Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (1.1996)

the support from Spanish and Gallic provinces proved crucial in his ascendency.
In his coinage, Spain personified appears at regular intervals throughout his reign.37
The overthrow of Vitelius and the assumption of power in the empire by Vespasian
forced the new regime to seek political allies. The memory of Galba must have
been vivid in Spanish and Gallic provinces. So much morę so far the fact that
they had received a number of tax privileges from him. This fact was something
that Vespasian - who had been acclaimed by the army in the East - had to
reckon with. Yet, in his coinage, the personification of Spain appears only in
69-70 A.D. and is struck only in one type in a local mint in Tarraco.38 Since it
was there that Galba had declared himself the "legate of the Roman people" in
68 A.D., Vespasian's propaganda appears to be making a reference to the event.
Later the type was discontinued. Vespasian's propaganda referring to the prov-
inces is limited to recounting his military successes in Judea.

Summarizing this review of the propaganda motifs used on Vespasian's coins
and borrowed from Galba's coinage, it is thus important to stress a number of
essential points.

First, we need to remember that C.M. Kraay's39 research on Galba's bronze
coinage finally refuted the belief current in early twentieth-century literaturę
that a number of this emperor's propaganda motifs was struck on Vespasian's
order after Galba's death. The striking resemblance between the themes on the
coins of both rulers must therefore be reinterpreted. One of Vespasian's most
urgent propaganda tasks was to create an image of the new ruler and his closest
family (especially sons Titus and Domitian). Vespasian himself, too, needed suf-
ficient legitimacy for his power. Vespasian had ascended to power in the second
half of 69 A.D. as a result of the developments of 68/69 A.D. This fact reąuired
the emperorsY propaganda to refer to the still vivid memory of the civil war
and its consequences.

We might risk claiming that out of the emperors of 68-69 A.D., the person
politically the closest to Flavius was, despite some reservations, nonę other than
Galba.40 Hence it seems understandable that Vespasian should take up at least
some propaganda motifs in Galba's cornage. Moreover, in the first years of his
reign, Vespasian madę use of the mints previously working for Galba.

Tire above examples of the recephon of Galba's propaganda motifs in Vespasian's
coinage have elear chronological and thematic limitations.

A lion's share of the examples cited datę from 69-73 A.D. The reference, how-
ever, is to the events of 68-69 A.D. as they echo the heated political propaganda
of the time.

Among the motifs that were continued throughout Vespasian's principate
are only those that referred to the ruler's personal ąualities and virtues. This
theme, as morę universal and topical, was constantly broadened by original de-
signs developed under Yespasian.

37 RIC2 vol. 1 (Galba), Nos. 1-3; 19-21; 50;; 86; 144; 155; 190-193; 225-226; 515.

38 RIC, vol. 2 (Vespasian), No. 256.

39 C.M. Kraay, The Aes Coinage..., pp. 47-50; cf. C.H.V. Sutherland, RIC2, vol. 1, pp. 222-224.

40 Cf. J. Gage, Yespasien..., pp. 292-293; 296-297.

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