In Melville's Moby Dick, Captain Ahab stands in his boat, harpoon in hand, and in the final moments of his chase of the great white whale, he hurls his harpoon at Moby Dick with the defiant cry:
“From hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool!”
-Melville, Moby DickGiven the name of this blog and the focus, at least initially, on coins of Lucius Cornelius Sulla - it is surprising that it took 5-6 years for me to add this coin to my collection. With the excellent portrait on this coin, I had a bit of Ahab's determination as I threw out my final bid on this coin - fortunately my ending is a happier one than Ahab's: a coin in my mailbox. As for Ahab:
The harpoon was darted ; the stricken whale flew forward; with igniting velocity the line ran through the groove ; — ran foul. Ahab stooped to clear it ; he did clear it ; but the flying turn caught him round the neck, and voicelessly as Turkish mutes bowstring their victim, he was shot out of the boat, ere the crew knew he was gone. Next instant, the heavy eyesplice in the rope's final end flew out of the stark-empty tub, knocked down an oarsman, and smiting the sea, disappeared in its depths.
-Melville, Moby DickThe moneyer, Q. Pompeius Rufus, issued this coin with portraits of his paternal and maternal grandfathers who were co-consuls in 88 BC: Lucius Cornelius Sulla the father of his mother Cornelia, and Q. Pompeius Rufus, the father of his father. I have two other coins from this series (See: Sulla's-Grandson and a Rare Obverse Die). Brutus as moneyer also issued a coin in 54 BC promoting two paternal ancestors. (see: An Ancient Coin for Independence Day).
A note on rarity: Crawford reports 111 obverse dies for the more common coin in this series Crawford 434/2 and this coin has 1/1th the number of dies (<10). The rare coin that I shared in the post above has only 1 die.
Roman Republican, Q. Pompeius Rufus, 54 BC, AR denarius (18mm, 3.96g, 6h), Rome. Obv: Q•POM•RVFI / RVFVS•COS, bare head of the consul Q. Pompeius Rufus to right. Rev: SVLLA•COS, bare head of Sulla to right.
Ref: Babelon (Pompeia) 4 and (Cornelia) 48. Crawford 434/1. RBW 1544. Sydenham 908.
Notes: Lightly toned. Minor weakness on the obverse and the reverse struck off center, otherwise, good very fine. From an American collection and the Andrew McCabe Collection, Classical Numismatic Group E-Auction 436, 23 January 2019, 477, ex Aureo & Calicó 224, 29 April 2010, 113.
There are images of this coin from 3 previous owners from top to bottom: McCabe (after 2019); CNG (2019) and Aureo and Calico (2010). To me the coin seems largely unchaged over teh time period - perhaps slightly darker toning when compared to 2010.
The Context of the Times in the Roman Republic
By 54 BC the alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Marcus Licinius Crassus known as the First Triumvirate was falling apart. Caesar's daughter Julia died in childbirth and her death severed the relationship between Caesar and Pompey. Caesar had proposed a further marriage alliance, suggesting Pompey marry Caesar's grandniece Octavia. Pompey allied himself with Metellus Scipio by marrying his daughter Cornelia.
Caesar was campaigning in Britannia for the second time, while Crassus was seeking his own glory, and was preparing for his ill-fated campaign against the Parthians. Crassus would die in the next year at the Battle of Carrhae, 53 BCE
Crassus was known for his greed, he profited from Sulla's proscriptions in the 80's and according to Plutarch (Crassus 2.3) built a large fortune "out of fire and war, making the public calamities his greatest source of revenue". There is a story of the Parthians pouring molten gold down his throat after his death, mocking his greed.
"And not only the others fell, but Crassus also was slain, either by one of his own men to prevent his capture alive, or by the enemy because he was badly wounded.This was his end. And the Parthians, as some say, poured molten gold into his mouth in mockery; for though a man of vast wealth, he had set so great store by money as to pity those who could not support an enrolled legion from their own means, regarding them as poor men."
- Cassius Dio, 40.27After Crassus' death, Caesar and Pompey continued to open civil war in 49 BC.
Back to Rome and 54 BC, the Republic's institutions were struggling to function due to the intense rivalry between optimates (the conservative senatorial elite) and populares (leaders appealing to the masses). Elections were increasingly contentious and often marred by bribery and intimidation. In the political divide, Pompey, had long term ties to the senate and optimates, while Caesar became more and more the populist.
References:
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick; or, The White Whale. Boston: St. Botolph Society, 1892.
Zehnacker, Hubert. "Premiers portraits réalistes sur les monnaies de la République Romaine." Revue Numismatique, vol. 3, no. 6, 1961, pp. 33–49.
Crawford, Michael H. Roman Republican Coinage. Reprint edition, 2019, Cambridge University Press. 2 vols.
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