Pietas in the propaganda of Sextus Pompey
Pietas in the propaganda of Sextus Pompey

Summary/Abstract: Sextus Pompey, the son of Pompey the Great, as an active player during the civil war (45-35 BC) minted several issues (RRC 477, 478, 479, 483, 511). He used them not only to pay his troops and followers but also to promote himself. To do that he started to propagate his exceptional piety – pietas. At first, he was doing that by emphasizing his devotion to his famous father (pietas erga patrem). Then, he introduced also other meanings of pietas – adversus deos and erga patriam. Sextus promoted the concept in many various ways – using monetary legends, symbols, personifications and allegories. Such a consistency in his propaganda was very unusual for the previous Republican coinage. Thus, it was a key step toward the monetary propaganda we know from the later, imperial coinage.

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