Roman Republican AR denarius, Anonymous. Laureate head of Apollo right, thunderbolt below.

AR denarius, C. Vibius Pansa 90 BC. Obverse, laureate head of Apollo.

Diademed head of Apollo, with fillet and hair in ringlets. AR denarius, Marcius Censorinus, c. 84 BC.

The cult of Apollo was established at Rome during the 5th century BC following an epidemic of plague in 431 BC. Roman public games in his honour, the Ludi Apollinares, was instituted in 212 BC.

Originally worshipped as a sun deity, Apollo was also honoured as a god of healing; prophecy; music and arts; protector of flocks and herds. Like his sister Diana, goddess of the hunt, Apollo hunted with a silver bow and his prowess as a formidable archer earned him the appellation of 'far-shooter'.

Roman coins variously depict Apollo as an attractive young man, together with his many attributes: a laurel wreath; branch; palm-tree; bay leaf; lyre or kithara; bow; arrows; tripod; plectrum; phiale; diadem; thunderbolt; and snake.

The laureate head of Apollo appears frequently as an obverse type on Republican coins.

Perceived by many as the epitome of male beauty, Apollo appears in many fashionable guises. As shown left, this radiant deity is always depicted as a beardless youth with handsome features.

During the civil unrest and political disturbance of the Republican era (especially the 80's and 90's BC) he is sometimes represented as a stern avenging deity with a thunderbolt as an attribute (top left - a likeness he shares with Veiovis); often, in more amicable representations (centre left), and in allusion to the annual Roman games or festivals in his honour, he is depicted diademed, wearing a fillet with his hair in ringlets (bottom left).

Athletic Apollo shown nude, holding bow and snake.

Apollo Citharoedus, wearing long drapery, holding plectrum and lyre.

On a number of coins that pays hommage to Apollo and his festivals, coins that glorify the gens Marcia, for instance, the reverse (in allusion to the Ludi Apollinares) often shows either a racing horse or a desultor holding a whip while racing two horses.

During the Augustan age Apollo's importance as a deity increased. Imperial coins often display Apollo Citharoedus as a reverse coin type: Apollo standing, wearing long drapery, holding a kithara and plectrum. This type alludes to Augustus' triumph at Actium, a victory Augustus allegedly believed he had attained with the aid of Apollo. Other common representations of Apollo on reverse coin types show him nude, holding a bow; leaning against a tree-stump, and sometimes a snake slithers around the tree. This coin type was very common on Imperial coins from Augustus until Aurelian, but fell into disuse after the reign of Julian II.

Divinities Introduction