per l’iconografia del rovescio. E’ stato emesso come sesterzio, asse e denario, contraddistinti da diverse legende e, nel caso dell'asse, dalla presenza di una imbarcazione stilizzata in exergo.

Questo dovrebbe essere il RIC III, 630 a: al rovescio si intravvede sopra il profilo della grotta, in campo sinistro, il residuo della C di COS III. Per cui l’ho classificato come segue:

Antoninus Pius, RIC III, 630 a, Cohen 174, AE Sesterzio. [AN]TONINVS AVG PIVS [P P TR P], testa laureata rivolta a destra / C[OS III], La Lupa che allatta Romolo e Remo nel Lupercale. SC in exergo. Rated “S”.

Dettaglio della "C" residua.

[Illyricum65]

Tralasciando tutti gli aspetti sulla famosa statua

(dai quali sembra, sulla base di recenti studi approfonditi, si tratti di una copia di età medioevale e non un originale o copia romana di età etrusca come supposto precedentemente…) mi son chiesto se esistessero altre monete sul tema.

Secondo la mitologia romana la Lupa è stato l'animale leggendario che, nell'antica Roma, si prese cura dei due gemelli Romolo e Remo.

… La leggenda narra che Rea Silvia, che era una vestale, fu violentata dal dio Marte, e da questa unione nacquero due gemelli. Amulio, fratello del nonno di Romolo e Remo, che si impadronì del trono di Alba Longa, li fece gettare nel Tevere dentro ad una cesta per evitare che, da grandi, potessero rivendicare il trono usurpato finchè il pastore Faustolo li recuperò. La cesta nella quale i gemelli erano stati adagiati si arenò in una pozza d'acqua sulla riva, presso la palude del Velabro tra Palatino e Campidoglio in un luogo chiamato Cermalus. Quando le acque del fiume si ritirarono, la cesta rimase all'asciutto ai piedi di un albero di fico (il ficus ruminalis). Altre fonti fanno coincidere il punto dove si fermò la cesta con i gemelli con una grotta collocata alla base del Palatino, detta "Luparcale" perché sacra a Marte e a Fauno Luperco.Una lupa, scesa dai monti al fiume per abbeverarsi, fu attirata dai vagiti dei due bambini, li raggiunse e si mise ad allattarli ed a curarli finchè il pastore Faustolo li recuperò. (Liberamente tratto da Livio, Ab Urbe condita, Liber I).

Alcuni anni fa è stata scoperta probabilmente la Grotta del Lupercale, oggetto di vari adattamenti per la trasformazione in luogo di culto…

http://www.romanoimpero.com/2011/09/lupercale.html

http://www.gruppiarcheologici.org/news_pubblicazioni/nuova_archeologia/na_4-1.pdf

solo per riportare alcuni link.

[Illyricum65]

Tornando in tema numismatico, alcune monete che ritraggono la Lupa sono abbastanza comuni e note:

URBS ROMA, 326-340 AD. Æ Follis (2.22 gm) of Trier. Helmeted bust of Roma / Wolf suckling twins. RIC.529. Mint State, brown patina.

Ma un tema mitico come quello della fondazione di Roma non poteva non affondare le radici nel periodo Repubblicano:

Sextans circa 217-215, Æ 21.34 g. She-wolf suckling twins; in exergue, two pellets. Rev. ROMA Eagle

standing r., holding flower in beak; behind, two pellets. Sydenham 95. Crawford 39/3. Dark green patina and very fine.

In associazione con l’Aquila… quale miglior connubbio a rappresentare Roma?

ROMAN REPUBLIC. Sex. Pompeius Fostlus (137 BC) - L. Antestius Gragulus (136 BC). AR denarius. Pompeius Fostlus (137 BC). AR denarius (3.91 gm). Head of Roma right / She-wolf standing right, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; behind, birds on a fig tree; to left, shepherd. Crawford 235/1c. Sydenham 461. Pompeia 1a. Toned. Scratch on obverse. Very Fine.

Anonymous (115-114 BC). AR denarius (19mm, 3.70 gm, 10h). Rome. Helmeted head of Roma right; denomination mark behind / Roma seated right on pile of shields, resting on spear; at her feet, she-wolf standing right, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; to either side, bird in flight. Crawford 287/1. Sydenham 530. RSC 176. Edge nick on obverse. With beautiful iridescent toning. Nearly Extremely Fine.

P. Satrienus (77 BC). AR denarius (3.88 gm). Rome. Head of Mars right, XXXXI behind / She-wolf walking left, ROMA above, P. SATRIE/NVS below. Crawford 388/1b. Sydenham 781a. Satriena 1. Toned. Good Very Fine.

