The Roman Empire
OB CIVIS SERVATOS – CL V – SIGNIS RECEPTIS
Denarius, Colonia Patricia (?) circa 18 BC, AR 3.97 g. CAESARI – AVGVSTO Laureate head r. Rev. MAR – VLT Aquila between two standards within domed round hexastyle temple (temple of Mars Ultor?). C 190. BMC 373. RIC 105a. CBN 1203.
Lovely iridescent tone, slightly off-centre on obverse, otherwise good extremely fine Privately purchased from Freeman & Sear.

The Temple of Mars Ultor (the Avenger) was promised by Augustus shortly after the Parthian Peace. The temple would ultimately house the standards returned by Parthia as shown on this reverse type. The foundations of this temple still survive in Rome. The temple appears on many issues at this time and all examples show a round temple, as here. It is unclear if this was a temporary temple used to house the standards or if this was perhaps how the completed temple would actually look. We do know, from the surviving foundations, that the temple that was built and dedicated by Augustus in 2 BC was actually rectangular in construction.

This temple played a large role in the future of the empire as the Roman army would meet here and make sacrifices and offer prayers before departing for battle. Mars, as the Avenger, would be important to Augustus for obvious reasons. It can only be assumed that all future departing legions prayed that their battles would be as successful as those of Augustus. It must have been quite a spectacle for the Roman citizens to witness such a ceremony and the subsequent departure of the military leaders from this temple. MSG.