The Greek and Roman history illustrated by coins & medals representing their religions, rites, manners, customs, games, feasts, arts and sciences : together with a succint account of their emperors, consuls, cities, colonies and families, in two parts, necessary for the introduction of youth into all the useful knowledge of antiquity / by O.W.

CHAP. I. Of Julius Caesar, the III Viri R. P. C. Marcus Antonius.

§. 1. CAius Julius Caesar, Son of C. Julius Caesar and Aurelia, was born Jul. 12. A. U. C. 654. before Christ Ninety eight Years, he pretended his Pedegree from Julus the Son of AEneas, the Son of Venus, and therefore amongst his Coins are;

Veneri Genetrici, the Head of Venus; and reverse, Venus conducted to Anchises lying under Mount Ida, by a Genius with a Scepter in his Hand, presaging the Roman Empire.

The Star of Venus, which appearing by day (as they say) to AEneas at his parting from Troy, conducted him to Laurentum in Italy, where he should settle.

And a Venus naked with a Shield and Helmet, an Ensign and Eagle upon a Pillar; to shew that she gave Caesar Victory and Power over all his Enemies; and established his Empire, signi∣fied by the Eagle upon the Pillar.

And a Venus or Rome with a Cornucopia and a Victory Crowning Mars, or rather Julius Caesar, standing upon a Base; the Romans dedicated a Statue to him in the Habit of Mars or Quirinus, with this Inscription, Deo invicto.

§. 2. Being of very great Parts and Courage, but not very Rich, his Necessities, as well as Ambition, thrust him forwards to seek Employ∣ment, both to pay his Debts, and obtain Wealth and Honour; insomuch that he was ready to undertake any Exploit whatsoever rather than be Idle: At length he was put upon the Wars of Gaul; which he not only wholly reduced, together with part of Germany and Britanny, but also became Master of a most powerful Army; which Pompey and his Party perceiving, and fearing his Ambition, endeavoured to make him Disband, themselves keeping up their Army; and by that means gave him some colour of keeping together. Upon his Disobedience they sought to compel him, and he to resist; which by little and little bred an utter Defiance and Enmity between him and Pompey, which broke out into a Civil War, wherein Caesar was Victor, and by that means obtain'd the whole Power of the Commonwealth; made Senators and Magistrates of his own Party, and they again settled him in the absolute Command of all: They would indeed have made him King, but knowing the great Hatred the Romans had to that Name, he durst not accept it; but chose rather to have the Power than the Name; and they, to find some precedent for their Innova∣tion, confirm'd it to him under a Title well

known to the People, and before used by Sylla; which was Dictator Perpetuus, which he enjoyed only three Years, four Months, six Days, and was then murthered in the Senate, being Fifty six Years old, by Atilius Cimber, Marcus and De∣cius Brutus, Cassius and others. He was also Pontifex Maximus, that he might have the Sove∣reign Dominion in Religion (which he knew to have very great Power over Mens Minds and Opinions, and consequently over their Actions also) as well as in the Civil Govern∣ment by his Dictatorship. He was the first Ro∣man whose Image was stamp'd on the Coin in his Life-time; and the greatest part of the Re∣verses refer to one of these two Authorities, and have the Names of the III Viri, or sometimes of the IIII Viri also, who it seems strived which of them should excel in bestowing Honours and Titles upon him.

§. 3. After his Death there appear'd a Comet, which, by the Artifice of his Friends, the People were made believe was his Soul received into Heaven; and thereupon, and for the Greatness of his Actions, he was honored as a God, had Temples, Priests, &c. dedicated to him: Of which Virg. Eclog. 9.

Ecce Dionei processit Caesaris Astrum, &c.

The Difficultest Coines of Julius Caesar.

§. 4. The Head of Rome Caesar, ℞. Venus in a Chariot drawn by two Cupids and an Harp, L. Jul. L. F. Lucius Julius Lucii Filius; Caesar,

probably Caius Caesar's Lieutenant; of whom Caesar makes mention de Bell. Gall. l. 7. and else∣where. This Coin was made for the Honor of the Family.

There were three Venus's, Urania, born of Cae∣lus and Dia, presiding over Chast (i. e.) Celestial Love. Pandemus begotten of the Virilia of Caelus and the Froth of the Sea, presiding over Lust and Copulation. Apostrophia the Daughter of Jupiter and Dione; a Deity averting Men from unlawful and hurtful Loves; and this was the Mother of AEneas from whom the Family of Caesar. But the Poets make but one Venus. Also there were divers Cupids, the one Celestial and Virtuous, the other Common and Lustful. One born of Mars and Venus called Anteros. Another of Mercury and second Venus. A third of Mercury and Diana. Of Cupid and Anteros see an ingenious Apologue in Porphyry. For Venus having brought forth Cupid, was much astonished, as were also his Nurses, that they never perceived him grow, but still he conti∣nued of the same Bigness as when he was born; whereupon consulting the Oracle, they were answered, that he could not grow alone till he had a Brother; so Venus brought forth Anteros or loving again, and then they both grew up and diminished together.

The Harp signifies the Harmony or Sympathy in Love.

