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- Nov 19, 2002
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Thankyou for this information Clem. This has obviously taken quite a bit of research and is very interesting. (The Classis Britannica was my dissertation at college; I've forgotten so much of this stuff and it's nice to be reminded of it).
I thought you might like to see this denarius of Sextus Pompey datable to 38-37 BC. It has a rather nice galley on the obverse (or is it reverse, always got those the wrong way round). The Scylla is somewhat degraded from your example but stilll clearly there.
Sextus Pompey Denarius
As you mention, Clem, I've just read that the Scylla was used on Sextus' coins as it denotes his control of Sicily and the straits leading to Italy from Africa, and therefore the grain supply. He apparantly was quite a thorn in Octavians side, as commander of the fleet in the Mediterranean he led a protacted piratic campaign against him. The Senate declared him a public enemy and he was executed by Mark Antony in 35BC.
Following the Battle of Actium the Romans tended to shy away from naval battles, there are very few recorded in the early Imperial period. In a way it is a pity as this means there are few depictions of sea creatures, mythological or not, on Roman coins.
I thought you might like to see this denarius of Sextus Pompey datable to 38-37 BC. It has a rather nice galley on the obverse (or is it reverse, always got those the wrong way round). The Scylla is somewhat degraded from your example but stilll clearly there.
Sextus Pompey Denarius
As you mention, Clem, I've just read that the Scylla was used on Sextus' coins as it denotes his control of Sicily and the straits leading to Italy from Africa, and therefore the grain supply. He apparantly was quite a thorn in Octavians side, as commander of the fleet in the Mediterranean he led a protacted piratic campaign against him. The Senate declared him a public enemy and he was executed by Mark Antony in 35BC.
Following the Battle of Actium the Romans tended to shy away from naval battles, there are very few recorded in the early Imperial period. In a way it is a pity as this means there are few depictions of sea creatures, mythological or not, on Roman coins.