| The gens
Julia claimed divine descent from the Trojan hero Aeneas, son of the
goddess Venus and Anchises. The Julian name derives from Aeneas' son,
Ascanius, also known as Iulus, whose descendant Romulus, according to myth, had founded the
city of Rome. Here the reverse shows Aeneas advancing, holding a
palladium in his right hand, and carrying Anchises on his shoulder.
According to legend, both father and son escaped from the defeated city of
Troy and settled in Italy where Aeneas became known as the founder of
the Romans, bringing with him a gift from heaven, the sacred palladium
or image of the goddess Minerva (Pallas Athena). This object was
perceived to make the custodians thereof invincible. Caesar had this issue struck during the civil war, soon after his victory at Pharsalus in 48 BC. The coin alludes to his divine ancestry. |
 |
