Introduction
This article will briefly cover the whole timeline of the Roman Republic/Empire. While there is way too much to cover in one article, this is meant to be a simple introduction for people new to Roman coins and history. The article will cover Romulus and Remus, Early Rome, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
Romulus And Remus
The founding of Rome is told through a legend about two brothers. Romulus and Remus. In the myth, they are descendants of soldiers who had survived the Trojan war and eventually made their way to Italy. As the myth goes, their mother gave birth to two twins after being unfaithful to her Husband.
She eventually sent them both down a river in a wicker basket, where they were found by a she-wolf. According to the myth, the she-wolf fed and looked after them until they grew up.
Once the two brothers had grown up, they founded the earliest Roman Settlements. Eventually, the differences between the brothers led them to compete in various ways to determine who should lead. These competitions eventually led to Romulus killing Remus.
The city of Rome would be founded on the 21st of April, 753 BCE, and would get its name from the name of the surviving brother.
Early Rome
Rome’s original population was predominantly men. In order to increase the female population of Rome, a feast was held, inviting the surrounding tribes. Once they arrived, they captured the females of the various tribes that had arrived. Eventually, capturing women and bringing them back to Rome would become a common practice when Rome’s army was on a campaign.
Early Rome was a monarchy with seven kings after numerous scandals and Tarquin’s rape of Lucretia. The people of Rome had enough and demanded more of a say in their day-to-day lives.
These were the earliest steps that the Roman citizens took toward the Roman Republic, which would last a little over five centuries.
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was formed in 509 BCE after overthrowing the monarchy. The republic lasted all the way until 27 BCE. It covers the span of history that is considered “Classical Rome.” It was during this time period that Rome began minting the notorious Denarius. War was also very common during this time period, with them figuring out their own borders and then enforcing them.
During this period, Rome was still figuring itself out militarily and revamping its tactics many times over. The Roman Republic also adopted many different cultural ideas, tools, and methods that would later be considered a Roman staple during the Roman Empire.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire started in 27 BCE following the aftermath of Julius Cesar’s assassination. The peak of the Roman Empire occurred between the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. Eventually, under the Rule of Emperor Constantine, the Empire split into two halves, with the Western Roman Empire using Rome as its capital and the Eastern Roman Empire using Byzantium as its Capital.
The Western Roman Empire lasted until the year 1453 CE, when Mehmed II, with the Ottoman army, conquered Constantinople.
Mehmed II’s intention wasn’t to end the Roman Empire. Mehmed considered himself to be a new Cesar. He changed the religion of the empire from Christianity to Islam, just as Constantine had done 1100 years earlier, by switching from Rome’s pagan religion to Christianity.
The Roman Empire’s influence can still be seen in the modern age. Many kings’ portraits were minted on coins, similar to how the Romans stamped their Emperor’s portraits on their coinage.
Roman Coins
Each coin has a unique history attached to it. Coin collectors love the Roman Denarius. We carry various Roman Denarius from different time periods in the Roman Republic/Empire. Click the link below to see if we have a denarius currently in stock that’s right for your collection.
Silver Roman Coins
These are all of the Non-Certified and Certified silver Roman coins we currently have for sale.
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