Coin Roma Republic Gens Cloelia, Titus - Silver Quinari - 98 BC Rome

On the reverse, a draped Victory is depicted standing, turned to the right, holding a palm branch in her left hand. With her right hand, she crowns a trophy of arms placed in the field to the right. At her feet sits a captive, turned to the left, behind whom appears a carnyx, a war instrument characteristic of Celtic peoples.

The presence of the carnyx constitutes a particularly significant iconographic element. Around 98 BC, Rome was emerging from a period of serious military threats caused by the migrations of the Cimbri and the Teutons, compounded by recurring conflicts with various Celtic peoples of Gaul and Northern Italy. This issue is a continuation of the great victories won by Caius Marius at Aquae Sextiae in 102 BC and at Vercellae in 101 BC, which put an end to this threat. The trophy crowned by Victory, the seated captive, and the carnyx are all symbols of Roman dominance over the conquered peoples. This iconography celebrates the military successes of the Republic while asserting the superiority of Rome and the legitimacy of its expansion.