MAXIMIAN, Hercules. Medallion. (Ae. 40.99g/41mm). 297-298 AD Rome. Obv: VIRTVS MAXIMIANI AVG. Laureate bust of Maximian with Aegis to the right, bearing a shield decorated with a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, behind a horse's head. Rev: MONETA AVGG. The three Moneta standing facing left, each holding a ladder and cornucopia. (Cohen 405; BMC Medallions 4; Gnecchi 18). VF+. Obverse field reworked. Very rare.
Just as Diocletian did with Jupiter, Maximian appears identified with Hercules in a magnificent portrait of great power and realism. The close association of the ruler's person with the divine nature of the hero is part of the imperial propaganda program, which found in coins and medals one of its most effective means of dissemination. Another detail of great symbolic weight is also present on this medal: the representation of Rome and its founding in the images of the she-wolf, Romulus, and Remus. On the reverse, with the representation of the goddess Moneta, we find another scene of potent symbolic significance; it seems that the cult of this goddess was established due to the influence of Greek religion and that she was the equivalent of the Greek cult of Mnemosyne. The allegory on the reverse of this medallion is thus linked to the very origins of Roman civilization. It is not the only reference to Greek culture present on this medallion. Turning to the obverse, we can observe in the center of the breastplate the mythological figure of Medusa, probably the most recognized villain in all of Greek mythology, capable of petrifying any living being with her simple gaze.
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