AR denarius 21-23mm. 4.63gm. Rome mint. (EF) Original tone. Better in hand.
Coin is in good condition and very nice and rare inclusion to the finest collection.
Authenticity guaranteed.
Laetitia,
deriving from the root word laeta, meaning "happy", "glad", "lucky",
"successful", "prosperous", "luxurious", "lush", or "abounding", was a
minor Roman goddess of gaiety. Her name was used to mean happiness with
prosperity and abundance. She is usually shown with greenery to depict
the abundance of seasonal decorations that many sites would include.
Wreaths of flowers or leaves are commonly worn at festivals or holy
rituals, similarly Laetitia would be shown wearing a garland to mean
celebration. She was sometimes depicted on Roman coinage with an anchor,
as a representation of stability, or, like Fortuna, a ship's rudder
symbolizing her guiding one to good fortune or prosperity.
Laetitia,
engraved Felicitas Temporum, the happiness of the times, has children
playing across the four seasons on different coins, the limes denarus
holds Laetitia at an altar sacrificing near lit candles while the back
features a half-moon and seven stars. Coins of the limes denarus are
issued by Elagabalus, this meant they were indicating the divine, at
behest of Septimius Severus. Saecvli Felicitas, the happiness of the
age, happiness followed abundance and the virtue of Roman and Egyptian
destiny whole and by necessity included large stores of grain imported
from Egypt, with some coins showing Laetitia having an infant Horus
suckling at her breast, it could mean Roman-Egyptian ancient goddess
Isis may have been prominent in Rome at the time, further coins reveal
children on the throne, and an emperor with a spear and orb. The trade
in surplus foodstuffs was a sign of wealth, used symbolically with the
child Plutus, the virtue of abundance is food and prosperity for all of
society, food precedes and may follow prosperity. A new lineage is born
of abundance, this is a joy depicted on the following coins and the
beliefs of Romans where suggested similarly to be joyful of their new
heirs. Laetitia Publicae, "the happiness of the times", produced and
preceded "the happiness of the age" and it founded a "Established" joy.
Roman and Egyptian destiny is made complete and altered to make anew,
this is necessary for Established joy.
Roman Laetitia publ, or
Publius, most likely meaning Publius Vellaeus, the commander of the
provincial army in Moesia in otherwise unknown activities of Roman
administrators and Moesian army officers in the period in AD21, and
Laetita Fvndat, or fundat, now personified by a rudder next a globe,
symbolically means trade is now part of the globe, the sea routes which
now transport more food, corn. A rudder is also shown behind an altar,
as such a divine victory and gain of food through the sea is
establishing a joy that is public, a public joy is a religious
thanksgiving.
Also named Laetitia Fundata, after 3rd century CE under
Augustus, Laetitia Fundata means "Established" or "Well-Founded" Joy;
these coins usually show Her with a ship's rudder, often resting on a
globe. Again, these depictions hammer home the idea that the foundation
of the Empire's happiness was built on its ability to dominate and
direct the course of events, though they may also, more practically,
make reference to the Empire's dependence on imported grain to keep its
people fed. Goddess Ceres is shown with her daughter Proserpina (perhaps
better known by their Greek equivalents Demeter and Kore or
Persephone), under Emperor Pius rule instead of Laetitia. She is also
depicted with ears of wheat in Her right hand; but in Her left She holds
the hasta pura, literally a "blameless spear", a prized military award
for saving the life of a soldier. A symbol of divine power the hasta
pura was also carried by the Goddesses Pax ("Peace") and Providentia
("Providence" or "Foresight"), indicates righteous victory, or the peace
and prosperity that can flourish when a war is won. Laetitia, or more
accurately, a "groundless" version of Her is mentioned by Ovid in his
Metamorphoses as being a friend of the Rumor-Goddess Fama; in this case,
Laetitia represents the unfounded joy gossip can quickly bring and just
as quickly dash.
Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (January
20, 225
–
February
11
, 244
),
known in
English
as Gordian III,
Following the murder of emperor Alexander Severus in Moguntiacum (modern Mainz ), the capital of the Roman province Germania Inferior , Maximinus Thrax was acclaimed emperor, despite strong opposition of the Roman senate and the majority of the population. In response to what was considered in Rome as a rebellion, Gordian's grandfather and uncle, Gordian I and II, were proclaimed joint emperors in the Africa Province . Their revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor of Numidia and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The elder Gordians died, but public opinion cherished their memory as peace loving and literate men, victims of Maximinus' oppression. Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and the Senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus as joint emperors. These senators were not popular men and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordian's fate, so that the Senate decided to take the teenager Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus as his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of Caesar and imperial heir. Pupienus and Balbinus defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the defection of several legions , namely the Parthica II who assassinated Maximinus. But their joint reign was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and even an enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On July 29 , Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the Praetorian guard and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor. RuleDue to Gordian's age, the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the senate. In 240, Sabinianus revolted in the African province, but the situation was dealt quickly. In 241, Gordian was married to Furia Sabinia Tranquillina , daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect, Timesitheus . As chief of the Praetorian guard and father in law of the emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the de facto ruler of the Roman empire. In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across the Rhine and Danube , and the Sassanid kingdom across the Euphrates increased its own attacks. When the Persians under Shapur I invaded Mesopotamia , the young emperor opened the doors of the Temple of Janus for the last time in Roman history, and sent a huge army to the East. The Sassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in the Battle of Resaena (243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the emperor's security, were at risk. Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as Philip the Arab , stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefect and the campaign proceeded. In the beginning of 244, the Persians counter-attacked. Persian sources claim that a battle was fought (Battle of Misiche) near modern Fallujah (Iraq) and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III[1]. Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away, upstream of the Euphrates. Although ancient sources often described Philip, who succeeded Gordian as emperor, as having murdered Gordian at Zaitha (Qalat es Salihiyah), the cause of Gordian's death is unknown. Gordian's youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of another usurper, granted him the everlasting esteem of the Romans. Despite the opposition of the new emperor, Gordian was deified by the Senate after his death, in order to appease the population and avoid riots. | ||
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was
Roman
Emperor
from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of
Antonia Gordiana
and his father was an unnamed Roman Senator who died before
238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor
Gordian I
and younger sister of Emperor
Gordian II
.
Very little is known on his early life before becoming Roman Emperor. Gordian
had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238.