As of Caligula with Vesta - RIC I 2 no. 38 (ii)

This particular coin comes to us from the third emperor of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, otherwise known by his nickname Caligula. This bronze coin was minted in Rome between 37-38 CE, around the beginning of Caligula’s reign as emperor. To give some background to Caligula himself, he was the son of Rome’s favourite member of the imperial family, Germanicus. His father was loved by the army and people, and was promoted as the man who would restore Rome to being a republic. The nickname ‘Caligula’ ('little boots') was given to Gaius due to his time in the army camps with his father, when he would dress up in soldier’s garb, and the name stuck. Sadly for Caligula his father died young, in a suspected assassination organised by his grandfather Tiberius, thought to be because he represented the greatest threat to his reign. Despite this, when Caligula became emperor, using his father’s name was crucial to gain support from the people and army.

Returning to the coin in question, the obverse depicts a portrait of Caligula's bare head with the legend C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT. This translates to 'Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestas (with the Tribunician Power)'. The legend is useful in identifying Caligula on the coin, as it is his name in the legend. Depicted on the reverse we see Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth, family, and home. She is holding a patera ('libation bowl') in one hand and a sceptre in the other. Alongside Vesta are the letters SC, which refers to the Senate’s seal of approval in issuing the coin (see additional information). For context, Vesta held a strong position in Roman society, with a priesthood dedicated to honouring her.

The likely purpose of this particular coin was to get the populace accustomed to the idea of his sisters continuing the bloodline of Germanicus, for he had no heirs when he entered into his reign. This would make sense as there are several coins as evidenced from this time period, which supports the idea that Caligula depicted his sisters on coins for this purpose. The promotion of his sisters on coins seems like a necessity on Caligula's part, for without any heirs of his own he had to emphasise continual succession in the only manner available to him. In order to effectively reinforce his familial lineage and connection to his sisters, Caligula depicted the image on the most circulated coins. In this way, the message would more easily and swiftly spread throughout the populace.

The depictions of his sisters on coins lead to the common accusation that Caligula was having incestuous relationships with them, however the situation is not that simple. The documents which record this were biased against Caligula, and generally their authors had a low opinion of women with power. Thus, by promoting his sisters and allowing them some level of influence, he opened himself up to criticism from the upper class, which may have lead to these accusations being recorded. Due to the known biases seen throughout these ancient sources, we cannot know for certain that these accusations are true or not.

When analysing this coin the depiction of Vesta could either be representing the goddess of family, or be a symbolic representation of one of Caligula’s sisters. There is evidence that previous emperors would represent the women of their family as goddesses on coins, with Caligula potentially following this trend. Without having any heirs of his own when this coin was minted, Caligula needed to promote a plan for succession. At this time, his only option was to circulate images of his sisters as propaganda, who also had Germanicus’ blood. The iconography would attest to this claim, for Vesta represents the family and home and may have been used to reinforce this familial connection with his sisters. Classicist Susan Wood reinforces this in her literature by stating that these women were instrumental to the continuation of the imperial bloodline. Therefore, it becomes apparent that Caligula’s use of the coin was to get the populace willing “to accept a child born to any of the four siblings as the heir to the principate” (Wood, 1995:459).

In order for Caligula to have a smooth transition of power once he became emperor, he had to emphasise the potential succession through his sisters, as this promoted dynastic ideals. The use of Vesta was one of the most effective political tools at Caligula’s disposal. It appears as if the coin is a careful construction to reinforce continuation of Germanicus’ bloodline through his sisters. The use of Roman deities, as seen on this coin, was an effective political tool that emperors could use. Connection to the divine and mythic were essential in building rapport with the populace. By being associated with particular deities and symbols, emperors were able to reflect and reinforce particular Roman ideals that would emphasise their right to rule and gain the love and respect of the populace.

Credits:

Story by Jayden Glen.
Photos by Charlotte Dunn, supplied by the Otago Museum.