DOI issue:
Artykuły/Articles
DOI article:Okoński, Mateusz: Images of Central European "externae gentes" in Trajan's Monetary Iconography and Their Role in the Propaganda of the Imperial Era
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57341#0112
MATEUSZ OKOŃSKI
110
feet sits a tethered barbarian.93 This scene also appears on the coins of Tacitus, Florian
or Probus.94 A different motif comes from the Aurelian radiatus minted in Kizykos.
We see Mars standing to the right, holding the spear and receiving a globe from Sol
standing on the left. Both deities are accompanied by a prisoner sitting or kneeling
between them.95. Therefore, the combination of Mars with the image of a defeated
enemy was not only characteristic for Trajan’s coinage. However, what is important
is that it was Trajan who was the first to use this type of performance and juxtaposed
the figure of Mars with the figure of a barbarian. Later rulers either used this pattern,
transferring it entirely to their coins, or gently transformed it.
Another of the Roman deities that appears on Trajan’s emissions in the company
of a barbarian was Roma, personifying both the capital and the entire empire.
There are two ways of depicting Roma on Trajan’s coins. The first shows the deity
standing, leaning with his left hand on the spear, and holding Victoria in the right.
The second, however, shows her sitting (with similar attributes as in the first variant),
resting her left foot on the head of a defeated Dacian. Both the first and the second
variant of Roma’s image had appeared in the imperial coinage before Trajan’s time,
but never showing the goddess next to a defeated barbarian or some part of him on
a pars pro toto basis. Therefore, Trajan updated and adapted this theme to his goals,
promoting the success achieved in Dacia. Did this motif appear later in the form it
had taken in the time of the Best Emperor? In the first option discussed above, Roma
appears on the coins of other emperors, e.g. Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus
or Septimius Severus, but always alone, without the form of a defeated barbarian.
The situation with the second variant is similar: the whole motif was quite popular
in the coinage of Trajan’s successors, however, there is no accompanying enemy
next to the goddess. Only in the time of Caracalla does the image of a barbarian
German appear at the feet of a seated Roma.96 It can, therefore, be concluded that
the representation of the deity standing for either the city or the entire empire in
the company of a defeated enemy is one of the elements characteristic of Trajan’s
coinage, which only appeared rarely later. Nerva’s successor adapted the previous
scheme of the victorious Roma and used it to promote his success in the war with
the Dacians. The last of the deities that appeared on Trajan’s coins was the goddess
of peace - Pax. Although she is present on the coins of other emperors, we do not
know of those on which a kneeling barbarian was depicted in her company. This
93 RIC V 15, 380, 388.
94 Tacitus: RIC V 112; Florianus: RIC V 24; Probus: RIC V 5, 35, 602. In case of Probus coin (RIC V 603)
there are two barbarians sitting at the foot of Mars on his both sides.
95 RIC V 358, 359.
96 RIC IV 530, 533.
110
feet sits a tethered barbarian.93 This scene also appears on the coins of Tacitus, Florian
or Probus.94 A different motif comes from the Aurelian radiatus minted in Kizykos.
We see Mars standing to the right, holding the spear and receiving a globe from Sol
standing on the left. Both deities are accompanied by a prisoner sitting or kneeling
between them.95. Therefore, the combination of Mars with the image of a defeated
enemy was not only characteristic for Trajan’s coinage. However, what is important
is that it was Trajan who was the first to use this type of performance and juxtaposed
the figure of Mars with the figure of a barbarian. Later rulers either used this pattern,
transferring it entirely to their coins, or gently transformed it.
Another of the Roman deities that appears on Trajan’s emissions in the company
of a barbarian was Roma, personifying both the capital and the entire empire.
There are two ways of depicting Roma on Trajan’s coins. The first shows the deity
standing, leaning with his left hand on the spear, and holding Victoria in the right.
The second, however, shows her sitting (with similar attributes as in the first variant),
resting her left foot on the head of a defeated Dacian. Both the first and the second
variant of Roma’s image had appeared in the imperial coinage before Trajan’s time,
but never showing the goddess next to a defeated barbarian or some part of him on
a pars pro toto basis. Therefore, Trajan updated and adapted this theme to his goals,
promoting the success achieved in Dacia. Did this motif appear later in the form it
had taken in the time of the Best Emperor? In the first option discussed above, Roma
appears on the coins of other emperors, e.g. Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus
or Septimius Severus, but always alone, without the form of a defeated barbarian.
The situation with the second variant is similar: the whole motif was quite popular
in the coinage of Trajan’s successors, however, there is no accompanying enemy
next to the goddess. Only in the time of Caracalla does the image of a barbarian
German appear at the feet of a seated Roma.96 It can, therefore, be concluded that
the representation of the deity standing for either the city or the entire empire in
the company of a defeated enemy is one of the elements characteristic of Trajan’s
coinage, which only appeared rarely later. Nerva’s successor adapted the previous
scheme of the victorious Roma and used it to promote his success in the war with
the Dacians. The last of the deities that appeared on Trajan’s coins was the goddess
of peace - Pax. Although she is present on the coins of other emperors, we do not
know of those on which a kneeling barbarian was depicted in her company. This
93 RIC V 15, 380, 388.
94 Tacitus: RIC V 112; Florianus: RIC V 24; Probus: RIC V 5, 35, 602. In case of Probus coin (RIC V 603)
there are two barbarians sitting at the foot of Mars on his both sides.
95 RIC V 358, 359.
96 RIC IV 530, 533.