1. Coin of Brutus

Silver denarius
54 BCE
Spink purchase. KM 1987.9.7

According to Roman tradition, Lucius Junius Brutus became one of the first consuls of Rome in 509 BCE after overthrowing its last king, Tarquinius Superbus. Centuries later, his descendant Marcus Junius Brutus (of “Et tu, Brute?” fame) invoked this legendary act of regicide (killing of a king), minting this coin at a time when Julius Caesar increasingly controlled more and more of Rome’s military and political power.

 

2. Coin of Julius Caesar

Silver denarius
46 BCE
G. R. Monks bequest. KM 1991.2.310

This coin depicts Aeneas, a prince of Troy and the legendary ancestor of Caesar. At the end of the Trojan War, Aeneas escaped Troy, carrying his elderly father and holding tight to his young son’s hand. He settled on the coast of Italy, where his descendants would go on to found Rome. Julius Caesar minted this coin, used to pay his troops in his battle against Cato, as a none-too-subtle justification of his claim to power—connecting himself to his royal ancestor and the legend of Rome’s founding.

 

3. Coin of Cato the Younger

Silver quinarius
46 BCE
A. E. Richards collection. KM 94982

Minted quickly by Cato to pay his soldiers as they battled Caesar’s forces in modern-day Tunisia, this small coin depicts the goddess Victory and the god Liber, powerful symbols of Roman hope and liberty. Despite this appeal to the gods, Cato and his forces could not best Caesar. In the aftermath, as Caesar’s solitary control of Rome became inevitable, Cato chose to commit suicide rather than live under a tyrant.