Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 33 4 February 2017
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Inscribed PB Sling-Bullet from the Sertorian War. Iberia, 80-72 BC. Q•SERTORI PRO•COS in relief in two lines / Depiction of the Fasces in relief. 47.09g, 35mm long, 18mm wide.
Extremely well preserved, of fine craftsmanship, and with both the inscription and fasces clear and detailed
Thrown from a stick sling (fustibalus), inscribed lead sling-bullets (glandes plumbeae inscriptae, literally 'inscribed lead acorns' on account of their shape) such as the present example and two following lots were a particularly dangerous weapon in the arsenal of both the ancient Greeks and Romans. This was due to their lethal combination of small, aerodynamic size and solid weight which could cause extreme injuries when used effectively by a skilled slinger.
The Sertorian War in which these sling-bullets were likely thrown was fought between the forces of Rome under the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and the province of Hispania under Quintus Sertorius, a supporter of Gaius Marius. Lasting from 80-72 BC, the war is notable for Sertorius' use of guerilla warfare to wear down the forces sent against him from Rome under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio, a tactic which proved him more than a match for his adversaries that included Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Sent from Rome in 77/76 to bolster Metellus' forces and finally crush Sertorius, Pompey's forces were ambushed and defeated in battle at the city of Lauron and Pompey himself was very nearly captured by the Sertorian soldiers at the Battle of Sucro.
However, further reinforcements arriving from Rome allowed Metellus and Pompey to gain the upper hand and from 74 onwards Sertorius' power waned until, with jealousy and infighting weakening the bonds of trust and shared goals that held together the Roman-Iberian coalition, Sertorius was assassinated by his fellow general Marcus Perpenna Vento. At his death resistance to Rome crumbled and Metellus and Pompey took little time to crush Perpenna's army and eliminate the remaining opposition to Roman rule.
Extremely well preserved, of fine craftsmanship, and with both the inscription and fasces clear and detailed
Thrown from a stick sling (fustibalus), inscribed lead sling-bullets (glandes plumbeae inscriptae, literally 'inscribed lead acorns' on account of their shape) such as the present example and two following lots were a particularly dangerous weapon in the arsenal of both the ancient Greeks and Romans. This was due to their lethal combination of small, aerodynamic size and solid weight which could cause extreme injuries when used effectively by a skilled slinger.
The Sertorian War in which these sling-bullets were likely thrown was fought between the forces of Rome under the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, and the province of Hispania under Quintus Sertorius, a supporter of Gaius Marius. Lasting from 80-72 BC, the war is notable for Sertorius' use of guerilla warfare to wear down the forces sent against him from Rome under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio, a tactic which proved him more than a match for his adversaries that included Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Sent from Rome in 77/76 to bolster Metellus' forces and finally crush Sertorius, Pompey's forces were ambushed and defeated in battle at the city of Lauron and Pompey himself was very nearly captured by the Sertorian soldiers at the Battle of Sucro.
However, further reinforcements arriving from Rome allowed Metellus and Pompey to gain the upper hand and from 74 onwards Sertorius' power waned until, with jealousy and infighting weakening the bonds of trust and shared goals that held together the Roman-Iberian coalition, Sertorius was assassinated by his fellow general Marcus Perpenna Vento. At his death resistance to Rome crumbled and Metellus and Pompey took little time to crush Perpenna's army and eliminate the remaining opposition to Roman rule.