TIBERIS


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TIBERIS. S. C. – A river god seated on the ground – his right hand placed on a boat, and his left hand reposing on an urn, holds a reed.  The Tiber, thus distinctly named, is finely personified on a bronze medallion of Antoninus Pius.  There is also another bronze medallion of the same emperor, the type which alludes to one of the fabulous legends of early Rome; such as he delighted to restore in public memory, vis., the arrival of Aesculapius in Italy from Epidaurus, under the form of a serpent.  On this beautiful reverse, Tiber is seated amidst the waters, as a venerably bearded old man, with a bulrush in his left hand, and his elbow resting on a vase pouring forth a billowy stream that completely covers his lower extremities (See AESCVLAPIVS).  On a first and second bronze of Domitian forming one of the series of medals, struck under that prince to commemorate his celebration of the secular games, a river god, in a recumbent position, occupies a prominent place in the group of figures, and is shown by Eckhel to be unquestionably a personification of the Tiber. (See LVD. SAEC. FEC.)  In the Ccatalogue D’Ennery a gold medal is ascribed to Galba, with TIBERIS P. M. TR. P. COS. II. And an aquatic divinity seated.  Eckhel quotes and comments upon this coin, without intimating any doubt of its genuineness.  Mionnet and Akerman, however do not include such a piece in their respective catalogues of Roman money.  Vaillant (Pr. Iii. 115) gives a bronze medallion of Hadrian, the type of which he describes, as exhibiting the emperor on horseback, to whom the genius of  Rome offers a branch; and below, the recumbent figure of a river god, resting his arm on an urn whence water is flowing with the word TIBERIS.  But no notice is taken of this remarkable reverse by either Eckhel, Mionnet or Akerman.


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