#caesar's comet

[didoofcarthage]

Denarius with head of Augustus wearing oak wreath (obverse) and comet with eight rays and inscription Divus Julius (reverse)

Roman (possibly minted at Caesaraugusta, modern Zaragoza in Spain), Imperial Period, 19-18 B.C.

silver

British Museum

[archaicwonder]

Caesar's Comet (The Julian Star)

Caesar's Comet  appeared in the sky at this time over 2000 years ago during the Ludi Victoriae Caesaris, also known as the funeral games for Julius Caesar on July 20th-28th in 44 BC. The seven-day visitation of the comet was taken by Romans as a sign of the deification or apotheosis of the recently deceased Julius Caesar ( July 100 BC - March 15, 44 BC). It was perhaps the most famous comet of antiquity.

The reverse of this silver denarius coin references Caesar's Comet with eight rays with a tail pointing upward. The front shows the laureate head of Augustus. It was minted during the reign of Augustus (c. 19-18 BC) at the Caesaraugusta* mint.

The Comet became a powerful symbol in the political propaganda, including Roman coinage, that launched the career of Caesar's great-nephew (and adoptive son) Augustus.Throughout antiquity, rulers from pharaohs to kings have always tried to associate themselves with divinity to assert their right to reign supreme. The appearance of this comet gave Augustus a perfect opportunity to follow suit. He built the Temple of Divus Iulius (Temple of the Deified Julius) in 42 BC for purposes of fostering a "cult of the comet". At the back of the temple, a huge image of Caesar was erected and, according to Ovid, a flaming comet was affixed to its forehead:

To make that soul a star that burns forever Above the Forum and the gates of Rome.

Ovid makes the final assertion of the comet’s role in Julius Caesar’s apotheosis as he describes the deification of Caesar in Metamorphoses (8 AD):

Then Jupiter, the Father, spoke..."Take up Caesar’s spirit from his murdered corpse, and change it into a star, so that the deified Julius may always look down from his high temple on our Capitol and forum." He had barely finished, when gentle Venus stood in the midst of the Senate, seen by no one, and took up the newly freed spirit of her Caesar from his body, and preventing it from vanishing into the air, carried it towards the glorious stars. As she carried it, she felt it glow and take fire, and loosed it from her breast: it climbed higher than the moon, and drawing behind it a fiery tail, shone as a star.

Caesar's Comet was one of only five comets known to have had a negative absolute magnitude and was possibly the brightest daylight comet in recorded history. It was not periodic and may have disintegrated.

*Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain) was founded by Augustus c. 25 BC to settle army veterans from the Cantabrian wars.

[justhistory]

I can't handle the beauty of this coin right now. 

Augustus, with Divus Julius Caesar. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.86 g, 6h). Tarraco(?) mint. Struck circa 18 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / DIVVS • IVLIVS, comet with eight rays and tail.

If you happen to have a spare $10,000 you can bid on it here.