Senza gemelli ma con la scritta ROMA a evidenziarne il legame.

[Illyricum65]

Ma in seguito è abbastanza comune nel Primo Impero:

Vespasian, 69 – 79

Sestertius, 71, Æ 28.39 g. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG PM TR P COS III Laureate head r., with aegis Rev. S – C Roma seated r. on the seven hills propping head on r. hand and holding sceptre in l.; to l., wolf and twins; to r., river Tiber. C 404. BMC 774 (these dies). RIC 108 (these dies). CBN 523.

Extremely rare, only one reverse die known of this important issue. Dark brown-green patina expertly smoothed with loss of Roma’s helmet-crest from former area of corrosion on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine.

Ex Leu 50, 1990, 291, NAC 7, 1994, 706 and Vinchon 22 May 1995, 289 sales. From the Luc Girard collection.

Rome could hardly be better represented than by this remarkable type of Vespasian, which shows the eponymous Dea Roma seated rather at ease amongst the seven hills of Rome, her sword sheathed, with the river-god Tiberis at her feet, and at her side the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus.

This Roma renascens ('Rome reborn') type, is consciously antiquarian, and can be seen as a reflection of Rome's emergence from the violent civil war that raged from 68 to 69, the first such test of Rome in a century. As the victor in the contest and the restorer of stability to the empire, Vespasian could justly claim the privilege of using this type.

The design was used only for sestertii of the first and second issues of the Rome mint in 71. Its most unusual feature is the representation of the seven hills of Rome. The city was called Septicollis because seven hills were enclosed within the Servian Wall, representing the extent of the original city; only later would outlying areas, including the Vatican Hill, be enclosed within the larger circuit wall built by Aurelian. Represented on this coin are the Palatinus, Quirinalis, Aventinus, Coelius, Viminalius, Esquilinus, and Tarpeius (Capitolinus) hills.

According to popular mythology recorded by Livy, which the Romans took as national history, Rome was founded at the spot where the twins had been left to drown as infants, and subsequently were raised. When they began to build the city, Remus wished it to be named Remuria, and Romulus preferred Roma, and they quarrelled over who should rule the new city.

In one version of the tale they left the decision to the tutelary gods of the countryside. The signs of the augury were interpreted differently by supporters of each; blind with ambition, fraternal combat ensued in which Remus was killed. An alternative tradition suggests that Romulus killed Remus in an act of vengeance for his having mocked his brother by jumping over the half-built walls of the new settlement.

[Illyricum65]

Il tema viene ripreso dai suoi figli:

Titus as Caesar. 70-79 AD. Aureus, 7.20g. (h). Rome, 77-8 AD. Obv: T CAESAR IMP - VESPASIANVS Head laureate right. Rx: COS VI in exergue, Roma, helmeted, seated right on two shields, left foot on helmet, holding slanting scepter before her; at her feet wolf standing right, head turned back, suckling the Twins; in left and right field two eagles flying towards her. RIC 954 (C ). BM 223, pl. 6.18 (same reverse die). Paris 197. Cohen 64 (50 Fr.). Calico 738a. The reverse type copies a Republican denarius, Crawford 287/1. Good VF/EF.

Domitian, as Caesar, AV Aureus. Rome, 77-8 AD. CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS, laureate head right / She-wolf sucking infants Romulus & Remus, COS V above, boat in ex. RIC 241; Calico 820; Cohen 50. 7.48g, 21mm, 5h. Extremely Fine. Struck on a broad flan with full borders.

Domitian, AD 81-96. AR Denarius minted at Rome as Caesar by Vespasian, AD 77-78. Laureate head right of Domitian. Reverse: Wolf left suckling twins; in exergue, boat. RIC 961. Superb Extremely Fine. Several reverse types were restitution issues, selected by the Flavians, stressing continuity with the founding of Rome and the AD first century.

[Illyricum65]

Quindi, dopo i Flavi...

Trajan (AD 98-117). Æ quadrans (18mm, 3.36 gm, 7h). Rome, AD 101-117. IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG, laureate head of Trajan right / She-wolf crouching right, seemingly at bay; S C in exergue. RIC 691. Cohen 338. Scarce and exquisite, like a sestertius in miniature. Sharply struck and possessing a perfect olive green patina. Choice Extremely Fine.

Hadrian, AD 117-138. Gold Aureus (7.15 g) minted at Rome, c. AD 125-128 or later. Laureate head right of Hadrian with slight drapery on left shoulder. Reverse: She-wolf left suckling twins. RIC 193; C. 422. Faint signs of burnishing in the fields. Nonetheless, attractive high relief portrait with some luster remaining . Choice Very Fine. .

The legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, are depicted in classic pose as infants .

