Neron’s military coins. The types adlocvt coh and decvrsio
Ireneusz Łuć
Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie , PolandAbstract
The main recipients of the ADLOCVT COH and DECVRSIO sesterces were Roman soldiers. As part of the pay and occasional cash prizes, these coins were offered not only to the Praetorians or the soldiers of cohors Germanorum, but also to the legionnaires, the soldiers of the Auxilia and those who served in the fleet. Money played a vital role in the communication between the emperor and milites Romani. It was through the use of certain types of ideas and slogans that the ruler created his own image, e.g. as a trained horseman and a competent commander (vide DECVRSIO). In turn, by publicizing the fact that the emperor gave special speeches to the soldiers who participated in the military rallies (vide ADLOCVT COH) he could pursue the political goals that the current situation required, such as the restoration of the correct relations between Nero and the Praetorian soldiers after the failure of the Pisonian conspiracy. Emissions of the coins showing this type of encounter in the wider context always meant the “bond” of the emperor with the subordinates, which was certainly welcomed by them. Therefore, the use of the slogan adlocutio became a universal idea in the relations between the soldiers and the emperors of the Roman state.
Keywords:
Roman army, military coins, military propaganda, military service, military organization, guards units, guardsmen, cohortes praetoriaeReferences
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Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie
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