Nomos 23

Titus, as Caesar, 69-79. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 33 mm, 26.66 g, 6 h), celebrating the conquest of Judaea, Rome, 72-73. T CAESAR VESPASIAN IMP IIII PON TR POT II COS II Laureate head of Titus to right. Rev. S C Titus standing in slow quadriga to right, holding scepter with his left hand and the reins and a laurel branch with his right; on the side of the chariot, Victory advancing to right, holding wreath with her extended right hand and palm branch over her left shoulder with her left, placed over her far shoulder. BMC -. BN -. Cohen -. Hendin 1536. RIC² (Vespasian) 498. An extraordinary example in superb condition, very rare thus. Very well-struck and with a lovely green patina. Extremely fine.

This outstanding sestertius of Titus shows us Titus taking part in the great triumph held in Rome at the end of the Jewish War. He is riding in a quadriga - alone and without a driver - showing the importance that the victory had for him. The type also appears on gold, silver and other AE of Titus, as well as on comparable coins of Vespasian, all dating to 72 or 73. This is certainly one of the finest of all existing examples: it was lacking in Bromberg and was only present in an inferior variant in the great Shoshana Collection. Normally in a Roman Triumph the victorious general - or as it came to be, the Emperor, had a driver and, often, an attendant who was meant to whisper in his ear that he was only a man. Obviously, any such modesty was unwanted here. The fact was that the Jewish War came at just the right time, since the final victors in the Civil Wars of 68/69 could not legitimately celebrate a triumph over Roman citizens, thus all the celebrations could be combined into one giant victory party over the Jews.