| One original ancient Roman bronze coin of: Maximianus Herculeus, Augustus 286-305, 307-308, and 310 ADStruck - 294 AD. Alexandria mint.
AE
follis 26-28mm. 9.21gm. Genuine patina over ancient silvering. (Good VF) Well
centered nice specimen.
Very nice and rare inclusion to the finest collection.
Obverse:/ IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right.
Reverse:/ GENIO POPVLI ROMANI,
Genius standing left holding patera, from which liquor flows, and
cornucopiae, A to right. Mintmark ALE. Authenticity guaranteed. COA included!!!
The
Genius was a protection spirit, analogous to the guardian angels
invoked by the Church of Rome. The belief in such spirits existed in
Greece and at Rome. The Greeks called them Daemons, and appear to have
believed in them from the earliest times, though Homer does not mention
them. Hesiod says that the Daemons were 30,000 in number, and that they
dwelled on earth unseen by mortals, as the ministers of Zeus, and as the
guardians of men and justice. He further conceives them to be the souls
of the righteous men who lived in the golden age of the world. The
Greek philosophers took up this idea, and developed a complete theory of
daemons. Thus we read in Plato, that daemons are assinged to men at the
moment of their birth, that they accompany men through life, and after
death conduct their souls to Hades. Pindar, in several passages of the
spirit watching over the fate of man from the hour of his birth. The
daemons are further described as ministers and companions of the gods,
who carry the prayers of men to the gods, and the gifts of the gods to
men, and accordingly float in immense numbers in the space between
heaven and earth. There was also a distinct class of daemons, who were
exclusively the ministers of the gods. The Romans seem to have
received their notions respecting the genii from the Etruscans, though
the name Genius itself is Latin (it is connected with gi-gn-o, gen-ui, and equivalent in meaning to generator or father). The genii of the Romans are the powers which produce life (dii genitales),
and accompany man through it as his second or spiritual self. They were
further not confined to man, but every living being, animal as well as
man, and every place had its genius. Every human being at his birth
obtained (sortitur) a genius, who he worshipped as sanctus et sanctissimus deus,
especially on his birthday, with libations of wine, incense, and
garlands of flowers. The bridal bed was sacred to the genius, on account
of his connection with generation, and the bed itself was called lectus genialis.
On other merry occasions, also , sacrifices were offered to the genius,
and to indulge in merriment was not unfrequently expressed by genio indulgere, genium curare, or placarae. The
whole body of the Roman people had its own genius, who is often seen
represented on coins of Hadrian and Trajan. He was worshipped on sad as
well as joyous occasions; thus, sacrifices were offered to him at the
beginning of the 2nd year of the war with Hannibal. The genii are
usually represented in works of art as winged beings. The genius of a
place appears in the form of a serpent eating fruit placed before him. The cornucopia (from Latin cornu copiae) or horn of plenty
is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped
container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or
wealth in some form. Originating in classical antiquity, it has
continued as a symbol in Western art, and it is particularly associated
with the Thanksgiving holiday in North America.  Allegorical depiction of the Roman goddess Abundantia with a cornucopia, by Rubens (ca. 1630) In MythologyMythology
offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of
the best-known involves the birth and nurturance of the infant Zeus, who
had to be hidden from his devouring father Cronus. In a cave on Mount
Ida on the island of Crete, baby Zeus was cared for and protected by a
number of divine attendants, including the goat Amalthea ("Nourishing
Goddess"), who fed him with her milk. The suckling future king of the
gods had unusual abilities and strength, and in playing with his
nursemaid accidentally broke off one of her horns, which then had the
divine power to provide unending nourishment, as the foster mother had
to the god. In another myth, the cornucopia was created when
Heracles (Roman Hercules) wrestled with the river god Achelous and
wrenched off one of his horns; river gods were sometimes depicted as
horned. This version is represented in the Achelous and Hercules mural painting by the American Regionalist artist Thomas Hart Benton. The
cornucopia became the attribute of several Greek and Roman deities,
particularly those associated with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual
abundance, such as personifications of Earth (Gaia or Terra); the child
Plutus, god of riches and son of the grain goddess Demeter; the nymph
Maia; and Fortuna, the goddess of luck, who had the power to grant
prosperity. In Roman Imperial cult, abstract Roman deities who fostered
peace (pax Romana) and prosperity were also depicted with a
cornucopia, including Abundantia, "Abundance" personified, and Annona,
goddess of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Pluto, the classical
ruler of the underworld in the mystery religions, was a giver of
agricultural, mineral and spiritual wealth, and in art often holds a
cornucopia to distinguish him from the gloomier Hades, who holds a
drinking horn instead. Modern depictionsIn modern
depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker
basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. In
North America, the cornucopia has come to be associated with
Thanksgiving and the harvest. Cornucopia is also the name of the annual
November Wine and Food celebration in Whistler, British Columbia,
Canada. Two cornucopias are seen in the flag and state seal of Idaho.
