In 82 BC, a denarius was minted by Lucius Marcius Censorinus picturing

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

and Marsyas the satyr. The coin has attracted several interpretations because of the

ambiguity Ambiguity is the type of meaning in which a phrase, statement or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible. A common aspect of ambiguity is uncertainty. It is thus an attribute of any idea or statement ...

of its

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

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Coin description

On the obverse of this coin is a representation of the god Apollo, portrayed as a young man wearing a

diadem A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. Overview The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', "I ...

. On the reverse of the coin is an image of the

satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, :wikt:σάτυρος, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, :wikt:Σειληνός, σειληνός ), is a male List of nature deities, nature spirit with ears ...

Marsyas, nude, carrying a wineskin. He is wearing a Phrygian cap, and has a pedestal standing beside him, holding a statue, which some think is a statue of

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

. Along the side is the inscription ''L. Censor.'' The image of Marsyas may be copied from a statue in the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

at this time, as implied by the

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ci ...

in the field of the coin. The coin is silver and weighs roughly 3.95 grams.

Symbolism

The Marcius ''gens''

The symbolism may refer to the

moneyer A moneyer is a private individual who is officially permitted to mint money. Usually the rights to coin money are bestowed as a concession by a state or government. Moneyers have a long tradition, dating back at least to ancient Greece. They beca ...

’s family line, the gens Marcia, who claimed legendary descent from Marsyas.Babelon, Ernest ''Description Historique et Chronologique des Monnaiees de la Republique Romaine Vulgairement Appelees Monnaies Consulaires''. Arnaldo Forni, Bologna 1963, pg. 194-195 An ancestor claimed to have experienced a vision which led to the founding of games in tribute to Apollo. The brother of Lucius, Gaius Marcius Censorinus, minted a coin with the image of Apollo.

Political climate

:''Main discussion: Marsyas, Prophecy and free speech at Rome.'' Another view of the symbolism in this coin is that it is politically driven. Apollo was seen as a symbol of harmony, especially in his manifestation at Rome.Luce, T.J. ''Political Propaganda on Roman Republican Coins: Circa 92-82 B.C.'' American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 1 (Jan., 1968) pp. 25-39, pg 32-33 During this time, Rome was experiencing a period of political upheaval, connected to the Social Wars. Marsyas was regarded as a symbol of political freedom, particularly free speech. On the coin,

Marsyas In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas (; grc-gre, Μαρσύας) is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double oboe (''aulos'') that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged ...

is wearing a Phrygian cap, a symbol of liberty. L. Marcius Censorinus was a supporter of Marian or Cinnan politics, which advanced the cause of

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...

for

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

during the Social Wars. Gaius Marcius Censorinus was captured at the Battle of Colline Gate and beheaded by an order of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had ...

, the champion of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

's traditional privileges. Many other supporters of Marian politics used images of Apollo on their coins, often in conjunction with images of

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

and a god who is known as a young

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...

Warding off plague?

The image of Apollo on the coin may refer to the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

of 87 BC. Censorinus may have been invoking the god in his capacity as a healer and protector.Luce, T.J. ''Political Propaganda on Roman Republican Coins: Circa 92-82 B.C.'' American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 1 (Jan., 1968) pp. 25-39, pg. 33

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denarius Of L. Censorinus Coins of ancient Rome Moneyers of ancient Rome