lander, the Poets fail me in this particular. There is however a paffage in Paufanias that I will repeat to you, though it is in profe, fince I know no body elfe that has explained the Medal by it. The Athenians, says he, drew a Sphinx on the armour of Pallas, by reafon of the ftrength and fagacity of this animal. The Sphinx therefore fignifies the fame as Minerva herself, who was the Goddess of arms as well as wifdom, and defcribes the Emperor, as one of the Poets expreffes it.. -Studiis florentem utriufque Minerva.. Whom both Minerva's boaft t'adopt their own.. The Romans joined both devices together, to make the emblem the more fignificant, as indeed they could not too much extol the learning and military virtues of this excellent Emperor, who was the best Philofopher and greatest General of his Age.. FIG. 23 We will close up this Series of Medals with one that was ftamped. under Tiberius to the memory of Auguftus. Over his head you fee the ftar that his father Julius Cafar was fupposed to have been changed into.. Ecce Dionai proceffit Cæfaris aftrum. Virg. Ecl. 9. See, Cæfar's lamp is lighted in the skies. Mr. Dryden. -micat inter omnes Fulium fidus, velut inter ignes Luna minores: -Julius Cæfar's light appears Hor. The beauteous Moon amidst the meaner ftars. Mr. Creech. Vix ea fatus erat, mediá cùm fede fenatûs This fpoke; the Goddefs to the Senate flew; Mr. Welsted. Virgil draws the fame figure of Auguftus on Eneas's fhield as we fee on this Medal. The Commentators tell us, that the itar was engraven on Auguftus's helmet, but we may be fure Virgil means fuch a figure of the Emperor as he used to be reprefented by the Roman fculpture, and fuch such a one as we may fuppofe this to be that we have before us. Hinc Auguftus agens, Italos in prælia Cafar, Cum patribus, populoque, Penatibus, et magnis Diis, Stans celfa in puppi; geminas cyi tempora flammas Læta vomunt, patriumque aperitur vertice fidus. Virg. Æn. Lib. 8. Young Cafar on the stern in armour bright, Here leads the Romans, and the Gods, to fight: His beamy temples fhoot their flames afar: And o'er his head is hung the Julian ftar. Mr. Dryden. The thunderbolt that lies by him is a mark of his Apotheofis, that makes him as it were a companion of Jupiter. Thus the Poets of his own age that deified him living, Divifum Imperium cum Jove Cæfar babet. Virg. Hic focium fummo cum Jove numen habet. Ov. regit Auguftus focia per figna Tonante. Manil. Lib. I. Sed tibi debetur cælum, te fulmine pollens, Ov. de Augufto ad Liviam. He wears on his head the Corona Radiata, which at that time was another type of his Divinity. The fpikes that fhoot out from the crown were to represent the rays of the Sun. There were twelve of them, in allufion to the Signs of the the Zodiac. It is this kind of crown that Virgil describes. -ingenti mole Latinus Quadrijugo vebitur curru, cui tempora circum Solis avi fpecimen. Virg. Æn. Lib. 12. Four steeds the chariot of Latinus bear: Twelve golden beams around his temples play, To mark his lineage from the God of day. Mr. Dryden. FIG. 24. If you would know why the corona radiata is a representation of the Sun, you may fee it in the figure of Apollo in the next reverse, where his head is encompaffed with such an arch of glory as Ovid and Statius mention, that might be put on and taken off at pleasure. -et genitor circum caput omne micantes Depofuit radios Ovid. Met. Lib. 2.. The tender Sire was touch'd with what he said, And flung the blaze of glories from his head.. Impofuitque come radios Then fix'd his beamy circle on his head. Ibid.. -licet ignipedum frænator equorum Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum Imprimat Stat. Theb. Lib. I.. ad Domitian.. Tho' Phœbus longs to mix his rays with thine,, And in thy glories more ferenely fhine. Mr. Pop In his right hand he holds the whip with which he is fuppofed to drive the horses of the Sun: as in a pretty paffage of Ovid, that fome of his editors muft needs fancy fpurious. Colligit amentes, et adbuc terrore paventes, Pbabus equos, ftimuloque dolens et verbere fævit: Savit enim, natumque obje&tat, et imputat illis. Ov. Met. Lib. 2. Prevail'd upon at length, again he took The double-pointed dart in his left hand is an emblem of his beams, that pierce through fuch an infinite depth of air, and enter into the very bowels of the earth. Accordingly Lucretius calls them the darts of the day, as Aufonius to make a fort of witticifm has follow'd his example. Non radii folis, neque lucida tela Diei. Lucr. Exultant udæ fuper arida faxa rapina, De pifcibus captis. Auf. Eid. 10. Caligo terræ fcinditur, Prud. Hym. 2. I have now given you a fample of fuch emblematical Medals as are unriddled by the Latin Poets, and have shown feveral paffages in the Latin Poets that receive an illuftration from Medals. Some of the Coins we have had before. us |