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Sestertius - Hadrian PIETAS AVGVSTI S C, Pietas
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 121 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Pietas, veiled and standing to the right, positioned before a lit altar. She extends one hand in a gesture of supplication or offering, while her other hand holds a box of incense (acerra). The allegorical figure is rendered in a classical contrapposto stance, embodying the Roman virtue of dutiful reverence. The field bears the senatorial authority mark S C (Senatus Consultum) flanking the central design, with the reverse legend inscribed along the upper rim. |
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| Reverse lettering | PIETAS AVGVSTI S C (Translation: Pietas Augusti. Senatus Consultum. Piety of the Emperor. Decree of the senate.) |
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| Additional information |
Hadrian's PIETAS AVGVSTI sestertii of 121 AD belong to an early group of issues tied to his effort to recast the imperial image after Trajan's overtly military reign. Hadrian's pietas was demonstrably religious in character — he oversaw the restoration of temples across the empire and famously completed the Olympieion in Athens, a project begun six centuries earlier. The emphasis on piety over conquest was a deliberate political repositioning, not a decorative choice.