Caligula promoting Germanicus
E2017.519, RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 57
Inscriptions
Obverse: GERMANICVS CAESAR
Reverse: SIGNIS RECEPT DEVICTIS GERM [1]
Gaius Caligula was the third emperor of Rome, serving for four years between 37 and 41 AD. [2] Ancient authors Suetonius and Tacitus report very negatively on Caligula, who is depicted as being particularly cruel. As a member of the line of Germanicus, Caligula faced the expectation of being a military and republican hero. Instead the sources tell us that he spent his time with unsavoury characters and indulged his dark sense of humour.
This coin has as much to say about Germanicus, Caligula’s father, as it does about Caligula himself. Germanicus was a fascinating character in the history of early imperial Rome. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus, a celebrated general, Germanicus also had the blood of Antonia, the daughter of Octavia and Marc Antony. Germanicus acquired a reputation for republicanism from his father and continued to grow it during his campaigns in Northern Europe. He became very well respected during the reign of Tiberius and was responsible for the neutralisation of a military mutiny in Germania in 14 AD (Tac. Annals. 1.31-1.34). Seen as the ‘Golden Boy’ of early imperial Rome, Germanicus’ legacy stretched far beyond his lifetime.
When Germanicus was killed in Syria in 14 AD [3], he left behind three sons and two daughters. Two of the sons, Nero Caesar and Drusus Caesar, were killed in suspicious circumstances during Tiberius’ reign, just as they began to reach the age when they could assume political office (Suet, Tib. 54). The fact that even Germanicus' teenage sons could pose a threat to the stability of Tiberius’ governance is a testament to the enduring popularity of Germanicus. With this in mind, it makes sense for the third son, Caligula, to try to emphasise his family relationship with Germanicus as much as possible.
This leads us to the coin. This coin and others like it were minted in Rome throughout the entirety of Caligula’s four-year reign as emperor. At first glance the coin seems somewhat atypical due to the fact that it has no profile/head on the obverse. Caligula has also forgone putting his own name on the coin, preferring instead to dedicate the entire coin to the celebration of his father's military triumphs.
This coin tells the story of Germanicus’ triumphant dedication of the lost standards of Varus. In 15 AD, Germanicus was involved in a battle near Teutoburg Forest when he recovered two of the three imperial standards that were infamously lost by Varus during the reign of Augustus (Tac. Annals. 1.60). The legionary standards were important symbols of the army and their loss was always an embarrassment for the Roman military. Returning the standards to Rome further cemented Germanicus’ reputation as a republican hero.
The coin itself features Germanicus holding his two standards (or aquilla as they were known in the Roman world). On the obverse he is holding one aloft whilst riding in a quadriga, the chariot drawn by four horses that was used for triumphal processions. The reverse shows him on foot, with his right arm raised in salute, clutching the second standard in his left. The obverse legend states his name: ‘Germanicus Caesar’. The reverse recalls his achievement: ‘Signis Recepit Devictis Germ’, which loosely translates to ‘the standards recovered from the defeated Germans’. It is important to note that the reverse also includes the mark S.C., which stands for Senatus Consulto. This means that the senate authorised the minting of this specific coin. However, by this stage of the imperial era, this mark had all but lost its meaning, since the mints in Rome were controlled by the Emperor, who produced coins according to his own agenda.
This coin clearly celebrates the success of Germanicus in returning the lost standards to Rome. But this begs the question, why is a coin from 37-41 AD depicting an event that occurred twenty-two years earlier? The answer lies in Caligula’s bad reputation. Like all of the coins in this online display, the purpose of this coin is to draw connections between the current emperor and their illustrious relatives. In minting this coin, Caligula is reminding the people of Rome that his father was Germanicus, the ‘Golden Boy’ of the empire, and that he deserves respect on account of that relationship. Caligula was not an established general. When he rose to the rank of emperor he had not even commanded an army. As such this coin is also likely to be an attempt to show that strong, capable leadership is a family trait and that although he is inexperienced, Caligula has the heritage to be a great emperor.
[1] Online Coins of the Roman Empire - RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 57
[2] Encyclopedia Britannica - Caligula
[3] Encyclopedia Britannica - Germanicus