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Jewish Coins :
Roman Judea Capta : Judaea Capta Bronze Coin of Emperor Domitian
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Judaea Capta Bronze Coin of Emperor Domitian - C.0298
Origin: Judean Hills, Israel
Circa: 81
AD
to 96
AD
Collection: Jewish Coins
Medium: Bronze
$650.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Domitian was the younger son of the emperor Vespasian. Although his older brother
Titus occupied the throne from A.D. 79 to 81, while Domitian was growing up, he was
not given any real political power. Because of this, Domitian always felt a certain
amount of resentment towards his elder brother, spurring the rumors that Domitian
poisoned Titus, although these are generally believed to be false. Like Tiberius and
Caligula before him, Domitian sought to be absolute ruler. He scandalized the Senate
and the rest of the Roman aristocracy by having statues of himself erected and by
insisting that people refer to him as "Lord and God.” The Senate grew to loathe and
fear Domitian, hatching numerous plots against his life, and he, in turn, became
increasingly suspicious towards them. In the last three or four years of Domitian’s
reign, the senators lived in fear of their lives, reaping the fruit of their conspiracies. In
the end, it would be this backstabbing and mistrust on both sides that would doom
Domitian. In 95, he eliminated his two praetorian prefects. The two men who replaced
them, Petronius Secundus and Norbanus, fearing that they too would soon be
eliminated, decided to form a successful conspiracy to assassinate Domitian.
How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or purse? What eras and lands
have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our
pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who might have
touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after it leaves our hands.
More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time
and location, whether active currencies in the age we live or artifacts of a long
forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of
craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary
machine-made currencies. This coin commemorates Rome’s victory against the Jewish
rebellion. While Rome’s occupation of the Holy Land was short-lived, artifacts like this
coin live one: concrete remnants of ancient empires passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.0298)
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