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Roman Republic, Denarius

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Roman Republic, Denarius (obverse) Roman Republic, Denarius (reverse)

The obverse of this denarius depicts Diana, the goddess of the hunt; the reverse shows a running hound with a spear below. The coin belongs the only large issue of Roman coins in the 70s BC. It was struck to pay for the civil war against Quintus Sertorius, who had established an independent realm in Spain that he managed to defend against Rome for several years.

Sertorius owned a white fawn that he passed off as a gift from Diana, hinting that the goddess communicated her wishes via the animal and gave him advise. This convinced many to follow him, as people believed in the guidance and help of the gods.

These coins, struck to pay for the war against Sertorius, made a claim on Diana as goddess of Rome, where she had her temple on the Aventine Hill.

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