Genuine Roman Silver Coin Pendant depicting She-Wolf and Twins

• Handmade 100% Made in Italy • Genuine Roman Silver Coin 3rd cent. BC • Bezel material: Sterling Silver 925
€510,00

This sterling silver pendant was designed by me and handmade by the craftsmen of my shop, SERRA, opened in Rome in 1910 and located in via Margutta 57, in the historic center of the city, very close to the Spanish Steps! On the center of the pendant, there is an authentic Roman coin depicting the she-wolf with twins. Wolves play a particular role in Roman myth. After all, the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were rescued by a she-wolf. According to the myth, Amulius, the king of Alba Longa, had ordered the twins' death by throwing them into the Tiber River. The river god, Tiber, calmed the river and their basket was caught in the roots of a fig tree at the base of the Palatine Hill, where Rome would be founded. The twins were first discovered by a she-wolf, "Lupa", who suckled them: this famous myth is depicted in countless pieces of Roman art from across the Roman empire (also see images at the bottom of the page). Subsequently, a shepherd and his wife, Faustulus and Acca Larentia, discovered and adopted them. Throughout the Roman period, the wolf symbolized Roman power; hence he (or rather, she) appears frequently in art and on Roman coinage, both in the Republic and the Empire (see some of the examples below). The earliest attested statue of the she-wolf suckling the twins was set up by Gnaeus and Quintus Ogulnius, presumably near the Lupercal in 296 BC Moreover, we find dedications to the she-wolf, for example from the Roman provinces, like a dedication to the 'Roman she-wolf', Lupa Romana and to the 'august She-Wolf', Lupa Augusta, both of them set up by priests of the 'imperial cult' (seviri), showing the close link between the she-wolf and the Roman state. On the reverse side of the coin, you can see the effigy of Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96 ) As emperor, Domitian strengthened the economy by revaluing the Roman coinage, expanding the border defenses of the empire and initiating a massive building program to restore the damaged city of Rome. Domitian's government exhibited strong authoritarian characteristics. Religious, military, and cultural propaganda fostered a cult of personality, and by nominating himself perpetual censor, he sought to control public and private morals. As a consequence, Domitian was popular with the people and army but considered a tyrant by members of the Roman Senate He was succeeded by his advisor Nerva. All our jewels have a certificate attesting their origin from the Greek or Roman world and their authenticity!