FAUSTINA II Marcus Aurelius Wife Roman Coin Thessalian League Athena i48867

Item: i48867

 Authentic Ancient Coin of:

Faustina II
–
Roman Empress
& Wife of
Emperor

Marcus Aurelius
–
161-175 A.D. –
Bronze  Assarion 25mm (5.95 grams) of

Thessaly

Reference: Burrer, MA-G 7; BCD Thessaly II 966.1
ΦAYCTЄINA CЄBACTH, draped bust right.
KOINON ΘЄCCAΛωN, Athena Itonia striding right, hurling
spear held in her right hand, shield on her left arm.

You

Authenticity.

Following the great victory of the Roman general Flamininus

over Philip V of Macedon, in 197 B.C., the freedom of the Greeks was proclaimed

at Corinth and a number of new autonomous coinages were initiated. Those in the

name of the Thessali were struck probably at Larissa. The Thessalian League

was a loose confederacy of feudal-like city-states and tribes in the Thessalian

valley in Northern Greece

and was run by a few aristocratic Thessalian families (Aleuadae

and Skopadae). The seat of the Thessalian diet was

Larissa
.

Thessaly
was home to extensive
Neolithic
and
Chalcolithic
cultures
around 6000–2500 BC (see
Cardium Pottery
,
Dimini
and
Sesklo
).
Mycenaean
settlements
have also been discovered, for example at the sites of
Iolcos
,
Dimini
and
Sesklo
(near
Volos
). In Archaic and
Classical
times, the
lowlands of Thessaly became the home of baronial
families, such as the
Aleuadae
of
Larissa
or the Scopads
of Crannon. In the 4th century BC
Jason of Pherae

transformed the region into a significant military
power, recalling the glory of Early Archaic times.
Shortly after,
Philip II of Macedon

was appointed Archon of Thessaly, and Thessaly
was thereafter associated with the Macedonian Kingdom
for the next centuries. Thessaly later became part of
the
Roman Empire
as part of
the province of
Macedonia
.

Athena
or Athene (Latin:


Minerva
),
also referred to as Pallas Athena, is the goddess
of war, civilization, wisdom, strength, strategy,
crafts, justice and skill in

Greek mythology
.

Minerva
,
Athena’s Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes.
Athena is also a shrewd companion of

heroes

and the

goddess

of

heroic

endeavour. She is the

virgin

patron of

Athens
.
The Athenians built the

Parthenon

on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens, in her
honour (Athena Parthenos). Athena’s cult as the patron
of Athens seems to have existed from the earliest times
and was so persistent that archaic myths about her were
recast to adapt to cultural changes. In her role as a
protector of the city (polis),
many people throughout the Greek world worshiped Athena
as Athena Polias (“Athena of the city”).

Athens

and Athena bear etymologically connected names.

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’.^[1]

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)