The Great Seal of North Carolina depicts Liberty standing and Plenty
holding a cornucopia. The coat of arms of Colombia, Panama, Peru and
Venezuela, and the Coat of Arms of the State of Victoria, Australia,
also feature the cornucopia, symbolising prosperity. The horn of plenty is used on body art and at Halloween, as it is a symbol of fertility, fortune and abundance.
Juno Moneta, an epithet of Juno, was the protectress of funds. As such, money in ancient Rome was coined in her temple. The Temple of Juno Moneta (Latin: Templum Iunonis Monetæ)
was an ancient Roman temple that stood on the Arx or the citadel on the
Capitoline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum. Located at the center of
the city of Rome, it was the place where Roman coins were first minted,
thereby initiating the ancient practice of associating mints with
temples. In addition, it was the place where the books of the
magistrates were deposited. The word "moneta" is where we get the words
"money", or "monetize", used by writers such as Ovid, Martial, Juvenal,
and Cicero. In several modern languages including Russian and Italian, moneta (Spanish moneda) is the word for "coin." As with the goddess Moneta, Juno Moneta's name is derived either from the Latin monēre,
since, as protectress of funds, she "warned" of instability or more
likely from the Greek "moneres" meaning "alone, unique", an epithet that
every mother has. Maximian (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius Augustus; c. 250 – c. July 310) was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent most of his time on campaign. In late 285, he suppressed rebels in Gaul known as the Bagaudae. From 285 to 288, he fought against Germanic tribes along the Rhine frontier. Together with Diocletian, he launched a scorched earth campaign deep into Alamannic territory in 288, temporarily relieving the Rhine provinces from the threat of Germanic invasion.
The man he appointed to police the Channel shores, Carausius,
rebelled in 286, causing the secession of Britain and northwestern
Gaul. Maximian failed to oust Carausius, and his invasion fleet was
destroyed by storms in 289 or 290. Maximian's subordinate, Constantius, campaigned against Carausius' successor, Allectus, while Maximian held the Rhine frontier. The rebel leader was ousted in 296, and Maximian moved south to combat piracy near Hispania and Berber incursions in Mauretania.
When these campaigns concluded in 298, he departed for Italy, where he
lived in comfort until 305. At Diocletian's behest, Maximian abdicated
on May 1, 305, gave the Augustan office to Constantius, and retired to
southern Italy.
In late 306, Maximian took the title of Augustus again and aided his son Maxentius' rebellion in Italy. In April 307, he attempted to depose his son, but failed and fled to the court of Constantius' successor, Constantine (Maximian's step-grandson and son-in-law), in Trier. At the Council of Carnuntum in November 308, Diocletian and his successor, Galerius,
forced Maximian to renounce his imperial claim again. In early 310,
Maximian attempted to seize Constantine's title while the emperor was on
campaign on the Rhine. Few supported him, and he was captured by
Constantine in Marseille. Maximian killed himself in mid-310 on
Constantine's orders. During Constantine's war with Maxentius,
Maximian's image was purged from all public places. However, after
Constantine ousted and killed Maxentius, Maximian's image was
rehabilitated, and he was deified.
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