- The Collaborative Numismatics Project
  Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! NumisWiki Is An Enormous Unique Resource Including Hundreds Of Books And Thousands Of Articles Online!!! The Column On The Left Includes Our "Best of NumisWiki" Menu If You Are New To Collecting - Start With Ancient Coin Collecting 101 NumisWiki Includes The Encyclopedia of Roman Coins and Historia Nummorum If You Have Written A Numismatic Article - Please Add It To NumisWiki All Blue Text On The Website Is Linked - Keep Clicking To ENDLESSLY EXPLORE!!! Please Visit Our Shop And Find A Coin You Love Today!!!

× Resources Home
Home
New Articles
Most Popular
Recent Changes
Current Projects
Admin Discussions
Guidelines
How to
zoom.asp
Index Of All Titles


BEST OF

AEQVITI
Aes Formatum
Aes Rude
The Age of Gallienus
Alexander Tetradrachms
Ancient Coin Collecting 101
Ancient Coin Prices 101
Ancient Coin Dates
Ancient Coin Lesson Plans
Ancient Coins & Modern Fakes
Ancient Counterfeits
Ancient Glass
Ancient Metal Arrowheads
Ancient Oil Lamps
Ancient Pottery
Ancient Weapons
Ancient Wages and Prices
Ancient Weights and Scales
Anonymous Follis
Anonymous Class A Folles
Antioch Officinae
Aphlaston
Armenian Numismatics Page
Augustus - Facing Portrait
Brockage
Bronze Disease
Byzantine
Byzantine Denominations
A Cabinet of Greek Coins
Caesarean and Actian Eras
Campgates of Constantine
Carausius
A Case of Counterfeits
Byzantine Christian Themes
Clashed Dies
Codewords
Coins of Pontius Pilate
Conditions of Manufacture
Corinth Coins and Cults
Countermarked in Late Antiquity
Danubian Celts
Damnatio Coinage
Damnatio Memoriae
Denomination
Denarii of Otho
Diameter 101
Die Alignment 101
Dictionary of Roman Coins
Doug Smith's Ancient Coins
Draco
Edict on Prices
ERIC
ERIC - Rarity Tables
Etruscan Alphabet
The Evolving Ancient Coin Market
EQVITI
Fel Temp Reparatio
Fertility Pregnancy and Childbirth
Fibula
Flavian
Fourree
Friend or Foe
The Gallic Empire
Gallienus Zoo
Greek Alphabet
Greek Coins
Greek Dates
Greek Coin Denominations
Greek Mythology Link
Greek Numismatic Dictionary
Hellenistic Names & their Meanings
Hasmoneans
Hasmonean Dynasty
Helvetica's ID Help Page
The Hexastyle Temple of Caligula
Historia Numorum
Holy Land Antiquities
Horse Harnesses
Illustrated Ancient Coin Glossary
Important Collection Auctions
Islamic Rulers and Dynasties
Julian II: The Beard and the Bull
Julius Caesar - The Funeral Speech
Koson
Kushan Coins
Later Roman Coinage
Latin Plurals
Latin Pronunciation
Legend
Library of Ancient Coinage
Life in Ancient Rome
List of Kings of Judea
Medusa Coins
Maps of the Ancient World
Military Belts
Military Belts
Mint Marks
Monogram
Museum Collections Available Online
Nabataea
Nabataean Alphabet
Nabataean Numerals
The [Not] Cuirassed Elephant
Not in RIC
Numismatic Bulgarian
Numismatic Excellence Award
Numismatic French
Numismatic German
Numismatic Italian
Numismatic Spanish
Parthian Coins
Patina 101
Paleo-Hebrew Alphabet
Paleo-Hebrew Script Styles
People in the Bible Who Issued Coins
Imperial Mints of Philip the Arab
Phoenician Alphabet
Pi-Style Athens Tetradrachms
Pricing and Grading Roman Coins
Reading Judean Coins
Representations of Alexander the Great
Roman Coin Attribution 101
Roman Coin Legends and Inscriptions
Roman Keys
Roman Locks
Roman Militaria
Roman Military Belts
Roman Mints
Roman Names
romancoin.info
Rome and China
Sasanian
Satyrs and Nymphs
Scarabs
Serdi Celts
Serrated
Siglos
The Sign that Changed the World
Silver Content of Parthian Drachms
Star of Bethlehem Coins
Statuary Coins
Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum
Syracusian Folles
Taras Drachms with Owl Left
The Temple Tax
The Temple Tax Hoard
Test Cut
Travels of Paul
Tribute Penny
Tribute Penny Debate Continued (2015)
Tribute Penny Debate Revisited (2006)
Tyrian Shekels
Uncleaned Ancient Coins 101
Vabalathus
Venus Cloacina
What I Like About Ancient Coins
Who was Trajan Decius
Widow's Mite
XXI

   View Menu
 

AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS




Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.


AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS. - On an aureus of Nero, bearing this legend on its reverse, the type depicts a male figure standing, dressed in a toga, his head surrounded with rays, holding in his right hand a branch and in his left a small Victory on a globe. The obverse exhibits NERO CAESAR and a laureate head. This gold coin has given rise to opposing interpretations amongst numismatic antiquaries. Occo considers this figure to represent the Emperor Claudius, by whom, to the prejudice of Britannicus, Nero was adopted. Vaillant (Pr.ii p.63) concurs in this supposition, and points to the radiate head as indicating the apotheosis of Claudius. - Tristan, (vol.i p.211) who has copiously treated of this coin, differs from the above writers. After judiciously observing that the legends on both sides of this aureus are to be taken in connection with each other, viz. NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS, and that the epithet, or surname of Germanicus, both in history and on coins, was given to Nero as well as Claudius, he decidedly pronounces that the radiate image is meant to be that of Nero himself. Tristan is moreover of the opinion that Nero was distinguished by the corona radiata because he was ambitious to rival Apollo; and indeed even Seneca, in his Apocolocyntosis, compares Nero to that deity, both in form, as of the rising sun, and in his vocal powers. After such gross flattery on the part of his preceptor, it seems a natural consequence that this spoiled child of an emperor should have appointed five thousand praetorians to accompany him to the theatre, and who used, when he sang, to shout - "O beautiful Caesar - O Apollo - O thou Pythias, etc."

Eckhel (vi. p.269), expresses his agreement with Tristan, as to the type in question being an indication that a statue of similar character had been erected in honour of Nero; and he remarks, that it is the first instance of a radiate crown appearing on the head of a living emperor, though from that time it very frequently occurs on the obverses of Nero 's coins, on second brass. - The learned author of Doctrina goes on, however, to say that he does not regard this distinction of crowning with rays, as conferred upon Nero, either from an admiration of his person, or through the extravagant language of the theatres. - "For why (he asks), does not the radiate crown appear on those coins on which Nero is typified as moving in the full costume of Apollo the harp-player (Citharoedus)? Are we to imagine that Vespasian also, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, were desirous of being thought beautiful and good musicians, because they too appear with radiate heads? Or that those renowned and honourable princes coveted for themselves an honour, which Nero whose memory they abhorred, had acquired with so unworthy a motive? We must conclude then, that it was the pleasure of Nero, the vainest of men, to be considered as a deity - of which honour, or at any rete of a divine lineage, the radiate crown was the invariable symbol, as well amongst the Romans as the Greeks. - To Julius Caesar, after his victory over the Pompeys in Spain, a radiate crown was (according to Flavus) decreed in the theatre, amongst other honours obviously of a divine character. - Augustus is represented, with radiate head, on many coins struck after his death. And long before that period, Antiochus IV, king of Syria, was exhibited with this ornament; indeed he went so far as to cause himself to be reverenced as a diety, by the inscription, on his coins, of the word QEOT. - The emperors who succeeded Nero, cannot be said, so much to have sought divine honours, as to have shown no repugnance, when any distinction, above the lot of man, was conferred upon them, by which they might inspire the people with veneration, and a kind of superstitious awe. - A convincing proof of this is to be found in the fact, that the heads of the Augusti, in the gold and silver coinage, (which was under the direction of the Emperors) are without exception destitute of the radiate crown, up to the time of Caracalla, who first introduced it, more frequently and promiscuously on his silver coins. - On the other hand, this radiate type constantly occurs on brass coins, especially of the second size; but, as is well known, the care of this coinage devolved on the Senate, whose flattery of the Emperors was thoroughly appreciated and acquiesced in by them. - Eckhel 's remarks on the divinity ascribed to Nero are admirably illustrated from the following passage, which he cites from Tacitus (Ann.xv 74):- "Cerialis Anicius, the consul elect, moved a resolution, that a temple be erected as soon as possible, at the public cost, in honour of DIVVS NERO." Although, as he afterwards adds, "the honours of the Gods are not bestowed on a prince, till he has ceased to live amongst mortals." - See Corona Radiata.



View whole page from the Dictionary Of Roman Coins
All coins are guaranteed for eternity