Lollius Palicanus. AR Denarius, 45 BC

The Rostra in the Forum

Lot # 372

Lollius Palicanus. AR Denarius, 45 BC. Obv. Head of Liberty right; behind, LIBERTATIS. Rev. View of the Rostra in the Forum surmounted by a sella; above, PALIKANVS. Cr. 473/1; B. 2; RRSC D262.1. AR. 3.55 g. 19 mm. R. Complete example. Oxide residues in fields. VF. The Rostra is the name of the great speaker's platform in the Forum, from which speakers addressed crowds, and from this platform many of the great and famous speeches in Roman history were delivered. Initially, it was constructed as a flat-topped platform (suggestus) forming part of the large, round Comitium (an area in front of the Curia where speakers would address the whoever was assembled). Typically, a speaker's platform is called a tribunal, but after Duilius won Rome's first major naval victory against Antium in 338 BC, six bronze prows of enemy ships were attached to the front of the speaker's platform as trophies; the Latin for prows is rostra, and the name became used for the entire structure. In 260 BC, C. Duilius Nepos defeated the Carthagians at Mylae, and replaced or supplemented the original prows with new ones from ships captured in that battle. Eventually, decorative prows that were not from actual ships were specially constructed for the platform itself.

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Starting price: € 100

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Minimum bid: € 100

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B.P.: 20.00%

Closing on: 2025-09-06 14:00:00 Roma time