FAUSTINA II Marcus Aurelius Wife 161AD Ancient Roman Coin JUNO i24225

Item: i24225

Authentic Ancient Coin of:

Faustina II – Roman Empress & Wife
of Emperor Marcus Aurelius – 161-175 A.D. –
Bronze As
28mm (14.34 grams) Rome mint: 161-175
A.D.
Reference: RIC III, 1652; MIR 18,19-7B.
FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
IVNONI REGINAE S-C, Juno standing left holding patera
and sceptre, peacock at foot left.

You

Authenticity.

In
ancient Roman religion
and
myth
, Luna is the divine embodiment of
the Moon (Latin luna; cf. English “lunar”). She is often presented as the
female complement of the Sun (Sol) conceived of as a god. Luna is also
sometimes represented as an aspect of the Roman triple goddess (diva
triformis), along with
Proserpina
and
Hecate
. Luna is not always a distinct
goddess, but sometimes rather an
epithet
that specializes a goddess, since both
Diana
and
Juno
are identified as moon goddesses.

In
Roman art
, Luna’s attributes are the crescent
moon and the two-yoke chariot (biga).
In the
Carmen Saeculare
, performed in 17 BC,
Horace
invokes her as the “two-horned queen of
the stars” (siderum regina bicornis), bidding her to listen to the girls
singing as Apollo
listens to the boys.

Varro
categorized Luna and Sol among the
visible gods, as distinguished from invisible gods such as
Neptune
, and deified mortals such as
Hercules
. She was one of the deities
Macrobius
proposed as the secret
tutelary
of Rome. In
Imperial cult
, Sol and Luna can represent the
extent of Roman rule over the world, with the aim of guaranteeing
peace
.

Luna’s
Greek counterpart
was
Selene
. In Roman art and
literature
, myths of Selene are adapted under
the name of Luna. The myth of
Endymion
, for instance, was a popular subject
for Roman wall painting.

Temples and cult

Luna had a temple on the
Aventine Hill
, just below a temple of Diana. As
Noctiluna (“Night-Shiner”) she had a temple on the
Palatine Hill
.
Titus Tatius
was supposed to have imported the
cult of Luna to Rome from the
Sabines
.

Varro
lists Luna among twelve deities who are
vital to
agriculture
, as does
Vergil
in a different list of twelve, in which
he refers to Luna and Sol as clarissima mundi lumina, the world’s
clearest sources of light.
Varro also lists Luna among twenty principal gods of Rome (di
selecti). In this list, Luna is distinguished from both Diana and Juno, who
also appear on it.

Juno as moon goddess

The
Kalends
of every month, when according to the
lunar calendar
the new moon occurred, was
sacred to Juno, as all
Ides
were to
Jupiter
.
On the
Nones
, she was honored as Juno Covella, Juno of
the crescent moon. Both Juno and Diana were invoked as
childbirth goddesses
with the epithet
Lucina
.

Chariot of the moon

In this
relief
depicting a Mithraic
tauroctony
, Luna drives a
biga drawn by oxen (right), while the Sun drives a
horse-drawn quadriga (left)

Luna (top right corner) paired with the Sun (top left) in
another depiction of the tauroctony

Luna is often depicted driving a two-yoke chariot (biga),
drawn by horses or oxen. In Roman art, the charioteer Luna is regularly paired
with the Sun driving a four-horse chariot (quadriga).

Isidore of Seville
explains that the
quadriga
represents the sun’s course
through the four seasons, while the biga represents the moon, “because it
travels on a twin course with the sun, or because it is visible both by day and
by night—for they yoke together one black horse and one white.”
Luna in her biga was an element of
Mithraic
iconography, usually in the context of
the tauroctony
. In the
mithraeum
of S. Maria Capua Vetere, a wall
painting that uniquely focuses on Luna alone shows one of the horses of the team
as light in color, with the other a dark brown.

A biga of oxen was also driven by
Hecate
, the
chthonic
aspect of the triple goddess in
complement with the “horned” or crescent-crowned
Diana
and Luna. The three-form Hecate (trimorphos)
was identified by
Servius
with Luna, Diana, and
Proserpina
. According to the
Archaic Greek
poet
Hesiod
, Hecate originally had power over the
heavens, land, and sea, not as in the later tradition heaven, earth, and
underworld.

Juno was an

ancient Roman goddess

, the protector and special counselor of the state. She

is a daughter of

Saturn

and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god

Jupiter

and the mother of

Mars

, Minerva

and

Vulcan

. Her Greek equivalent is

Hera.

As the

patron goddess

of Rome

and the

Roman empire

she was called Regina (“queen”) and, together with Jupiter and

Minerva
, was

worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome.

