Details of Sol Invictus personified on coins
Sol was the sun-god. He is identified by his ‘radiate crown’ (crown of sun-rays) and by a globe or whip. Alternatively he is shown raising his hand towards the heavens or charging through the sky in his chariot.
Sol rarely appears on coins before the 3rd century AD, but thereafter is one of the most common subjects until the time of Constantine the Great (AD 306-337). He is often given the titles Comes (‘Companion’), Invictus (‘Unconquered’) and Oriens (referring to the eastern or rising sun).
Attributes
- Radiate crown
- Globe or whip
- Chariot in sky
Wikipedia derived information
Sol Invictus ("Invincible Sun") was the official sun god of the later Roman empire.
In 274 Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Scholars disagree whether the new deity was a refoundation of the ancient Latin cult of Sol, a revival of the cult of Elagabalus or completely new. The god was favoured by emperors after Aurelian and appeared on their coins until Constantine.
The last inscription referring to Sol Invictus dates to 387 AD. and there were enough devotees in the 5th century that Augustine found it necessary to preach against them. A festival on 25 December is sometimes thought to be responsible for the date of Christmas..
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus
This data is sourced from dbpedia, and as such should be treated with caution.
Social Bookmarking: 
