Description

The Coin

Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus (82-80 BCE)
Silver Denarius
Obv: Head of Apollo
Rev: Two mounted horsemen. C. Servilius Vatia below.

C. Servilius Vatia

This coin is dedicated to the Publius Servilius Vatia Isauricus in 82 – 80 B.C. Vatia was consul in 79 B.C. and at this time he was fighting with Pompey at the Second Battle of Clusium. This battle was between the optimates and the populares in the middle of the Marius and Sulla Civil War. Vatia was an optimate and was a very high ranking member under both Sulla and Pompey. Under Sulla he was appointed consul beginning in 79 B.C. and he was one of Pompey’s lieutenants during the Civil War with Marius. After his consulship he was appointed as Pro-Consul in Cilicia and was responsible for removing the pirates from this area. Over the next 4 years he dominated the area and secured the territory for Rome. Returning to Rome in 74 B.C. he was bestowed the great honor of the agnomen Isauricus for his victories in the territory of Isauria. In an extremely noble act, he secured all the money taken from the pirates and deposited it all into the Roman treasury, taking none for himself. He served as Princeps Senatus, the head of the Senate, from 55 B.C. to his death in 44 B.C. This coin was minted during the Marius and Sulla Civil War, and has Apollo on the obverse side of the coin, showing that this coin was dedicated to the god Apollo. On the reverse side of the coin, two mounted horsemen are displayed. The battle is between a man holding a shield in his right hand and a sword in his left hand, and another man and piercing the other horseman with a spear.