As the great Juno

Moneta
(which

the ancients interpreted as “the one who warns”; this traditional etymology is

badly formed, but has not been replaced) she guarded over the finances of the

empire and had a temple on the

Arx

(one of two Capitoline hills), which was the

Mint
.

She was also worshipped in many other cities, where temples were built in her

honor.

Every year, on the first of March, women held a festival in honor of Juno

called the Matronalia

. On this day, lambs and other cattle were sacrificed in her

honor. Another festival called the

Nonae Caprotinae

(“The Nones of the Wild Fig”) was held on July 7. Juno is

the patroness of marriage, and many people believe that the most favorable time

to marry is June, the month named after the goddess.

Lucina

was an epithet for Juno as “she who brings children into light.”

Juno’s own warlike aspect among the Romans is apparent in her attire. She

often appeared armed and wearing a goatskin cloak, which was the garment

favoured by Roman soldiers on campaign. This warlike aspect was assimilated from

the Greek goddess Athena

, whose goatskin was called the ‘aegis’.

Annia

Galeria Faustina Minor (Minor Latin for

the younger), Faustina Minor or Faustina

the Younger

(February

16 between 125 and 130-175) was a daughter of

Roman Emperor

Antoninus Pius

and Roman Empress

Faustina the Elder

. She was a Roman Empress and wife

to her maternal cousin Roman Emperor

Marcus Aurelius

. Though Roman sources give a

generally negative view of her character, she was held

in high esteem by soldiers and her own husband and was

given divine honours after her death.

//

 Biography

Faustina, named after her mother, was

her parents’ fourth and youngest child and their second

daughter; she was also their only child to survive to

adulthood. She was born and raised in

Rome

.

Her great uncle, the Emperor

Hadrian

, had arranged with her father for Faustina

to marry

Lucius Verus

. On February 25, 138, she and Verus

were betrothed.

Verus’ father

was Hadrian’s first adopted son and

his intended heir. However when Verus’ father died,

Hadrian chose Faustina’s father to be his second adopted

son, and eventually, he became Hadrian’s successor.

Faustina’s father ended the engagement between his

daughter and Verus and arranged for Faustina’s betrothal

to her maternal cousin,

Marcus Aurelius

; Aurelius was also adopted by her

father. On May 13, 145, Faustina and Marcus Aurelius

were married. When her father died on March 7, 161, her

husband and Lucius Verus succeeded to her father’s

throne and became co-rulers. Faustina was given the

title of

and became Empress.

Unfortunately, not much has survived

from the Roman sources regarding Faustina’s life, but

what is available does not give a good report.

Cassius Dio

and the

accuse Faustina of ordering

deaths by poison and execution; she has also been

accused of instigating the revolt of

Avidius Cassius

against her husband. The Augustan

History mentions adultery with sailors, gladiators,

and men of rank. However, Faustina and Aurelius seem to

have been very close and mutually devoted. Her husband

trusted her and defended her vigorously against

detractors.

Faustina accompanied her husband on

various military campaigns and enjoyed the love and

reverence of Roman soldiers. Aurelius gave her the title

of Mater Castrorum or Mother of the Camp.

Between 170-174, she was in the north, and in 175, she

accompanied Aurelius to the east. However, these

experiences took their toll on Faustina, who died in the

winter of 175, after an accident, at the military camp

in Halala (a city in the

Taurus Mountains

in

Cappadocia

).

Aurelius grieved much for his wife

and buried her in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome. She

was deified: her statue was placed in the Temple of

Venus in Rome and a temple was dedicated to her in her

honor. Halala’s name was changed to Faustinopolis

and Aurelius opened charity schools for orphan girls

called Puellae Faustinianae or ‘Girls of

Faustina’.

The Baths of Faustina in

Miletus

are named after her.

In their thirty years of marriage,

Faustina bore Marcus Aurelius thirteen children:

1. Annia Aurelia Galeria Faustina

   (147-after 165)

2. Gemellus Lucillae (died around

   150), twin brother of Lucilla

3. Annia Aurelia Galeria

   Lucilla

   (148/50-182), twin sister of Gemellus,

   married her father’s co-ruler

   Lucius Verus

4. Titus Aelius Antoninus (born

   after 150, died before 7 March 161)

5. Titus Aelius Aurelius (born after

   150, died before 7 March 161)

6. Hadrianus (152-157)

7. Domitia Faustina (born after 150,

   died before 7 March 161)

8. Fadilla

   (159-after 211)

9. Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor

   (160-after 211)

10. Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus

    (161-165), twin brother of Commodus

11. Commodus

    (161-192), twin brother of Titus

    Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, later emperor

12. Marcus Annius Verus Caesar

    (162-169)

13. Vibia Aurelia Sabina (170-died before 217)