Description:
This silver denarius coin was minted in Rome by moneyer Mn Fonteius Cf in 85 BC. The obverse side of this Roman Republic coin features the god Apollo with his hair bound with tainia and a thunderbolt below. In ancient mythology, Apollo was seen as the most beautiful god. He was the patron god of archers, the god of light, truth and prophecy, music, poetry and the arts. Medicine and healing were also associated with Apollo, as he was seen as a god who had the ability to cure. As the patron deity of Delphi, Apollo was the prophetic god of the Delphic Oracle.
The Roman worship of Apollo was adopted from the Greeks and in the 430s BC, Apollo's first temple in Rome was built at the Flaminian fields. Over the centuries, Apollo became one of the chief gods of Rome. Caesar Augustus considered himself to be under the special protection of Apollo and was even said to be his son.
The reverse side of this coin shows the winged infant Genius seated on a goat. The caps of the Dioscuri are above and the thyrsus of Bacchus below, all within a laurel wreath. In Roman religion, the Genius was the individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every person, place, or thing. The rational powers and abilities of each and every human being were attributed to his soul, which was a Genius. Every place such as a vineyard also had a Genius that made the grapes grow and so did powerful objects like volcanoes.
