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DOI Artikel:Boruch, Wojciech: The language of propaganda of the year of the four emperors in the light of imperial coinage
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22229#0071
THE LANGUAGE OF PROPAGANDA OF THE YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS...
on Otho’s coinage. Perhaps the raler regarded the motif Libertas inappropriate, as
he thought himself to be Nero’s heir. The motto Libertas Rest i tuta appears again on
the coinage of the emperor Vitellius struck in a Spanish mint (Tarraco?), probably
as early as in the first three months of the year AD 69. It may therefore be assumed
with a high degree of probability that at least in Spain Vitellius wanted, to a cer-
tain extent, to carry on Galba’s linę of propaganda28. The motif Libertas Restituta
on yitellius’ coinage was morę common in issues produced in the mint of Romę29
PI. 2, Fig. 3). Apart from that, the mint issued the rarer Libertas Augusti S-C, the type
of seemingly less importance to Vitellius30. Only a few of these forms of political
concept were taken by Vespasian from Galba, namely LIBERTAS PVBLICA31 (PI. 3,
Fig. 6), LIBERTAS RESTITVTA32 and LIBERTAS AVGVSTI S.C.33. By doing so,
Vespasian accepted the basie propaganda message of Galba’s rule, which concer-
ned the restoration of the broadly understood political freedom34 * * * * *. It is interesting
Rebellion and Reconstruction..., p. 33; L. SCHUMACHER, „Inicjatywy socjalne cesarzy rzymskich w świetle
źródeł numizmatycznych”, Xenia Posnaniensia, 9, pp. 14-15.
2K R1C2, vol. 1 (Yitellius) No. 9 - the importance of the type is stressed by the fact that it was minted in gold;
cf. Nos. 43^14 (asses) - both on gold and on small-denomination bronze coinage the reverse legend is accompanied
by standing Libertas in military dress, head tumed right,/h/ews in her right hand and long stick in the left.
29RlC2,vol. 1 (Vitellius) Nos. 69, 80-81, 104-105. Minted in silver and gold - the representation next to the
legend on the reverse is the same as in the case of the Spanish issues. For Libertas Restituta in Yitellius see M. R.
ALFOLDI, Bild und Bildersprache der rómischen Kaiser. Beispiele und Analysen, Mainz 1999, p. 137. See also
JUCKER, „Vitellius“, p. 340 who thinks that Vitelłius through certain “democratic” moves desired to achieve suc-
cess comparable to that enjoyed as the leader of the Germanie army and to make his image morę serious.
30 RIC2, vol. 1 (Vitellius) No. 128 (dupondius/as) - on the reverse - standing Libertas in military dress, head
tumed right,pileus in the right hand and a traverse stick in the left. See M. GRANT, Dwunastu Cezarów, Warszawa
1997, p. 180, who indicates that “Vitellius was the first ruler proclaiming LIBERTAS AVGVSTI, freedom granted
by the emperor, which is morę distinct and morę personal than the LIBERTAS AVGVSTA of Claudius - freedom
characterizing the imperial system”.
31 I.A. CARRADICE, T.V. BUTTREY, The Roman Imperial Coinage, volume II - Part 1, Second fully re-
vised edition: From AD 69-96 Yespasian to Domitian, London 2007, (later RIC2, vol. 2) (Vespasian) Nos. 1339
(denarius), 272 (dupondius), 309-310 (asses) - the reverse legend illustrated with standing Libertas in military
dress, head tumed right, pileus in the right hand and long rod in the left, and in the case of Nos. 82-87, 173-174,
237 (sestertii) - sceptre instead of rod.
32 H. MATTINGLY, E.A. SYDENHAM, The Roman Imperial Coinage, vol. 11: Yespasian to Hadrian, Lon-
don 1926, (later RIC, vol. 2) (Yespasian) No. 290 (denarius) - a traditional presentation of Libertas with her stan-
dard attributes; Cf. RIC2, vol. 2 (Vespasian) Nos. 88-89 (sestertii) - the reverse legend accompanied by a scene
with Yespasian standing on the left and outstretching his right hand to raise a kneeling woman {Libertas?), the
personification of standing Roma behind them.
33 RIC2, vol. 2 (Vespasian) Nos. 171-172 (sestertii) - the reverse legend accompanied by standing Libertas
in military dress, with wreath and sceptre. The motto LIBERTAS AVG(VSTA) appeared also on gold coins (aurei)
from Syria-A. BURNETT, M. AMANDRY, I. CARRIDACE, Roman Provincial Coinage, vol. II: From Yespasian
to Domitian (AD 69-96), London 1999, Nos. 1901 and 1917 (later RPC, vol. 2).
