Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 78 17 Dec 2020
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L. Papius Celsus AR Denarius. Rome, 45 BC. Laureate head of Triumphus right with trophy over shoulder; TRIVMPVS below / Wolf to right, placing stick on fire, an eagle to left fanning the flames; CELSVS•III•VIR above, L•PAPIVS in exergue. Crawford 472/2; RSC Papia 3. 3.26g, 18mm, 12h.
Good Very Fine.
From a private European collection.
The reverse design of this coin shows the foundational legend of Lanuvium, a city south of Rome which was famous for its sacred links to Juno Sospita, here pictured on the obverse. The myth tells us of Aeneas, an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, and his companions, building the city of Lanuvium on their journey from the destroyed Troy. During the building, Aeneas saw a fire burning down a nearby forest. As he drew closer, he saw that a she-wolf was carrying wood to the fire to feed it, while an eagle fanned the flames with its wings. However, a fox was trying to put out the flames by wetting its tail and spraying them with water. Acting on his own the fox was unsuccessful in his attempts and the she-wolf and eagle gained the upper hand in the fire. Figures representing these famous animals stood in Lanuvium's forum in the time of Dionysus' writing in the 1st century BC (The Art of Rhetoric: 1.57, 59), where the fox was believed to represent the power of Carthage trying to snuff out the rise of the Roman people and military.
Good Very Fine.
From a private European collection.
The reverse design of this coin shows the foundational legend of Lanuvium, a city south of Rome which was famous for its sacred links to Juno Sospita, here pictured on the obverse. The myth tells us of Aeneas, an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, and his companions, building the city of Lanuvium on their journey from the destroyed Troy. During the building, Aeneas saw a fire burning down a nearby forest. As he drew closer, he saw that a she-wolf was carrying wood to the fire to feed it, while an eagle fanned the flames with its wings. However, a fox was trying to put out the flames by wetting its tail and spraying them with water. Acting on his own the fox was unsuccessful in his attempts and the she-wolf and eagle gained the upper hand in the fire. Figures representing these famous animals stood in Lanuvium's forum in the time of Dionysus' writing in the 1st century BC (The Art of Rhetoric: 1.57, 59), where the fox was believed to represent the power of Carthage trying to snuff out the rise of the Roman people and military.