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Enemies, Punished: Killing of Tarpeia, Another Founding Myth, on Titurius Sabinus Denarius
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Roman Republican. L. Titurius L.f. Sabinus AR Denarius (3.5g, 20.5mm, 3h), Rome 89 BCE.
Obv: SABIN. Bearded bare head of the Sabine king, Tatius right; palm frond right below chin.
Rev: L•TITVRI. Tarpeia, hair dishevelled, facing forward, buried to her waist in shields, hands raised fending off two soldiers about to throw their shields on her; star in crescent above.
Ref: Tituria 4 (Babelon or RSC); Crawford 344/2a.
Prov: Ex Numismática Lucernae/Antonio Hinosa Pareja (Alcala La Real, 8 Jul 2015).
Notes: This reverse was copied by a second classic denarius, struck ~80 years later by Augustus (RIC 299). It was also a pun on the moneyer’s name: Titurius Sabinus & Tarpeia the Sabine partisan.
A classic scene invoking the contemporary relevance of Rome’s mythical founding to the ongoing “Social War” (91 – 87 BCE). The Republic was at war with its own allies & Italic neighbors, largely over the matter of (not) bestowing Roman citizenship. (Citizenship was worth fighting over; it was highly consequential for safety & well-being, and political & military decision-making). Though Rome "won," it granted citizenship anyway, eventuating in “the Romanization of Italy.”
The coin's reverse depicts Tarpeia, the Vestal Virgin who betrayed Rome to the Sabines during a siege. Her punishment was to be crushed to death under Sabine shields & hurled from a cliff (the "Tarpeian Rock").
In 70 CE, the Flavians gave a traditional traitor's execution to Simon bar Giora (famous rebel leader in the First Jewish–Roman War, 66-70 CE, defender against Titus in the Siege of Jerusalem): he was paraded through Rome in Vespasian's great Triumph, scourged and publicly hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.
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![Enemies, Punished: Killing of Tarpeia, Another Founding Myth, on Titurius Sabinus Denarius
[b]Roman Republican. L. Titurius L.f. Sabinus AR Denarius[/b] (3.5g, 20.5mm, 3h), Rome 89 BCE.
[b]Obv[/b]: SABIN. Bearded bare head of the Sabine king, Tatius right; palm frond right below chin.
[b]Rev[/b]: L•TITVRI. Tarpeia, hair dishevelled, facing forward, buried to her waist in shields, hands raised fending off two soldiers about to throw their shields on her; star in crescent above.
[b]Ref[/b]: Tituria 4 (Babelon or RSC); Crawford 344/2a.
[b]Prov[/b]: Ex Numismática Lucernae/Antonio Hinosa Pareja (Alcala La Real, 8 Jul 2015).
[b]Notes[/b]: This reverse was copied by a second classic denarius, struck ~80 years later by Augustus (RIC 299). It was also a pun on the moneyer’s name: Titurius [i]Sabinus[/i] & Tarpeia the [i]Sabine[/i] partisan.
A classic scene invoking the contemporary relevance of Rome’s mythical founding to the ongoing “Social War” (91 – 87 BCE). The Republic was at war with its own allies & Italic neighbors, largely over the matter of (not) bestowing Roman citizenship. (Citizenship was worth fighting over; it was highly consequential for safety & well-being, and political & military decision-making). Though Rome "won," it granted citizenship anyway, eventuating in “the Romanization of Italy.”
The coin's reverse depicts Tarpeia, the Vestal Virgin who betrayed Rome to the Sabines during a siege. Her punishment was to be crushed to death under Sabine shields & hurled from a cliff (the "Tarpeian Rock").
In 70 CE, the Flavians gave a traditional traitor's execution to Simon bar Giora (famous rebel leader in the First Jewish–Roman War, 66-70 CE, defender against Titus in the Siege of Jerusalem): he was paraded through Rome in Vespasian's great Triumph, scourged and publicly hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.](albums/userpics/27154/normal_Titurius_Republican_Denarius_E2.png "Click to view full size image
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Enemies, Punished: Killing of Tarpeia, Another Founding Myth, on Titurius Sabinus Denarius
[b]Roman Republican. L. Titurius L.f. Sabinus AR Denarius[/b] (3.5g, 20.5mm, 3h), Rome 89 BCE.
[b]Obv[/b]: SABIN. Bearded bare head of the Sabine king, Tatius right; palm frond right below chin.
[b]Rev[/b]: L•TITVRI. Tarpeia, hair dishevelled, facing forward, buried to her waist in shields, hands raised fending off two soldiers about to throw their shields on her; star in crescent above.
[b]Ref[/b]: Tituria 4 (Babelon or RSC); Crawford 344/2a.
[b]Prov[/b]: Ex Numismática Lucernae/Antonio Hinosa Pareja (Alcala La Real, 8 Jul 2015).
[b]Notes[/b]: This reverse was copied by a second classic denarius, struck ~80 years later by Augustus (RIC 299). It was also a pun on the moneyer’s name: Titurius [i]Sabinus[/i] & Tarpeia the [i]Sabine[/i] partisan.
A classic scene invoking the contemporary relevance of Rome’s mythical founding to the ongoing “Social War” (91 – 87 BCE). The Republic was at war with its own allies & Italic neighbors, largely over the matter of (not) bestowing Roman citizenship. (Citizenship was worth fighting over; it was highly consequential for safety & well-being, and political & military decision-making). Though Rome \"won,\" it granted citizenship anyway, eventuating in “the Romanization of Italy.”
The coin's reverse depicts Tarpeia, the Vestal Virgin who betrayed Rome to the Sabines during a siege. Her punishment was to be crushed to death under Sabine shields & hurled from a cliff (the \"Tarpeian Rock\").
In 70 CE, the Flavians gave a traditional traitor's execution to Simon bar Giora (famous rebel leader in the First Jewish–Roman War, 66-70 CE, defender against Titus in the Siege of Jerusalem): he was paraded through Rome in Vespasian's great Triumph, scourged and publicly hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.")
