Victoria Statue in
Berlin Victoria is the Roman goddess of victory. Initially, she was a companion of the Italian god Jupiter Victor ( lat. Iuppiter Victor ), who granted victory, but eventually turned into an independent and more revered goddess. In her honor, the temple was erected first in Rome, and then in many cities controlled by it [2] .
Initially, Victoria was regarded as a goddess giving victory to the entire Roman people, but closer to the sunset of the republic, the idea of a goddess was transformed - she became the patroness of specific Roman emperors and the embodiment of their real or imaginary victories. Roman emperors honored Victoria, giving the opportunity and the right to rule the world. Both the Romans and the Greeks considered Victoria and the Greek goddess of victory Nika to be the same deity. Often, under Greek influence, Victoria was portrayed as a winged maiden who stood on the arm of Jupiter [3] . The Romans brought their vision of the goddess of victory, portraying her as a woman on a throne with a palm branch in her hand. This image was given to a statue standing in the Senate [4] .
Gradually, Christianity began to supplant the traditional Roman religion, called pagan Christians. Under Emperor Theodosius I the Great , representatives of ancient philosophy and religion were persecuted. In 394, the statue of Victoria as a palladium of ancient religion was forever removed from the Senate hall, which became a sign of the victory of Christianity [5] .
Coins of the Republic
Victory . Goddess hands a wreath to a warrior (194-190 BC)
. It controls the quadriga with Jupiter (c. 225-214 BC)
Many researchers attribute Victoria to “military deities” [6] . For the Romans, this goddess was the personification of victory and a symbol of the superiority of the Roman army [7] . Initially, the goddess was depicted on coins with a winged maiden standing on a chariot with attributes: a wreath and a palm branch. On the coins of Cato the Elder on the reverse, along with sitting Victoria, there is a legend: “VICTRIX” (from lat. Winner ). During the republic, a winged bust of Victoria was minted on the obverse of Valery Flaccus's coins. Similar busts were also adorned by the coins of Titius, Papius Celsus, Carisia, the mayor of Planck, Oppius and Numonius of Baal [7] .
During the republic's period, the main military types appeared, which were later imitated by imperial stamp carvers [8] . During the period of intensive expansion of the empire and the intensification of its foreign policy on coin types, many plots related to military affairs appear. The Romans depicted Victoria on coins with different plots: sitting or standing with a wreath and a palm branch, laying a wreath on trophies, flying with a shield in her hands, on charioteer quadrigs [7] .
During the republic's time, silver coins were minted for a short time with Jupiter on the obverse and Victoria on the reverse. Thanks to the image of the goddess on the reverse, they got their name - victoria ( lat. Victoriatus ). The minting of the Victorians began a little earlier than the production of denarii .
First, rarely, and from the second half of the II century BC. e. more and more often, references to modern history appear on Roman coins. The goddess flying over the Dioscuri indicated the end of the First Punic War (264-241 BC). The crowning Rome of Victoria marked the end of the Second Macedonian War ((200–197 BC). After the victory of the Romans in the Antioch War (192–188 BC), Victoria appeared on the coins on the [9] .
| Denarii with the image of Victoria |
| The Sextus of Atilius (155 BC) With a whip on the big |
| Valery Flaccus (108–107 BC). Victoria Winged Bust |
| Atzilius Balb (125 BC). Jupiter with Victoria on the Quadriga |
| Julius Caesar (44 B.C.) On the arm of Venus |
| Mark Junius Brutus (42 B.C.) With a broken scepter and diadem |
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Empire Coins
Dupondius Caligula (c. 37–41). The image on the chariot of Caligula
Golden Kvinarii of Tiberius
Victoria is sitting on a sphere with a wreath in her hands.
By the sunset of the republic, religion continued to play an important role for the state, but the monetary system was changing, moving away from stereotypical forms. Images of gods on coins began to replace small deities, who were personified virtues; more types of coins were dedicated to the history of families in power and modern events. Under Caligula, the monetary tradition in choosing the image for minting on coins began to expand, and by the time Vespasian reigned, the monetary system had finally developed. The usual image of Victoria remained on half aureus, denarius, quinaria or victoriate [11] . Most often Victoria meets coins with a wreath and a palm branch, often standing on the globe or the bow of the ship, if victory is meant at sea. In order to depict a specific victory, an epithet was also minted on a coin (for example, Britannica or Parfika), and the title of triumph was often depicted on the shield [12] .
After the victory of Octavian Augustus over Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, it was immortalized, including the release of several new types of denarii. On one type of denarius, obverse is decorated with Victoria standing on the bow of the ship with a palm branch and a wreath in her hands; on the reverse, Octavian is depicted standing on a triumphal chariot. On another type that appeared later, a quadriga with Octavian crowned by Victoria [13] . In late Roman coinage, the Victoria Augustus type remained one of the most used types of coins on the reverse side and even Christian emperors continued to use this type [14] .
On Roman coins, Victoria was depicted as an independent type or in the company of the emperor. On the coins of the last emperors of the Antonin dynasty , leading the Parthian and Markoman war, the goddess on coins interacts with the emperors: crowns, erects a trophy, writes on the shield [14] .
