Laodicea ad Mare 193-211 CE
AR Denarius 18mm, 2,76g
Struck 208 CE
AR Denarius 19mm 3.80g
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG laureate head right
Rev: P M TR P XVI COS III PP Jupiter standing right brandishing thunderbolt and holding sceptre
RIC 501 or 502 RIC IV 216
Ex Wayne G Sayles
Ex Iberico Collection
Struck 207 CE
AR Denarius 3.44g, 18mm
Lauraete bust of Septimius Severus right “SEVERVS PIVS AVG”
Africa standing right, wearing elephant headdress and holding a scepter with snake entwined around it, lion right at her feet “PM TR P XV COS III PP”
RSC 493b
One thing that immediately struck me about this coin was the personification of Africa as a woman. Today, there are roughly 1.4 billion people in Africa, so the idea of some woman introducing herself as “Africa” does seem strange. Maritz wrote a deal about this personification in an article and concluded:
-This was a specifically Roman personification and not home grown in Africa itself
-The depiction of elephant headdresses on 4th century coinage were portraits, and not area personifications
-Rome did this because they had the need to “demarcate provinces of control, and consequently specific symbols for them”.
-While a few Republican coins may depict a personification of Africa (or may be a family reference), the first definite personification was minted by Hadrian
Of course, a primary motivation for the headdress must be Alexander the Great, who was depicted in an elephant headdress on these well-known tetradrachms of Ptolemy I.
It’s currently unknown how this image morphed from Alexander the Great wearing a headdress to a female, but my belief/understanding is there was no “transformation”. The Romans felt that a woman was a better symbol of an area considered mostly under their control, and so that’s what they used.
My next question was why Septimius Severus utilized this image on his coins. There are two possible answers.
-He was the first Roman emperor born in Africa
-He launched a large campaign in Africa that expanded its southern frontier. This campaign took place from 202-203 CE.
Since this coin was minted in 207 CE, neither are great reasons. The African campaign was already finished for several years at this time, and I don’t believe it was common for emperors born outside of Italy to so prominently advertise that. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure, though there was a large issue of Denarii depicting Victory, but with no mention over whom. Perhaps there was some large victory in Africa in 207 CE that hasn’t been passed down to us in literature? In 208 CE he departed for his British campaign, but I couldn’t find mentions of what happened in 207.
April 4
Caracalla born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus to Septimius Severus and Julia Domna.
Emperor Septimius Severus, a native of North Africa, grants Carthage additional privileges, marking it as a prominent city within the Roman Empire.
Clodius Albinus shares the consulship with Septimius Severus.
Byzantion sides with Pescennius Niger over Septimius Severus, Roman forces besiege the city and cause considerable damage.
October
Septimius Severus installs Caracalla as his successor and has the Senate declare Clodius Albinus an enemy.
February 19
Septimius Severus defeats Clodius Albinus at the Battle of Lugdunum. Clodius Albinus kills himself.
Caracalla serves as Roman consul with his father, Septimius Severus.