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Dupondius - Domitian VIRTVTI AVGVSTI S C, Virtus
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 88-89 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse lettering | IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XIIII CENS PER P P (Translation: Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, Consul Quartum Decimum, Censor Perpetuus, Pater Patriae. Supreme commander (Imperator), Caesar, Domitian, emperor (Augustus), conqueror of the Germans, consul for the 14th time, censor for life, father of the nation.) |
| Reverse description | The personification of Virtus (martial valor) depicted standing to the right, her right foot resting upon a helmet placed upon the ground, symbolizing military triumph. She holds a spear upright in her right hand and a parazonium (short military sword) in her left. The figure is rendered in the classical Roman sculptural tradition, conveying the ideological association between imperial rule and military virtue. The senatorial mark of authority, S C (Senatus Consultum), appears in the field flanking the central figure, and the reverse legend arcs around the upper periphery. |
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The VIRTVTI AVGVSTI series belongs to Domitian's ambitious program of religious and dynastic self-promotion, intensified after he assumed the title of perpetual censor in 85 AD and began projecting an increasingly autocratic image. The cult of Virtus — martial valor personified — suited an emperor who had campaigned personally on the Rhine and Danube frontiers and was anxious to distinguish himself from the memory of his more celebrated brother Titus.
RIC II.1 644 places this issue squarely within Domitian's tenth imperial tribunician power year.