The Roman Empire
Septimius Severus, 193 – 211. Aureus, Roma 194, AV 7.26 g.
Description: L SEPT SEV PE – RT AVG IMP II Laureate head r. Rev. DIS AVSP – ICI B – TR P II Hercules, on l., standing r., holding club and lion skin, and Bacchus, on r., standing l., holding oenochoe over panther and thyrsus; in exergue, COS II P P. References: C 113
BMC 58
RIC 25
Calicó 2445a Condition: Very rare and possibly the finest specimen known. A magnificent portrait and a very interesting reverse composition. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Provenance: Roma Numismatics sale 3, 2011, 497 Note: Struck in A.D. 194 shortly before Septimius Severus left to confront the pretender Pescennius Niger in the East, the reverse of this lovely gold aureus depicts the demi-gods Hercules and Liber ( Bacchus ), the patron deities of the emperor’s hometown of Leptis Magna, a seaside city with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean. The legend calls on the divine heralds ( Dis Auspicibus ) to usher in a new age of peace and prosperity for the Roman world of the Severan dynasty. Septimius favored his hometown, spending magnificent sums on a lavish revitalization program. He built a new forum, docks, a basilica, and a monumental triumphal arch amongst other structures, and the city prospered greatly due to his attention. This prosperity did not last long, however; within just a few decades after his reign the city had been partially abandoned. Fortunately for the visitor today, the ruins have survived the ravages of time remarkably well: the site today presents us with one of the most spectacular and unspoiled Roman ruins throughout the Mediterranean world.