Die clades Lolliana, eine übersehene Legendenvariante auf Denaren des Augustus und das Gelübde pro salute et reditu des Jahres 16 v. Chr.

Abstract

This article analyses and contextualises a variant of a denarius type of Augustus from a western mint, which was documented as early as 1913 but remains unrecorded in the standard reference works. The three known specimens show a statue of the youthful, naked Mars with vexillum and parazonium on the reverse. In contrast to the pieces of the type discussed so far (RIC I2 Augustus 153), the last word of the four-line reverse legend is written out on the coins examined here, which allows the coin inscription to be reconstructed in full: VOT(um) P(ublice) SVSC(eptum) PRO SAL(ute) ET RED(itu) I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo) SACRVM. While these coins share their obverse dies with denarii of the same basic type, the reverse inscription of the others ends simply in SACR, which has caused their wording to be supplemented differently so far. The new evidence hence provides an opportunity to re-evaluate the historical and numismatic context of the entire group of coins. The reverse legend of these pieces commemorates a vow mentioned in Cassius Dio (54, 19, 7), which was made at Rome on the occasion of the departure of the princeps to the west immediately after the defeat of Lollius in 16 BCE and then fulfilled by celebrating the votive games for Iuppiter Optimus Maximus in 13 BCE (CIL VI 386). The statue of Mars shown on the western coins is very similar to the statue of the god that appears on Roman denarii of moneyer L. Mescinius Rufus in 16 BC (RIC I2 Augustus 351–353, 356); on these coins, it stands on a base with an inscription that documents the same vow: SPQR V(otum) P(ublice) S(usceptum) PR(o) S(alute) ET / RED(itu) AVG(usti). The coinage minted at Rome apparently shows a statue of the god of war set up on occasion of Augustus’ departure after the clades Lolliana and in connection with the taking of the vows in Rome. The choice of Mars is explained by the general expectation that the emperor would avenge the Roman loss at the hands of the Germanic tribes.