Roman Republic VENUS CLOACINA 42BC Silver Coin MUSSIDIA

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Item: i17151 Certified Authentic Ancient Coin of: Roman Republic L. Mussidius Longus moneyer Silver Denarius 17mm (3.44 grams) Rome mint: 42 B.C. Reference: Mussidia 6; B.M.C. 4244; Syd. 1093a; Craw. 494/42b CONCORDIA behind diademed and veiled bust of Concord right. L . MVSSIDIVS LONGVS above platform, inscribed CLOACIN, on which two statues of Venus Cloacina.These statues stood on a platform on the north side of the Forum; the platform still exists. You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. The Shrine of Venus Cloacina ( Sacella Cloacinae ) was a small sanctuary on the Roman Forum , in front of the Basilica Aemilia .The shrine was dedicated to Venus as the deity of Cloaca Maxima , the main sewer of ancient Rome . Venus was identified with the goddess of Cloacina who had Etruscan origins. The shrine was also the entrance of the sewage system. Origin The origin of the shrine of Venus Cloacina dates back to the founding of Rome and the rape of the Sabine women . According to Pliny the Elder , when the Romans and the Sabines decided to make peace both the Romans and the Sabines laid down their weapons at the location of the shrine and purified themselves with sprigs of myrtle . Venus Cloacina Cloacina was worshipped by the Romans as the goddess of the Cloaca Maxima (the main sewage drain) and of the entire sewer system. The Romans believed that a good sewage system was important for the future success of Rome, as a good sewer system was necessary for the physical health of Roman citizens. Additionally, Romans worshipped Cloacina as the goddess of purity and the goddess of filth. Cloacina’s name is probably derived the Latin verb “cloare” meaning “to purify” or “to clean,” or it is derived the Latin word “cloaca”, meaning “sewer.” The origins of the title Venus that were later added are unknown. Shrine The shrine was built on the Via Sacra near the area of the Tabernae Novae, which was later removed to make room for the Basilica Aemilia . The shrine was believed to be an entrance way to the Cloaca Maxima, but only the foundations of the original shrine currently remain. Historians have a basic idea what the shrine looked like because coins were minted during the second triumvirate with an image of the Shrine of Venus Cloacina on one side. The coins show a small round structure with a metal balustrade.The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilisation characterised by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy , c. 509 BC, and lasted over 450 years until its subversion, through a series of civil wars , into the Principate form of government and the Imperial period .The Roman Republic was governed by a complex constitution , which centred on the principles of a separation of powers and checks and balances . The evolution of the constitution was heavily influenced by the struggle between the aristocracy (the patricians ), and other talented Romans who were not from famous families, the plebeians . Early in its history, the republic was controlled by an aristocracy of individuals who could trace their ancestry back to the early history of the kingdom. Over time, the laws that allowed these individuals to dominate the government were repealed, and the result was the emergence of a new aristocracy which depended on the structure of society, rather than the law, to maintain its dominance.During the first two centuries, the Republic saw its territory expand from central Italy to the entire Mediterranean world. In the next century, Rome grew to dominate North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula , Greece, and what is now southern France. During the last two centuries of the Roman Republic, it grew to dominate the rest of modern France, as well as much of the east. At this point, the republican political machinery wa... read more

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