Anche i Celti del Danubio imitano il tipo…

Danube Celts.

Denarius. Imitation of the types of Hadrian and Domitian. Imitative legend on obverse. Laureate head of Hadrian to r. Rev. She-wolf with the twins. COS III above. 3,02 g. Almost extremely fine.

[Illyricum65]

Antoninus Pius, 138 – 161, Caesar 138.

Denarius 140/143, Rome. ANTONINVS – AVG PIVS PP Bare head to r. Rev. TR POT COS III She-wolf to r. suckling the Twins in grotto. 3,17 g. RIC 95 (erroneously missing PP in obv. legend). BMC 243. C. 914. Very rare. Portion of edge broken off. Otherwise good very fine.

Marco Aurelio riprende l’iconografia di Antonino Pio:

MARCUS AURELIUS. 161-180 AD. Æ As (26mm - 11.86 g). Rome mint. Struck 180 AD. M AVREL ANTO-NINVS AVG, laureate head right / TR P XXXIIII IMP X COS III P P, SC in exergue, She-wolf standing right, suckling twins in cave. RIC III 1247; BMCRE 1715; Cohen 976. VF, dark green patina with some light deposits.

Ex Tone Hardy Collection (CNG E120), lot 194.

[Illyricum65]

Anche nel travagliato III secolo ci si richiama alla leggenda della Lupa ed i gemelli e Filippo ripropone il tema durante i Giochi Secolari:

Philip I (244-249), Sestertius,Rome, AD 248, AE, (g 18,45, mm 31, h 6). IMP [M I]VL PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate draped and cuirassed bust r., Rv. SAECVLARES AVGG, she-wolf standing l., suckling twins; in ex. S C. RIC 159; C 179.

Bold portrait. Green patina. Extremely fine.

PHILIP I, 244-249 AD. AR Antoninianus (3.46 gm) of Rome 248 AD. Radiate draped bust / Wolf and twins standing left. RSC.178. RIC.15. VF+. Millennium of Rome commemorative.

Quindi anche Gallieno...

Gallienus. AD 253-268. Antoninianus (23mm, 4.66 g, 6h). Antioch mint. 12th emission, AD 264-265. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / She-wolf standing right, suckling the twins Remus and Romulus; SPQR in exergue. RIC V 628; MIR 36, 1628i; RSC 46a. VF, edge flaw at 6h, two minor edge cracks noticeable only on the reverse.

[Illyricum65]

Anche l’usurpatore Carausio ne fece uso:

Carausius, 286 – 293

Denarius, Londinium circa 287-289, AR 4.94 g. IMP CARAVSIVS P F AVG Laureate, draped and

cuirassed bust r. Rev. RENOVAT ROMANO She-wolf standing r., suckling Romulus and Remus; in

exergue, RSR. C 293. RIC 571. Shiel 68. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, possibly the finest denarius of Carausius in existence. A very attractive portrait struck on an unusually good metal with a delightful old cabinet tone. Extremely fine Ex NFA sale XX, 1988, 459.

Carausius was a man of considerable talent who rose from humble origins in Menapia, a seafaring region between the Waal and the Scheldt rivers, to achieve command of the Channel Fleet and, ultimately, to found his own empire. Whether Carausius abused his authority over the Channel fleet or he was a victim of false accusations, the issuance of an arrest warrant caused the new commander to believe his only chance for survival was to stage a revolt, using Britain as his base. After making landfall and forging agreements with the Scots and the Picts, Carausius defeated the army of the Roman governor Quintus Bassianus and absorbed many of those soldiers into his own army. He was in a good position at the start of his revolt, for he had an expert knowledge of the waters surrounding the island, there were many new fortresses along the Saxon shore, and Maximianus was distracted by persistent warfare on the Rhine. This gave Carausius a chance to develop his philosophy of governance, which included copying much of what he admired about the Roman Empire and its ancient institutions. This denarius, for example, celebrates the foundation of Rome by portraying the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. It goes a step further with the inscription RENOVAT ROMANO, which presents his own enterprise as an effort to restore the greatness of a bygone era. It is easy to recognise why Maxentius, a nobleman who later would revolt in Rome, adopted this approach to his public messages, but it is remarkable that a provincial of humble origin would attempt this in a remote corner of the empire. In the process, Carausius spared no aspect of empire-building: he hosted Saecular Games, held consulships and even assumed the titles pontifex maximus and pater patriae.

[Illyricum65]

PROBUS. 276-282 AD. Antoninianus (22mm - 2.56 g). IMP C PROBVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / ORIGINI AVG, she-wolf standing right, head turned left, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; XXIT. RIC V 703. VF/good VF, dark greenish-brown patina, obverse a little rough. Rare reverse type.

