Category: Roman Republic
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Climax of the Gallic Wars: Julius Caesar vs. Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix was Caesar’s most formidable opponent to date by far, and Caesar knew it. He writes in his Commentaries (de Bello Gallico) of how the Gallic chieftain inflicted the worst defeat on his army of the eight-year war at Gergovia, in the Arverni heartland. Caesar claimed he lost 750 men, but his casualties likely numbered…
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From Carmona to Picasso: Iberian Aesthetics
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was captivated by this pre-Roman Spanish style, taking inspiration from all manner of Iberian art, particularly in his earlier works. He visited the Louvre in 1906 and was entranced by several Iberian sculptures dating to around the time of this coin. The following year, he completed one of his signature paintings, Les…
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The Cult of Isis – Egyptian Religion in Rome
Isis, along with Serapis, were the two principal deities that spread from Greek-ruled Egypt (under the Ptolemies) to the rest of the Mediterranean, and, inevitably, to Rome. A shrine to Isis was first erected on the Capitoline Hill in the first century BC, around the time this coin was struck. The cult of Isis was…
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The Coinage of Cicero – Rome’s Greatest Orator
Cicero was a so-called novus homo, or “new man” – a derogatory term that indicated he was not from one of Rome’s oldest patrician families. Nevertheless, he was well-educated and became a senator. His most famous triumph came in 63 BC, when the sleazy and ambitious politician Catiline attempted to overthrow the elected government of…