Details of Victoria personified on coins
Throughout Rome ’s history her armies fought either to increase the territories of the Roman World or to protect them from attack. The figure of Victory [VICTORIA] became a symbol of military success.
Victory can always be identified by her wings. And by her attributes (the things she carries); normally a wreath and palm-branch, sometimes a shield or occasionally a trophy. Victory is a very common subject on Roman coins from Republican times onwards.
In this example, the coin celebrates a victory in Britain – BRIT(annia) – by the emperor Septimius Severus (AD 193-211).
Attributes
- Wings
- Wreath
- Palm Branch
Wikipedia derived information
In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory.
She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill. The goddess Vica Pota was also sometimes identified with Victoria.
Unlike the Greek Nike, Victoria was a major part of Roman society. Multiple temples were erected in her honor. When her statue was removed in 382 CE by emperor Gratianus there was much anger in Rome.
She was normally worshipped by triumphant generals returning from war. Also unlike the Greek Nike, who was known for success in athletic games such as chariot races, Victoria was a symbol of victory over death and determined who would be successful during war. Victoria appears widely on Roman coins, jewelry, architecture, and other arts.
She is often seen with or in a chariot, as in the late 18th-century sculpture representing Victory in a quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany..
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_(mythology)
This data is sourced from dbpedia, and as such should be treated with caution.
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