The Golden
Semiss of Valent II . The goddess on trophies receives from the winged genius a shield with the inscription "VOT X MVL XX"
[fifteen]
There is a coin minted under the emperor Gallien , and representing the only case of satire on imperial coins. This coin depicts Victoria on a big yoke drawn by two mules, and the legend says: “Ubique Rax” (from lat. Everywhere is the world . According to the English historian and numismatist Harold Mattingly , then “the most ardent optimists could not help but sneer about universal peace , since the East was lost to Rome and Gallia broke off. ”Perhaps this coin was minted already under Claudius II as a way to justify the plot against Gallienus [16] .
The solemn vows given by the emperors after every five years in power continue to be celebrated. On coins on this occasion, a legend was minted on coins in the form of the formula “VOT V MULT X” or “SIC X SIC XX” (vow 5 or multiple of 5) [17] . The legend of the vows was usually part of the composition of the side of the coin, for example, depicted on the shield or wreath of Victoria [18] [19] [15] or even two of Victoria [20] . At a time when several people were vested with imperial power, images on coins were preferred, emphasizing the good relations between them. Such coins often depicted Victoria with spread wings in the company of emperors, for example, the solids of Valentinian I and Valent II or Valentinian and Grazian [17] [21] [22] .
For centuries, the concept of Victoria that accompanied Roman history was adapted by Christianity [23] . Under Grazian, the altar of Victoria as a symbol of paganism was removed from the Senate in 382, which did not prevent the Christian emperors from continuing to mint and use coins with Victoria [14] . In 409, power in Rome was usurped by Priscus Attalus , in which many coins with the image of Victoria were minted instead of the usual chrysism [14] .
The goddess remains relevant on the coin types of the sunset of the empire, which is under the onslaught of the barbarians [24] . The foreign policy of the late republic is reflected, among other things, on coin types, including coin types of the goddess Victoria, talking about the military enterprises of the Romans [8] .
| Denarii with the image of Victoria |
| Marcus Aurelius (c. 165–166). With a shield and a palm tree |
| Septimius Severus (c. 210–211). Sitting on billboards, holding a shield and a palm branch |
| Septimius Severus (c. 210–211). Holds a palm tree, leans on a shield on a tree |
| Alexander Sever (222 g.) With a wreath and a palm branch |
| Maximin I (c. 235–238). With a wreath and a palm branch |
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| Victoria Aureus |
| Octavian (c. 29–27 BC). On a ball with a wreath and vexillum [25] |
| Vitellius (69 g.). On the sphere, in the hands of a wreath and a palm branch [26] |
| Trajan (c. 107 g.). Standing in the hand of Jupiter [27] |
| Marcus Aurelius (c. 152–153). Standing in the hand of Rome [28] |
| Antoninus Pius (c. 155–156). With wreath and olive branch [29] |
| Lucius Ver (c. 163–164). Fastens the shield to the palm tree [30] |
| Lucius Ver (c. 165–166). With a diadem in hand [31] |
| Marcus Aurelius (c. 166–167). With wreath and palm branch [1] |
| Commodus (c. 187). It is in the hand of Virtuta [32] |
| Septimius Severus (c. 193–194). With wreath and palm branch [32] |
| Caracalla (c. 203). Standing in the hand of Caracalla [33] |
| Gordian III (c. 239). With wreath and palm branch [34] |
| Valerian I (c. 256–257). With wreath and palm branch [35] |
| Tacitus (c. 275–276). With wreath and palm branch [36] |
| Kar (c. 282–283). On the sphere, in the hands of a wreath and a palm branch [37] |
| Constantine (c. 317). Two prisoners are sitting on either side of Victoria [38] |
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| Soldiers with the image of Victoria |
| Constantine (c. 336–337). With trophy and palm branch [20] |
| Constants (c. 340–350). 2 Victoria opposite each other with a wreath [20] |
| Constants (c. 337–347). On the shield and trophies, in the hands of the shield and stylus [19] |
| Constantius II (c. 342–343). With trophy and palm branch [39] |
| Valentinian I (c. 364–367). In the hand of Valentinian [40] |
| Valentinian I (c. 364–367). On a ball in Valentinian’s hand [40] |
| Valens II (c. 364 g.). On a ball in Valent’s hand [40] |
| Constants (c. 347–348). 2 victoria opposite each other with a wreath |
| Valens II. (c. 364–367 gg.). On a ball in Valent’s hand [15] |
| Valens II. (c. 364–367 gg.). On a ball in Valent’s hand [15] |
| Grazian (c. 367-375 gg.). On trophies with a shield in their hands [21] |
| Grazian (c. 375–378). Above the emperors [22] |
| Valens II (c. 375–378). Above the emperors [21] |
| Grazian. (c. 367-375 gg.). On the ball in the hand of Grazian [22] |
| Grazian. (c. 377-380 gg.). Over Valentinian and Grazian [22] |
| Valentinian II (c. 383–388). Above the emperors [41] |
| Theodosius I the Great (c. 393–395). On the ball in the hand of Theodosius [42] |
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