Constantia

Constantia is the personification of consistency (constancy, persistence, endurance).


DICTIONARY OF ROMAN| COINS|







Constantia

Constantia is the personification of consistency (constancy, persistence, endurance).


CONSTANTIA. - Constancy, the symbol of the Emperor Claudius, though it was an attribute not always prominent in him. For his biographer Suetonius says of him, "In the faculties of reflection and discernment, his mind was remarkably variable and contrasted, he being sometimes circumspect and sagacious; at others inconsiderate and hasty, often frivolous and as though he were out of his wits." - The following three are examples of this legend. 1. CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI. A woman standing, with a long torch in her right hand, and a cornucopiæ in her left. On Gold and silver of Antonia - Engraved in p. 55 of this dictionary. The torch is to be referred to the ceremonial of the priesthood of Augustus (Antonia was called SACERDOS DIVI AVGVSTI) and that in the hand of the woman on the present coin, intended no doubt for Antonia, appears to have been added in allusion to the same office. But the difficulty is to reconcile the legend with the type. Havercamp thinks that the constancy of Antonia is alluded to, which she displayed in adhering to widowhood, and compelling her daughter Livilla to suffer death. But if such constancy really shewed (showed) itself in Antonia, why is the merit, according to the sense of the legend, attributed to Augustus? For it should have been written AVGVSTAE, not AVGVSTI. To this it may be added, that the legend is a common one on the coins of her son Claudius, and appears to be peculiar to him, as will be seen below. But if the legend refers to Claudius, and the type to Antonia, it is difficult to assign the reason for such an anomaly, - D. N. V. sixth vol. p. 179.  
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