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Coins

SENA Conference: coins from
*

the Roman Empire’s secular games

On 7 October, in the prestigious setting of the Monnaie de Paris, Dominique
Hollard presented a very interesting topic. It’s now my pleasure to tell you
about it, based on his presentation.

The topic covered coins related to the Roman The first secular games under Augustus
Empire’s secular games. Before starting, it’s were held in -17. The idea was that they
important to point out that the games were should take place every 110 years, which
secular. According to Roman tradition, the was the maximum life span of a person at
games were intended to celebrate the end of the time, in order to comply with the mes-
one century and ask for the benediction of sage “Games that none have ever seen and
the infernal gods for the next century. will never see again”. However, there were
Shortly before the start of the games, public also secular games in the strict meaning of
criers would invite the population to attend the term, that is, every 100 years starting in
the games “Games that none have ever seen 48. The year 48 was the anniversary of the
and will never see again”. founding of Rome in -753, according to Var-
The first secular games represented in coins ron.
were organised by Augustus, the first Roman The coins of the period featured the games.
emperor, with the assistance of a college of Under Augustus, in -17, there were coins with
fifteen members, the quindecemviri sacris the inscription “LVDOS SAEC”, that is Ludos
faciundis, presided over by the emperor and saeculares, meaning secular games.
those close to him. The coins in question featured different as-

* Société d’études numismatiques et archéologiques (Society for numismatic and
archeological studies)
Augustus aureus from -17 with the announcement of the secular games on the
reverse.

12 Delcampe Magazine