1. An Head of a Goddess, or Sicily. Caesar Imp. Cos. Iterum. ℞. Sicily setting one Foot on the Prow of a Ship, and holding three Legs in her Hand.

2. Allienus Pro Cos. coined by Allienus when he had recovered Sicily from S. Pompeius for Caesar, and sent Caesar two Legions, &c. into the Continent.

℞. a Trophy, probably for his Victory over Pharnaces, for we find not that he set up 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Trophy for any other Victory. The Sagum o•…•… Soldiers Coat was not proper to the Romans, but common to all other Nations.

3. The Head of Victory. Caesar Dict. ter. ℞. Rome marching with a Shield, Trophy and Spoils, with a Serpent. C. Clovius Praef. signify∣ing the Commonwealth (sor whose Liberty Caesar always pretended to fight) loaded with the Spoils obtained by his Victories over Asia or Africk, for both places are infested with Serpents.

4. Caesar's Head. Caesar Dict. Perpet. ℞. the Image Veneris Genetricis, or Victricis with a little Victory in her Hand. L. Buca. Venus the Au∣thor of their Family, much magnified by Caesar, therefore invoked by him in his Wars, given as the Watch-word in the decisive Battel at Phar∣salia, Venus Victrix; as Pompey's was Hercules in∣victus; he used as his Seal her Image, and graved it upon his Arms; Built her Temples. Some∣times a Star (the Morning Star) added. Caesar to shew himself the Progeny of Venus, was ob∣served to have an handsome Body, to be very neat, and long a dressing himself.

5. The Head of a Woman veiled (probably Pietas) C. Caesar Cos. ter. ℞. a lituus, urceolus, and Hatchet (Sacrificing Instruments) Aulus Hirtius Praetor. This was coin'd probably to

remember some Sacrifice made, as a Thanks∣giving for his Victory over Pompey. When they Sacrificed they had a Veil over their Heads. Virg. AEneid. 3.

Et positis aris jam vota in littora solves, Purpureo velare comas adopertus amictu.

6. Caesar's Head veiled. Caesar Dict. perpetuo. ℞. Venus Victrix leaning her left Hand upon a great Shield standing upon a Globe. C. Mari∣dianus. Probably that Shield Virgil alludes to AEneid. 8. which he saith Venus gave to AEneas—Clypei non enarrabile textum, &c.

The Triumviri.

§. 5. They who murthered Julius Caesar, in∣tended to restore the Peoples Liberty as it was before; but Caesar's Party (by reason that so many of the ancient Nobility and warlike Per∣sonages were slain by Marius, Sylla and Caesar, in those Bloody Civil Wars) was too strong; and therefore after the Fright and Astonishment for Caesar's Death was over, they began to bustle; having the People (who by Caesar's Bounty and Artifices were much of that Party) to side with them: And first M. Antonius headed them, afterwards Augustus; sometimes agreeing both together, sometimes at Enmity one with another; sometimes taking in M. Lepidus, because of his Riches, to be the third, and calling them∣selves III viri R. P. C. Triumviri Reipublicae Con∣stituendae.

M. Antonius had been of Caesar's Party, and upon that account of Reputation with the Sol∣diers; but intended by their Assistance to set up himself, till opposed first by Brutus, then by Octavius Caesar, he fled into Gallia, and got an Army, which he joined with Lepidus; and pro∣posed Accommodation with Octavius, which he accepted; and so they three became Trium∣viri, (this is expressed in a Medal where all their three Heads are on one side, and an Her∣mathena on the other) and went against Brutus and Cassius, whom they overthrew, and forced to kill themselves at Philippi in Macedonia. Af∣ter which Battel Octavius returned to Rome, and M. Antonius went into the East; where, after divers Exploits he came into Egypt, fell in Love with Cleopatra the Queen, for whose sake he di∣vorced his two Wives successively, called Ful∣via, and Octavia the Sister of Octavius. By Cleopatra he had divers Children, a Son and a Daughter at one birth; the Son he destined to be King of Armenia and Media, which he never obtained. So foolish and vainglorious was this Antonius, that he called himself the Sun and Cleopatra the Moon; and therefore we see about his, as also about his Son's Head Raies, with such as Apollo is figured, and after him divers o∣thers assumed the same honor. Mean while Octavius Caesar made War against him, and at Actium in a Naval Fight quite overcame him, who afterwards killed himself, as he believed Cleopatra had done before; but she gave him the Precedence in Execution.

M. Lepidus had an Army given him by the Senate to command in Gallia; to whom M. An∣tony being forced out of Rome and Italy by Bru∣tus and Octavius, and declared Enemy by the Senate, repaired; and because of his Forces join∣ed him in the Triumvirate; he kept his Army up entire, thinking to suffer M. Ant. Octav. Cae∣sar, and Sextus Pompeius to ruin or weaken one another so much, that he might master them all. But Caesar having conquered S. Pompeius, did not go against Antony, but turned upon him; and practising with his Officers gained all his Army from him. Upon his low Submission and Petition, Caesar gave him his Life, and left him Pont. Maximus, and so sent him to Rome, where he lived in great Melancholly and Con∣tempt the rest of his days; his Son striving af∣terwards to practise the Legions against Au∣gustus was put to death.

Notes

• AEn Vic.