Historical Lore & Context

For nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic operated under a strict, unbending, and unwritten rule: no living man, no matter how powerful, wealthy, or victorious, was permitted to place his own face on a Roman coin. Coinage was a sacred medium of the state, strictly reserved for the gods, mythological personifications of Roman virtues, and long-dead, legendary ancestors. To mint a coin featuring your own living portrait was to declare yourself a king—and in Rome, kings were violently despised. next...