Salonina – Roman Empress: 253-268 A.D. – Wife of Gallienus Silvered Antoninianus 22mm (3.09 grams) Mint in Asia, struck 267 A.D. Reference: RIC 88; RSC 105; Sear 10652. SALONINA AVG, diademed draped bust right, on crescent. SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent held in her arms.
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Salus, a Roman goddess, the personification of health, prosperity, and the public welfare. In the first of these three senses she answers closely to the Greek Hygieia, and was accordingly represented in works of art with the same attributes as the Greek goddess. In the second sense she represents prosperity in general. In the third sense she is the goddess of the public welfare (Salus publica or Romano). In this capacity a temple had been vowed to her in the year B.C. 307, by the censor C. Junius Bubulcus on the Quirinal hill, which was afterwards decorated with paintings by C. Fabius Pictor. She was worshipped publicly on the 30th of April, in conjunction with Pax, Concordia, and Janus. It had been customary at Rome every year, about the time when the consuls entered upon their office, for the augurs and other high-priests to observe the signs for the purpose of ascertaining the fortunes of the republic during the coming year; this observation of the signs was called augurium Salutis. In the time of Cicero, this ceremony had become neglected; but Augustus restored it, and the custom afterwards remained as long as paganism was the religion of the state.
Julia Cornelia Salonina (d. 268, Mediolanum) was an Augusta, wife of Roman Emperor Gallienus and mother of Valerian II, Saloninus, and Marinianus.
Julia Cornelia Salonina’s origin is unknown. According to a modern theory, she was born of Greek origin in Bithynia, then part of the province of Bithynia et Pontus, Asia Minor. However, there exists some scepticism on that. She was married to Gallienus about ten years before his accession to the throne. When her husband became joint-emperor with his father Valerian in 253, Cornelia Salonina was named Augusta.
Cornelia was the mother of three princes, Valerian II, Saloninus and Marinianus. Her fate, after the murder of Gallienus, during the siege of Mediolanum in 268, is unknown. It is likely that either her life was spared or the she was executed together with other members of her family, at the orders of the Senate of Rome.
Her name is reported on coins with Latin legend as Cornelia Salonina; however, from the Greek coinage come the names Iulia Cornelia Salonina, Publia Licinia Cornelia Salonina, and Salonina Chrysogona (attribute that means “begotten of gold”).
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