Libertas (
Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the
Roman goddess
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representat ...
and
personification of
liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
. She became a politicised figure in the Late Republic, featured on coins supporting the
populares faction, and later those of the assassins of
Julius Caesar. Nonetheless, she sometimes appears on coins from the imperial period, such as
Galba's "Freedom of the People" coins during his short reign after the death of
Nero. She is usually portrayed with two accoutrements: the rod and the soft
pileus, which she holds out, rather than wears.
The Greek equivalent of the goddess Libertas is
Eleutheria, the personification of liberty. There are many
post-classical depictions of liberty as a person which often retain some of the
iconography of the Roman goddess.
Etymology
The name ''Lībertās'' ('freedom') is a derivation from Latin ''Līber'' ('free'), stemming from
Proto-Italic ''*leuþero'', and ultimately from
Proto-Indo-European ''*h₁leudʰero'' ('belonging to the people', hence 'free').
Attributes
Libertas was associated with the
pileus, commonly worn by the freed slave:
Libertas was also recognized in ancient Rome by the rod (''vindicta'' or ''festuca''),
used ceremonially in the act of ''Manumissio vindicta'', Latin for 'freedom by the rod' (emphasis added):
Temples
The
Roman Republic was established simultaneously with the creation of Libertas and is associated with the overthrow of the
Tarquin kings. She was worshiped by the
Junii
The gens Junia was one of the most celebrated families of ancient Rome. The gens may originally have been patrician, and was already prominent in the last days of the Roman monarchy. Lucius Junius Brutus was the nephew of Lucius Tarquinius Su ...
, the family of
Marcus Junius Brutus.
In 238 BC, before the
Second Punic War,
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus built a temple to Libertas on the
Aventine Hill.
Census tables were stored inside the temple's atrium. A subsequent temple was built (58–57 BC) on
Palatine Hill
The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...
, another of the
Seven hills of Rome
The seven hills of Rome ( la, Septem colles/montes Romae, it, Sette colli di Roma ) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city.
Hills
The seven hills are:
* Aventine Hill (Latin: ''Collis Aventi ...
, by
Publius Clodius Pulcher
Publius Clodius Pulcher (93–52 BC) was a populist Roman politician and street agitator during the time of the First Triumvirate. One of the most colourful personalities of his era, Clodius was descended from the aristocratic Claudia gens, one ...
. By building and consecrating the temple on the site of the former house of then-exiled
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
, Clodius ensured that the land was legally uninhabitable. Upon his return, Cicero successfully argued that the consecration was invalid and thus managed to reclaim the land and destroy the temple. In 46 BC, the Roman Senate voted to build and dedicate a shrine to Libertas in recognition of
Julius Caesar, but no temple was built; instead, a small statue of the goddess stood in the
Roman Forum.
Post-classical
The goddess Libertas is also depicted on the
Great Seal of France
The Great Seal of France (french: Grand Sceau de la République française) is the official seal of the French Republic. After the 1792 revolution established the First French Republic, the insignia of the monarchy was removed from the seal. Over ...
, created in 1848. This is the image which later influenced French sculptor
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi ( , ; 2 August 1834 – 4 October 1904) was a French sculptor and painter. He is best known for designing ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', commonly known as the Statue of Liberty.
Early life and education
Barthol ...
in the creation of his statue of ''
Liberty Enlightening the World
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, a ...
''.
Libertas, along with other Roman goddesses, has served as the inspiration for many modern-day
personifications, including the Statue of Liberty on
Liberty Island
Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was dedicated in ...
in the United States. According to the
National Park Service, the Statue's Roman robe is the main feature that invokes Libertas and the symbol of Liberty from which the statue derives its name.
In addition, money throughout history has borne the name or image of Libertas. As "
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
", Libertas was depicted on the obverse (heads side) of most coinage in the U.S. into the twentieth century and the image is still used for the
American Gold Eagle
The American Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986. Because the term "eagle" also is the official United ...
gold
bullion coin
Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from the ...
. The University of North Carolina records two instances of private banks in its state depicting Libertas on their banknotes;
Libertas is depicted on the 5, 10 and 20
Rappen
A Rappen (pl. Rappen) originally was a variant of the medieval Pfennig ("penny") coin common to the Alemannic German regions Alsace, Sundgau, northern Switzerland and south-western Germany. As with other German pennies, its half-piece was a Ha ...
denomination coins of
Switzerland, and on the privately issued 50
Goldback notes.
The symbolic characters
Columbia who represents the United States and
Marianne
Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty.
Marianne is displayed in ...
, who represents France, the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World'') in
New York Harbor, and many other characters and concepts of the modern age were created, and are seen, as embodiments of Libertas.
See also
*
Liber
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...
*
Libera (mythology)
Proserpina ( , ) or Proserpine ( ) is an ancient Roman goddess whose iconography, functions and myths are virtually identical to those of Greek Persephone. Proserpina replaced or was combined with the ancient Roman fertility goddess Libera, whose ...
a goddess in Roman mythology
*''
Liberty Leading the People'', 1830 painting
References
Bibliography
*
External links
David Hackett Fischer, ''Liberty and Freedom'' (2005) The many faces of Miss Liberty
{{Authority control
Roman goddesses
Personifications in Roman mythology
Liberty symbols