Tacitus, 275 – 276

Aureus 275-276, 4.25 g. IMP C M CL T – ACITVS AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust l., holding spear and shield decorated with she-wolf and twins. Rev. ROMAE AE – TERNAE Roma seated l., holding globe and sceptre; beside seat, shield. C 113. RIC 10. Calicó 4106 (this coin). Biaggi 1603 (this coin).

Very rare and an interesting and unusual portrait. A nick on obverse field and a scuff on

reverse at nine o’clock, otherwise about extremely fine

Quindi tocca a Massenzio, che richiama il simbolo della Romanità e si propone come suo realizzatore...

Maxentius, 306 – 312

Argenteus, Ostia circa 308-309, AR 2.91 g. MAXENTI – VS P F AVG Laureate head r. Rev. TEMPORVM FELICITAS AVG N She-wolf l., suckling twins; in exergue, M OSTA. C 107. RIC 13. Extremely rare. Old cabinet tone and good very fine Ex Naville-Ars Classica XVII, 1934, Evans, 1874; Glendining’s Novemeber 1948, Sydenham, 573; NFA XXV, 1990, 485; Sotheby’s July 1996, 176 and NAC 40, 2007, 849 sales.

This argenteus bears one of the most optimistic and patriotic of Maxentius’ coin types: the canonical scene of the wolf and twins – the emblem of Rome itself – and an inscription that proclaims the "happiness of the times of our emperor". Though this might have fit well with the earliest of this rebel’s coinage, it was struck in 308 or 309, a staggering low-point of his fortunes. Romans of the day who handled this coin must have considered Maxentius half mad for his tireless optimism in the face of what appeared to be the imminent collapse of his regime. The odds were strongly against Maxentius in this period, as he was struck with numerous setbacks: in 308 he survived a coup attempt by his own father and he was confirmed as an outlaw at Carnuntum, and in 309 his son Romulus died, Licinius wrested away some of his northeastern territory, and the rebellion of Alexander, vicar of North Africa, caused panic and starvation in Rome, where Maxentius had to send out the praetorian guards to suppress riots that resulted in the death of some six thousand citizens. But at the end of 309 Maxentius was still in command, and he had sent his prefect Volusianus on a naval expedition to reclaim North Africa from the rebel Alexander. The venture was a brutal success which allowed Maxentius to survive at least two years longer, achieving precisely six years of rule before he drowned in the Tiber during a retreat from the battle at the Milvian Bridge against Constantine.

Maxentius, 307-312. Follis (AE, 6.79 g 6), Ostia, 309. IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG Laureate head of Maxentius to right. Rev. AETERNITAS AVG N/MOST Wolf and twins between Castor and Pollux, each holding the reins of his horse. RIC 16. Attractive brown patina. Extremely fine.

Ex Tkalec, 23 October 1992, 460.

[Illyricum65]

Ed anche I barbari, dopo la caduta dell’Impero emetteranno monete con la Lupa e I gemelli..

Ostrogothic. Athalaric. Quasi-Autonomous. 526-534 AD. Follis, 15.08g. (h). Rome. Obv: INVICT - A ROMA Helmeted bust of Roma right. Rx: She-wolf standing left, head front, suckling Romulus and Remus. Above, XL. In exergue, III between two pellets (officina 4). MEC 96. MIB I, pl. 40, 70. Metlich 82a. Ranieri -. Wroth, BMC Vandals p. 104, 25, pl. XIV, 2. Green patination. VF.

Anche in ambito provinciale ci sono emissioni sul tema (mi limito a due esemplari di Gordiano III per non… uscire dalla Sezione):

PISIDIA, Antioch. Gordian III, 238-244 AD. Æ34 (26.89 gm). Laureate head / Wolf and twins. SNG.BN.1199. VF+, brown patina.

Lycaonia, Gordian III (238-244), Bronze,Iconium, c. AD 240-244, AE, (g 28,82, mm 34, h 6). IMP C M ANTONI GORDIANVS, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r., Rv. ICONIESI (sic!) ADRIA COL, the Capitoline Wolf r., suckling Romulus and Remus under ficus ruminalis; in ex. S P. Von Aulock, Lykaoniens –; BMC –; SNG BnF-; SNG Copenhagen –; SNG Leypold –; SNG Righetti 1458 (same dies)..

Very rare. Brown tone. Very fine.

Ex Gorny & Mosch sale 134, 2004, 2024.

Ancora oggi, riprendendo lo stile di chiusura di un post sull'Aquila... la Lupa viene portata sui vessilli per scopi meno cultuali, o mitologici. Cambiano i tempi...

Ciao

Illyricum

:)