Bertolami Fine Art
Auction 16 17-18 June 2015
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Agrippa (Caligula, 37-41), As, Roma, 37-41 d.C.; Ae 11,07 g; M AGRIPPA L F COS III, head left wearing rostral crown , S-C, Neptune standing facing, head left, naked except for cloak draped behind him and over both arms, holding small dolphin in right hand and vertical trident in left.
Rare, good very fine.
Traditionally the battle of Naulochus in 36 BC has been connected with OctavianÕs proclamation to build the Apollo temple next to his house on the Palatine, the announcement is evidence of the special relation between Octavian and Apollo. OctavianusÕideology pursues the relationship to Apollo to put it in the sense of mission, suggesting his entire program for healing RomeÕs wounds bores the stamp of Apollo (Sue.,Div.Iul.6.1).When the struggle between Sextus and Octavianus began in 38 BC. after the formerÕs naval success Sextus strengthened in the belief that he was the song of Neptune who gave him the victory and as a result he puts on a dark blue robe sacrifing horses and allegedly men in the straits of Messina (Dio., 48.48.5; App.,B.C.5.100). Octavianus Augustus was offended with NeptuneÕs god ship before the battle of Naulochous but after the naval victory of Actium, when Agrippa commanded the fleet and obtained the rebels Ôdefeat, the effigies of the seasÕ lord appears on brass coins as a complimentary type to Agrippa, who acquired for Augustus the sovereignty of the sea, for which services the rostral crown was bestowed on him. Neptune standing rather to the left with clamis suspended from his shoulder and falling behind, he holds his trident upright, not in offensive attitude and the dolphin, his peculiar attribute, standing on its tail supported by the rudder of a galley. Antonius and Cleopatra were defeated thank to Neptune, who had contributed to the AugustusÕ enemies downfall favoring a calm sea for manoeuvers of the fleet of Augustus, commanded by Agrippa. He had many victories, including the naval battle of Actium, which sealed the fate of Octavianus' enemies so he dedicated a temple to Neptune vowed of that victory, the Basilica Neptuni, on Campus Martius between his Pantheon and baths, and after it was dedicated in 25 BC, the porticus may have been the center for the public aspects of the Neptunalia which originally mostly concerned with Neptune's protection of fresh agricultural water but took on greater significance as a public observance after the decisive battle of Actium, being the center for the public aspects of the ritual festivals. Neptune, lord of the sea as a senior deity, he is shown mature and bearded. He carries a dolphin and trident, and it is over his shoulder on this coin, as his symbol, as on the coin on the far right from Corinth, where he was the chief deity of the city. Agrippa's grandson, the emperor Gaius, known to us as Caligula, from the half boots or sandals tha went with the costume called caligilas, put him on this coin with a corona rostralis, made up of miniature prows of galleys signalling a pattern of well-thought-out imagery tending to depict Caligula as the idealized Iulio-Claudian emperor.
RIC 58
Rara, MBC+
Rare, good very fine.
Traditionally the battle of Naulochus in 36 BC has been connected with OctavianÕs proclamation to build the Apollo temple next to his house on the Palatine, the announcement is evidence of the special relation between Octavian and Apollo. OctavianusÕideology pursues the relationship to Apollo to put it in the sense of mission, suggesting his entire program for healing RomeÕs wounds bores the stamp of Apollo (Sue.,Div.Iul.6.1).When the struggle between Sextus and Octavianus began in 38 BC. after the formerÕs naval success Sextus strengthened in the belief that he was the song of Neptune who gave him the victory and as a result he puts on a dark blue robe sacrifing horses and allegedly men in the straits of Messina (Dio., 48.48.5; App.,B.C.5.100). Octavianus Augustus was offended with NeptuneÕs god ship before the battle of Naulochous but after the naval victory of Actium, when Agrippa commanded the fleet and obtained the rebels Ôdefeat, the effigies of the seasÕ lord appears on brass coins as a complimentary type to Agrippa, who acquired for Augustus the sovereignty of the sea, for which services the rostral crown was bestowed on him. Neptune standing rather to the left with clamis suspended from his shoulder and falling behind, he holds his trident upright, not in offensive attitude and the dolphin, his peculiar attribute, standing on its tail supported by the rudder of a galley. Antonius and Cleopatra were defeated thank to Neptune, who had contributed to the AugustusÕ enemies downfall favoring a calm sea for manoeuvers of the fleet of Augustus, commanded by Agrippa. He had many victories, including the naval battle of Actium, which sealed the fate of Octavianus' enemies so he dedicated a temple to Neptune vowed of that victory, the Basilica Neptuni, on Campus Martius between his Pantheon and baths, and after it was dedicated in 25 BC, the porticus may have been the center for the public aspects of the Neptunalia which originally mostly concerned with Neptune's protection of fresh agricultural water but took on greater significance as a public observance after the decisive battle of Actium, being the center for the public aspects of the ritual festivals. Neptune, lord of the sea as a senior deity, he is shown mature and bearded. He carries a dolphin and trident, and it is over his shoulder on this coin, as his symbol, as on the coin on the far right from Corinth, where he was the chief deity of the city. Agrippa's grandson, the emperor Gaius, known to us as Caligula, from the half boots or sandals tha went with the costume called caligilas, put him on this coin with a corona rostralis, made up of miniature prows of galleys signalling a pattern of well-thought-out imagery tending to depict Caligula as the idealized Iulio-Claudian emperor.
RIC 58
Rara, MBC+