Silver Denarius - Roman Republic, c. 136 BC
Moneyer: L. Antestius Gragulus
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma, right - GRAG behind
Rev: Jupiter in Chariot (quadriga), right
(Sear-115) - 19mm, 3.86gm
In ancient Roman religion, Roma was a female deity who personified the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state. Her image appears on the base of the column of Antoninus Pius.
Jupiter is usually thought to have originated as a sky god. His identifying implement is the thunderbolt, and his primary sacred animal is the eagle, which held precedence over other birds in the taking of auspices and became one of the most common symbols of the Roman army. The two emblems were often combined to represent the god in the form of an eagle holding in its claws a thunderbolt, frequently seen on Greek and Roman coins. As the sky-god, he was a divine witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend.