DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0438
Ianus bifrontal on coins 371
For this bold and somewhat grotesque device a precedent may be
found in the action of Sex. Pompeius Magnus Pius, the younger son
of the triumvir, who c. 45—44 B.C. struck asses in Spain bearing
as obverse design a head of Ianus with the features of Cn. Pompeius
Magnus (fig. 275)1. Commodus in turn was followed by Caracalla,
who a few years later (214 A.D.) visited Thrace and, posing as
Alexander redivivus, had himself painted in the Janiform type of
Fig. 275. Fig. 276.
' Alexander and Antoninus'2.' A propos of Commodus, we must rule
out one of his medallions (fig. 276), a bronze piece in the cabinet at
Arolsen, published by E. Gerhard in i86r! and still accepted as
genuine by W. H. Roscher in 18904 and by J. Toutain in 1899/.
On it the emperor in the guise of Ianus, with one face bearded, the
other beardless, holds a staff in his left hand and lays his right on
a hoop (described by courtesy as an arch"), from which the four
Numismatists differ in naming the emperor's partner. Gnecchi loc. cit. says ' Ercole';
H. Cohen loc. cit., 'Hercule'; H. A. Grueber in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Medallions p. 25,
'Janus'; W. Frohner loc. cit., 'Jupiter'; W. Kubitschek loc. cit., ' Juppiter.'
1 Morell. Thes. Num. Fam. Rom. i. 334f. pi. Pompeia r, 5, Babelon Monti, rep. rom.
ii. 351 no. 20 fig., Brit. Mus. Cat. Rom. Coins Rep. ii. 371 f. pi. ior, 13 and 14.
A. Boutkowski Dictionnaire numismatique Leipzig 1881 p. i2f. nos. 25, 26. I figure
a specimen in my collection.
Since Sex. Pompeius after the battle of Munda (45 B.C.) rallied the troops that had
served under his father and brother, who both bore the name Cn. Pompeius Magnus, it
is just conceivable that this Janiform head was intended to combine the paternal and
fraternal features. Aurei of Sex. Pompeius, struck soon after 42 B.C., have obv. his own
head in an oak-wreath, rev. the heads of his father and brother confronted (Morell. op. cit.
i. 335 ff. pi. Pompeia 1, 6, Babelon op. cit. ii. 353 no. 24 fig., Brit. Mus. Cat. Rom. Coins
Rep. ii. 561 pi. 120, 9 and 10, Boutkowski op. cit. p. 99 ff. no. 238, G. F. Hill Historical
Roman Coins London 1909 p. 126 ff. pi. 13, 78). See further infra p. 389 n. 2.
2 Herodian. 4. 8.
3 E. Gerhard in the Arch. Zeit. 1861 xix. 137 pi. 147, 8 (=my fig. 276) and 9 with
comments by F. Wieseler ib. pp. 138—140.
4 W. H. Roscher in his Lex. Myth. ii. 38, 52 fig.
5 J. Toutain in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iii. 612 fig. 4141.
H W. H. Roscher locc. citt.: 'seine R. legt er auf einen offenen Bogen (ianus = fores
caeli),' 'die R. legt er auf einen Ianusbogen.'
24—2
For this bold and somewhat grotesque device a precedent may be
found in the action of Sex. Pompeius Magnus Pius, the younger son
of the triumvir, who c. 45—44 B.C. struck asses in Spain bearing
as obverse design a head of Ianus with the features of Cn. Pompeius
Magnus (fig. 275)1. Commodus in turn was followed by Caracalla,
who a few years later (214 A.D.) visited Thrace and, posing as
Alexander redivivus, had himself painted in the Janiform type of
Fig. 275. Fig. 276.
' Alexander and Antoninus'2.' A propos of Commodus, we must rule
out one of his medallions (fig. 276), a bronze piece in the cabinet at
Arolsen, published by E. Gerhard in i86r! and still accepted as
genuine by W. H. Roscher in 18904 and by J. Toutain in 1899/.
On it the emperor in the guise of Ianus, with one face bearded, the
other beardless, holds a staff in his left hand and lays his right on
a hoop (described by courtesy as an arch"), from which the four
Numismatists differ in naming the emperor's partner. Gnecchi loc. cit. says ' Ercole';
H. Cohen loc. cit., 'Hercule'; H. A. Grueber in the Brit. Mus. Cat. Medallions p. 25,
'Janus'; W. Frohner loc. cit., 'Jupiter'; W. Kubitschek loc. cit., ' Juppiter.'
1 Morell. Thes. Num. Fam. Rom. i. 334f. pi. Pompeia r, 5, Babelon Monti, rep. rom.
ii. 351 no. 20 fig., Brit. Mus. Cat. Rom. Coins Rep. ii. 371 f. pi. ior, 13 and 14.
A. Boutkowski Dictionnaire numismatique Leipzig 1881 p. i2f. nos. 25, 26. I figure
a specimen in my collection.
Since Sex. Pompeius after the battle of Munda (45 B.C.) rallied the troops that had
served under his father and brother, who both bore the name Cn. Pompeius Magnus, it
is just conceivable that this Janiform head was intended to combine the paternal and
fraternal features. Aurei of Sex. Pompeius, struck soon after 42 B.C., have obv. his own
head in an oak-wreath, rev. the heads of his father and brother confronted (Morell. op. cit.
i. 335 ff. pi. Pompeia 1, 6, Babelon op. cit. ii. 353 no. 24 fig., Brit. Mus. Cat. Rom. Coins
Rep. ii. 561 pi. 120, 9 and 10, Boutkowski op. cit. p. 99 ff. no. 238, G. F. Hill Historical
Roman Coins London 1909 p. 126 ff. pi. 13, 78). See further infra p. 389 n. 2.
2 Herodian. 4. 8.
3 E. Gerhard in the Arch. Zeit. 1861 xix. 137 pi. 147, 8 (=my fig. 276) and 9 with
comments by F. Wieseler ib. pp. 138—140.
4 W. H. Roscher in his Lex. Myth. ii. 38, 52 fig.
5 J. Toutain in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iii. 612 fig. 4141.
H W. H. Roscher locc. citt.: 'seine R. legt er auf einen offenen Bogen (ianus = fores
caeli),' 'die R. legt er auf einen Ianusbogen.'
24—2