Roma Rep. - AR Denarius - M. Furius LF Philus - 119AC - Crawford 281/1

Roma Republica  AR Denarius 

Year: 119AC 

M. Furius LF Philus

Crawford 281/1 | Sydenham 529 | Albert 1043 | Sear 156

XF VZ

AR 19mm 4,0gr 

Cunhada pela familia FURIA

MintMark: -

Observe:  Head of bearded Janus, surrounded by the legend M • F O V R I • L • F

Reverse: ROMA in right field

PHILI in exergue (PHI in monogram)

Roma at right, standing left, a star above, wearing Corinthian helmet, holding transversal sceptre in left hand and crowing trophy with right hand
trophy surmounted by a helmet in the form of a boar′s head and flanked by a carnyx and shield on each side.

The gens Furia, originally written Fusia, was one of the most ancient and noble patrician houses at Rome. The antiquity of the Furii is confirmed by the ancient form of the nomen, Fusius, found in the earliest days of the Republic. Its members held the highest offices of the state throughout the period of the Roman Republic. The first of the Furii to attain the consulship was Sextus Furius Medullinus in 488 BC.

This coin commemorates the victories achieved in 121 BC by Consuls Domitius Ahenobarbus and Quintus Fabius Maximus over the Allobroges and the Averni in Gaul in 121 BC Quintus Fabius Maximus was elected consul alongside Lucius Opimius. During his consulship, he campaigned in Gallia Transalpina (in the modern day Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions) with Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus against the Gallic tribes of the Allobroges and Arverni. After his consulship expired, he replaced Domitius Ahenobarbus as proconsul in Gaul (120 BC), during which time he completed the defeat of the Allobroges and Arverni. For this he was awarded the honour of a triumph and given the agnomen Allobrogicus. The triumph he held was famous for its spectacle, including the captive Arvernian king Bituitus in his silver battle armor. From the plunder of the Auvergne, Fabius erected the Fornix Fabianus (121 BC) crossing the Via Sacra at the Forum Romanum, placing a statue of himself on top of the arch.