The Jug and Lituus on Roman Republican Coin Types

IN THE COINAGE OF THE Roman Republic, a jug and lituus (the curved staff of the augurs) sometimes appear as a paired group of symbols; the earliest use is by Sulla, the last on issues of Antony in 39. From the ritual context, I argue here that the jug and lituus refer to the pontifical and augural jurisdiction over the ritual preliminaries to political action and particularly to the ceremonies of investiture of Roman magistrates-namely initial auspices, sacrifice, and vows. From the political context of each issue, I suggest that the symbols allude to ritual in order to legitimize military power. The jug and lituus pair are first seen on the issue of Sulla, dated by Crawford to 84-83 B.C. (RRC no. 359 = pl. 1, fig. 1): the jug and lituus are the central emblems on the reverse and are flanked by military trophies; the inscription identifies Sulla as imper(ator) iterum. These symbols have generated a continuing debate. L. R. Taylor referred the symbols to membership in the augurate.' But Sulla was not an augur until 82.2 T. Martin (1989: 19-44, esp. 24-44) has therefore reassigned the coin to late 82 and urged that the legend on the coin (imperator iterum) refers to Sulla's victory at the Colline Gate. A. Keaveney (1982: 150-171, esp. 158-161) has kept to 84/3 and taken the lituus and jug as symbols of Sulla's auspices as a Roman magistrate and so of his iustum imperium. These explanations are insufficient. While Martin legitimately questions Crawford's seriation of Sulla's coins on the basis of hoard analysis and wear patterns and considers the coin-type, particularly the legend, to reassign the coins, the iconography of Sulla's coin does not support his reassignment. Athenian tetradrachms issued by Sulla in Greece commemorate the twin trophies erected by him at Chaeroneia (Plut. Sull. 19.5; Paus. 9.40.7) and suggest that trophies on his coinage refer to his Eastern victories.3 Moreover, Martin (1989: 35-43)

Art · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Byzantine Studies and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Law

• Sobre la emisión cesariana RRC 468

  Open Access•Luís Amela Valverde•Hispania Antiqua•2022

  Añadir item

• African Alternatives

  Josiah Osgood•Alternative Augustan Age•2019

  Añadir item

• The Good Wife

  Bronwyn Hopwood•Alternative Augustan Age•2019

  Añadir item

• Nikaia Kent Sikkelerinde Romanizasyon ve Roma Propaganda Etkisi

  Open Access•HARALAMBOS NIKOLAYIDIS•Anadolu (Anatolia)•2023

  Añadir item

• La crosse et la cruche

  Open Access•Yann Berthelet•Cahiers « Mondes anciens•2013

  Añadir item

• Victimarii in Roman Religion and Society

  Open Access•Jack J Lennon•Papers of the British School at…•2015

  Añadir item

• The Alternative Augustan Age

  The Alternative Augustan Age Bàcoli, Kit ca /21 Jh Morrell et al.•Alternative Augustan Age•2019

  Añadir item

• The magistrates of the Roman Republic

  T Robert S Broughton•The magistrates of the Roman…•1984

  Añadir item

• Caesar as Political Propagandist

  John H Collins, Hildegard Temporini et al.•Politische Geschichte•1972

  Añadir item

• The Cult of Jupiter and Roman Imperial Ideology

  J Rufus Fears, Wolfgang Haase•Religion (Heidentum: Römische…•1981

  Añadir item

• Imperatores Victi

  Richard E Mitchell, Nathan Rosenstein•The American Historical Review•1991

  Añadir item

• Archaic Roman Religion

  O W Reinmuth, Georges Dumézil et al.•The American Historical Review•1972

  Añadir item

• Marcus Crassus and the Late Roman Republic

  Stephen J Simon, Allen M Ward•The American Historical Review•1978

  Añadir item

• Pompey

  Chester G Starr, Robin Seager•The American Historical Review•1980

  Añadir item

• Essays in Roman Coinage Presented to Harold Mattingly

  Aline Abaecherli Boyce, R A G Carson et al.•The American Historical Review•1957

  Añadir item

• Early Rome and the Latins

  Doris Taylor Bishop, A Alfoeldi•The Classical World•1966

  Añadir item

• Senate and General

  S P Oakley, Stephanie Oakley et al.•The American Journal of Philology•1988

  Añadir item

• The Intelligibility of Roman Imperial Coin Types

  Open Access•C H V Sutherland•The Journal of Roman Studies•1959

  Añadir item

• Image and Authority in the Coinage of Augustus

  Open Access•Andrew Wallace-Hadrill•The Journal of Roman Studies•1986

  Añadir item

• A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome

  L Richardson•A new topographical dictionary of…•1992

  Añadir item

• The Last Generation of the Roman Republic

  Erich S Gruen•Last Generation of the Roman…•1974

  Añadir item

• Rites of the State Religion in Roman Art

  Inez Scott Ryberg•Memoirs of the American Academy…•1955

  Añadir item

• A Trophy from the Battle of Chaironeia of 86 B.C

  John Camp, John D Camp et al.•American Journal of Archaeology•1992

  Añadir item

• Cult and Sculpture

  Open Access•John Elsner•The Journal of Roman Studies•1991

  Añadir item

• The Sexual Status of Vestal Virgins

  Open Access•Mary Beard•The Journal of Roman Studies•1980

  Añadir item