At the time of the ceremony of foundation of a city, a priest drove two oxen that pulls a plow and dig the furrow symbolizing the defensive walls of the new city . Romulus was the first to observe this ritual, as Ovide tells it to us:

OVID, Fasti, IV, April, 21 April: Rome foundation's anniversary, 819

"The festival of Pales was near: the work was started then. They trenched to the solid rock, threw fruits of the harvest into its depths, with soil from the ground nearby. The ditch was filled with earth, and topped by an altar, and a fire was duly kindled on the new-made hearth. Then, bearing down on the plough handle, he marked the walls: the yoke was borne by a white cow and a snowy ox.

So spoke the king: ‘Be with me, as I found my City, Jupiter, Father Mavors, and Mother Vesta: and all you gods, whom piety summons, take note. Let my work be done beneath your auspices. May it last long, and rule a conquered world, all subject, from the rising to the setting day.' Jupiter added his omen to Romulus ' prayer, with thunder on the left, and his lightning flashed leftward in the sky. Delighted by this, the citizens laid foundations, and the new walls were quickly raised."

With this reverse showing an identical scene, associated to the legend, we have the proof that Rome was the famous Colonia Commodiana ("Colonia Lucia Antoniniana Commodiana"), renamed by Commodus. This fact was related, inter alia, by the few reliable author of Augustus history. Thanks to this coin, we can see that it is well about a historic reality.

Lamprinius (to the VIII chapter) informs us that this emperor had reached such a level of madness, that he wanted that the city of Rome be rename as "Colony of Commodus", an act of madness that it says inspired by the fascination of Commodus for Marcia, his mistress that it liked to see disguised in horsewoman. The same pseudo-historian adds that at the same time as he presented to the Senate his project to rename the city, he also wanted to rename the senate by "Senatus Commodianus." This absurdity was even ratified by a Senatus Consultum, as we can see it on this coin.

To show the persistence of Commodus on this topic, Dion specified that the people were obliged to call Rome - Commodianas and the armies - Commodiani. Rome was also named by the emperor himself "the Eternal lucky colony of the world", his intention being that the city was considered like its own colony.

This "new establishment" escaped of little to the destruction, because it would have put fires in the city, if it had not been persuaded by Laetus not to make it.

The type of a priest veiled, with two oxen, is common on the coins of the colonies, but very rare in the mintage of Rome . The legend must be interpret undoubtedly like COLonia Lucia ANtoniniana COModiana.

It remains remarkable that the Lucia praenomen has been given to Rome in one moment, where Commode himself used the one of Marcus, maybe however, that it had to the mind the survival of the former name of Lucius that it will adopt two years after." The same topic is illustrated by the coins carrying the legend HERC ROM COND.

CASSIUS DIO, Roman History , Epitome of Book LXXIII, 15 : "

Now the death of these victims passed unheeded for Commodus was a greater curse to the Romans than any pestilence or any crime. Among other reasons was this, that whatever honours they had been wont to vote to his father out of affection they were now compelled out of fear and by direct command to assign also to the son. He actually ordered that Rome itself should be called Commodiana, the legions Commodian, and the day on which these measures were voted Commodiana. Upon himself he bestowed, in addition to a great many other names, that of Hercules. Rome he styled the "Immortal, Fortunate Colony of the Whole Earth"

Note again that the iconographic type of the reverse also appears on a very rare sestercius of Trajan, but this time, it is of Sarmizegetusa, the capital of the Dacia .

Frederic Weber

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