It bears allussion to L. AEmilius Paulus, who served the consulship in the year of Rome 704 (B.C. 50), and to whom the merit is ascribed by old writers of having begun the reconstruction and adornment (B.C. 54) at his own expense, of the above-named public edifice, in the Forum at Rome. Being, however, left in an unfinished state by the founder, it was at length completed, and dedicated, by Paulus Aemilius Lepidus, in the year U.C. 720 (B.C. 34), accordin to Dion Cassius. The chief ornaments of the edifice were its columns of Phrygian marble, of which Pliny speaks in admiration. The AEmilian Basilica was twice repaired, after damage by fire. The first time in 740 (B.C. 14), when the temple of Vesta was also destroyed, and it was then restored (refecta) by Augustus and the friends of Paulus. The second time was during the reign of Tiverius, on which occasion Lepidus, with consent of the Senate, rebuilt and adorned it at his own cost. - Eckhel agrees with Havercamp in considering this denarius to have been coined under Augustus - not under Tiberius - and points to the head on the obverse as doubtless that of Vesta, allusive to the temple of that goddess, destroyed in the same conflagration, which consumed the Basilica, and was restored by Augustus. The archaism too of AIMILIA (the ancient spelling of AEMILIA), bespeaks it to be of the age of Augustus, rather than that of Tiberius. - Doct. Num. Vet. v. 127.

This coin is valued by Mionnet at 18 fr. The same, restored by Trajan, he prices at 100 fr.

ALACRITATI. - To Alacrity; with figue of Pegasus. - The foregoing legend occurs for the first, and indeed the only time, in the imperial series of coins, on a very rare middle brass of Gallienus. The type also is found on one of the billon pieces minted under the same emperor, but with a differend legend. [LEG. 1. &c.]

Respecting this singular reverse, and its appropriate device of a winged horse (previously noticed and engraved by Angeloni and Banduri) Eckhel says, "I do not remember any altar, dedicated by the Romans to Alacrity. It seems probable that this virtue, or good quality, in a sovereign, to have been here commended in Gallienus, in consequence of his having, immediately on his accession to the empire, and during his first consulate, prepared an army in Germany, with great expedition, and sent it forth against the revolted Gards." - See Pegasus.