34 See LEVICK, Yespasian, pp. 72-73, who draws attention to the complicated political situation in which
Vespasian found himself between Vitełlius’s death and his coming in person to Romę. The newly created emperor
had to consider the atmosphere among the Danubian army previously loyal to Otho and still numerous Galba
supporters, especially among the capitaFs financial elite. See also notes Nos. 22-23 pp. 229-230; see differently
CAH X, p. 276. See also GAGE, « Vespasien... », p. 293, who claims that Vespasian was satisfied with some restric-
tions regarding Galba’s honouring, which some senators tried to overly emphasize, and the name of Galba was re-
habilitated. The author also thinks (p. 308) that it is correct to attribute the so-called Galba posthumous issues to the
mint of Lugdunum, which were probably struck in the last months of the year AD 68, and the differences between
on Otho’s coinage. Perhaps the raler regarded the motif Libertas inappropriate, as
he thought himself to be Nero’s heir. The motto Libertas Rest i tuta appears again on
the coinage of the emperor Vitellius struck in a Spanish mint (Tarraco?), probably
as early as in the first three months of the year AD 69. It may therefore be assumed
with a high degree of probability that at least in Spain Vitellius wanted, to a cer-
tain extent, to carry on Galba’s linę of propaganda28. The motif Libertas Restituta
on yitellius’ coinage was morę common in issues produced in the mint of Romę29
PI. 2, Fig. 3). Apart from that, the mint issued the rarer Libertas Augusti S-C, the type
of seemingly less importance to Vitellius30. Only a few of these forms of political
concept were taken by Vespasian from Galba, namely LIBERTAS PVBLICA31 (PI. 3,
Fig. 6), LIBERTAS RESTITVTA32 and LIBERTAS AVGVSTI S.C.33. By doing so,
Vespasian accepted the basie propaganda message of Galba’s rule, which concer-
ned the restoration of the broadly understood political freedom34 * * * * *. It is interesting
Rebellion and Reconstruction..., p. 33; L. SCHUMACHER, „Inicjatywy socjalne cesarzy rzymskich w świetle
źródeł numizmatycznych”, Xenia Posnaniensia, 9, pp. 14-15.
2K R1C2, vol. 1 (Yitellius) No. 9 - the importance of the type is stressed by the fact that it was minted in gold;
cf. Nos. 43^14 (asses) - both on gold and on small-denomination bronze coinage the reverse legend is accompanied
by standing Libertas in military dress, head tumed right,/h/ews in her right hand and long stick in the left.
29RlC2,vol. 1 (Vitellius) Nos. 69, 80-81, 104-105. Minted in silver and gold - the representation next to the
legend on the reverse is the same as in the case of the Spanish issues. For Libertas Restituta in Yitellius see M. R.
ALFOLDI, Bild und Bildersprache der rómischen Kaiser. Beispiele und Analysen, Mainz 1999, p. 137. See also
JUCKER, „Vitellius“, p. 340 who thinks that Vitelłius through certain “democratic” moves desired to achieve suc-
cess comparable to that enjoyed as the leader of the Germanie army and to make his image morę serious.
30 RIC2, vol. 1 (Vitellius) No. 128 (dupondius/as) - on the reverse - standing Libertas in military dress, head
tumed right,pileus in the right hand and a traverse stick in the left. See M. GRANT, Dwunastu Cezarów, Warszawa
1997, p. 180, who indicates that “Vitellius was the first ruler proclaiming LIBERTAS AVGVSTI, freedom granted
by the emperor, which is morę distinct and morę personal than the LIBERTAS AVGVSTA of Claudius - freedom
characterizing the imperial system”.
31 I.A. CARRADICE, T.V. BUTTREY, The Roman Imperial Coinage, volume II - Part 1, Second fully re-
vised edition: From AD 69-96 Yespasian to Domitian, London 2007, (later RIC2, vol. 2) (Vespasian) Nos. 1339
(denarius), 272 (dupondius), 309-310 (asses) - the reverse legend illustrated with standing Libertas in military
dress, head tumed right, pileus in the right hand and long rod in the left, and in the case of Nos. 82-87, 173-174,
237 (sestertii) - sceptre instead of rod.
32 H. MATTINGLY, E.A. SYDENHAM, The Roman Imperial Coinage, vol. 11: Yespasian to Hadrian, Lon-
don 1926, (later RIC, vol. 2) (Yespasian) No. 290 (denarius) - a traditional presentation of Libertas with her stan-
dard attributes; Cf. RIC2, vol. 2 (Vespasian) Nos. 88-89 (sestertii) - the reverse legend accompanied by a scene
with Yespasian standing on the left and outstretching his right hand to raise a kneeling woman {Libertas?), the
personification of standing Roma behind them.
33 RIC2, vol. 2 (Vespasian) Nos. 171-172 (sestertii) - the reverse legend accompanied by standing Libertas
in military dress, with wreath and sceptre. The motto LIBERTAS AVG(VSTA) appeared also on gold coins (aurei)
from Syria-A. BURNETT, M. AMANDRY, I. CARRIDACE, Roman Provincial Coinage, vol. II: From Yespasian
to Domitian (AD 69-96), London 1999, Nos. 1901 and 1917 (later RPC, vol. 2).
34 See LEVICK, Yespasian, pp. 72-73, who draws attention to the complicated political situation in which
Vespasian found himself between Vitełlius’s death and his coming in person to Romę. The newly created emperor
had to consider the atmosphere among the Danubian army previously loyal to Otho and still numerous Galba
supporters, especially among the capitaFs financial elite. See also notes Nos. 22-23 pp. 229-230; see differently
CAH X, p. 276. See also GAGE, « Vespasien... », p. 293, who claims that Vespasian was satisfied with some restric-
tions regarding Galba’s honouring, which some senators tried to overly emphasize, and the name of Galba was re-
habilitated. The author also thinks (p. 308) that it is correct to attribute the so-called Galba posthumous issues to the
mint of Lugdunum, which were probably struck in the last months of the year AD 68, and the differences between