Fufia gens, plebian, but of consular rank. It took its surname from the town of Cales, in Campania Felix, whence Kalenus is derived. The coins of the family consist of only one type, serrated denari and rare:
KALENI, two cojoined youthful heads, the formaer laureated, the latter galeated. Bofore the one VIRT, behind the other HO.
Reverse: CORDI, two female figures, one holding a cornucopiae, and having a caduceus and ITAL behind her; the other paludated and holding a sceptre, with right foot on a globe, behind which is inscribed RO.
Respecting the heads of Honos and Virtus a notice of the Mucia gens may be referred to. The type on the reverse, in which Italy and Rome stand joining hands, is regarded by the learned as allusive to the restoration of peace and amity between the Romans and the people of the different Italian states, when at length those rights of citizenship were conceeded to the Italians, which by a general revolt and resort to arms they had sought to acquire. Barthelemy refers this coin to the treaty entered into by Sulla, with the nations of italy, but only as among other conjectures.
Eckhel (|v| 220), considers it difficult to devine, with what magistry the |Lucius| Fufius Calenus referred to on this denarius was invested, and who was the Mucius Cordus with whom this reverse unites him in colleagueship. Riccio states that the first named was moneyer of the rupublic about 90 BC; and according to Dion, the same person was pretor in conjunction with Mucius Cordus. Cavedoni concurs in the opinion that on this medal, in highly expressive characters, is represented the famous act of reconciliation accomplished between Rome and Italy, after the murderous social wars. He adds that the remembrance here perpetuated of that event must have been an especial subject of pride to Mucius Cordus; because Italy pacified shewed his attachment (attinenza) to the side of Papius Mutilus, first general of the Romans in the Italian war. On this denarius we see Rome belligerent and Italy fertile, as distinguished by their respective attributes, reciprocally offer right hands to each other. And because such reconciliation had been effected, not by force of arms but, through the virtue and honour of Italy, of which Rome was the capital, so we see here the heads of these two divinities, who each had their tample, but so united together, that no one could enter that of Honourm without first passing through that of Virtue. See Monete delle Famiglie, etc, p 94.