Gaius Fabius Hadrianus (?), Silver Denarius
Dublin Core
Title
Gaius Fabius Hadrianus (?), Silver Denarius
Subject
Gaius Fabius Hadrianus (?) (moneyer), Silver Denarius. 102 BCE.
OBVERSE: Σ control letter left, Veiled and turreted bust of Cybele right.
REVERSE: C FABI C F (Gaius Fabius son of Gaius), Victory in biga right; heron right, (no control letter).
OBVERSE: Σ control letter left, Veiled and turreted bust of Cybele right.
REVERSE: C FABI C F (Gaius Fabius son of Gaius), Victory in biga right; heron right, (no control letter).
Description
Cybele was associated with Magna Mater, a very old goddess of the Roman pantheon. Shrouded in secrecy and mystery, the worship of this foreign goddess came with the Second Punic War. The Romans feared defeat and sought an oracle, which told them to bring the goddess to the city from Phrygian Pessinos. A large meteor was brought back to Rome, which was the center of Cybele's cult worship.
This coin was minted during the time period of Cybele’s adoption in the city and must allude to the hoped-for victory her arrival was thought to bring about.
This coin was minted during the time period of Cybele’s adoption in the city and must allude to the hoped-for victory her arrival was thought to bring about.
Source
Gift of James and Aneta McIntyre, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, OR. 2006.010.077
Date
102 BCE
Rights
Hallie Ford Museum of Art
Format
0.810 in
0.135 oz
0.135 oz
Language
Latin
Type
Coin
Coverage
This item is on view at Hallie Ford Museum of Art, in the Mark and Janeth Sponenburgh Gallery.
Citation
“Gaius Fabius Hadrianus (?), Silver Denarius,” Hallie Ford Museum of Art Exhibits, accessed December 26, 2024, https://library.willamette.edu/hfma/omeka/items/show/127.