ANTONIN LE PIEUX Titus Aurelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Jul - Lot 233

ANTONIN LE PIEUX Titus Aurelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius July 11, 138 - March 7, 161 ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS IIII. His head bare on the right. R/. Rome seated left, holding spear and palladium. At her side, a shield. ♦ Cohen 1149; RIC 159a.; BMCRE 588; Calicó 1454 Aureus struck in Rome in 145-161. (7,01 g) Very fine style. A very fine example. In Greek mythology, the Palladium was a sacred statue of Athena. After accidentally killing Pallas, Triton's daughter and playmate, Athena fashioned a statue in her image, the Palladion, and placed it at Zeus' side. One day, Electra, trying to escape Zeus, took refuge behind the statue. Angered, Zeus threw the effigy from the sky. Ilos, the eponymous founder of Troy (Ilion), found it in front of his tent and brought it back to Troy, where he founded a temple to honor it. It made the city impregnable. During the siege of Troy, the Palladion became a major stake. Helenos, captured by Ulysses, revealed that Troy would not fall as long as it housed the statue. According to Greek tradition, it was then stolen by Ulysses and Diomedes, who took it back to the ship. According to Roman tradition, it was taken by Aeneas to Italy and later placed in the temple of Vesta in Rome, where it remained for several centuries under the care of vestals. Antoninus the Pious was born in Lanuvium on September 19, 86 and died on March 7, 161. He reigned from 138 to 161. Through his father Titus Aurelius Fulvus, consul in 89, and his grandfather Titus Aurelius Fulvus, consul in 85, he came from Nemausus (Nîmes). A true beauty, Antonin had a pleasant character. A great orator and an outstanding scholar, he was hard-working, amiable, generous and respectful of the rights of others. He reigned for 23 years. His people lived happily and peacefully. At his death, he left the state a treasure of 675 million denarii, the fruit of good management. He married Faustina, Hadrian's wife's niece, and Hadrian adopted her, on condition that Antoninus in turn adopted Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (future Marcus Aurelius) and Lucius Verus. Hadrian undoubtedly believed that Antonin, aged 52 when he became king, would not reign for long. When Hadrian died, Antoninus was able to succeed him, breaking Marcus Aurelius' engagement and marrying him off to his daughter, Faustina the Younger.