https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-90496Octavian. Spring-early summer 36 BC. AR
Denarius (18mm, 3.88 g, 6h). Southern or central
Italian mint.
Bare head right, bearded / Temple of Divus Julius: statue of
Julius Caesar, holding
lituus, within
tetrastyle temple set on podium;
DIVO IVL on
architrave,
star within
pediment, figures along roof line; lighted
altar to left.
Crawford 540/2; CRI 315;
Sydenham 1338;
RSC 90
This
denarius clearly reflects Octavian's manipulation of the symbolism in
his coinage to convey a particular political message. The
obverse shows him with a beard, the typical attitude of mourning, worn in this instance for the death of
Caesar,
his assassinated
patron. The
reverse depicts the as-yet-to-be-built Temple of Divus Julius, located at the southern entrance of the
Roman Forum, which would be dedicated on 18 August 29 BC. Although construction of a temple on the site of Caesar's cremation did not begin until after
Actium,
Octavian still depicted it on this earlier coins to emphasize
his connection to the now "divine"
Caesar, as well as
his more traditional fulfilment of
pietas.
