Highest prestige - the spolia opima

The coin depicts the spolia opima (“the rich spoils”), taken by M. Claudius Marcellus from the Gaul king Viridomarus. The spolia were loot taken from a foreign commander after having been slain by a Roman general in man-to-man combat. The spoils mostly consisted of the defeated general’s armor and weaponry and were dedicated to a temple after the triumph to celebrate the victory of the Roman general.

Only 3 instances of such a high military honor occured, the first tracing back to Romulus, Rome’s mythical founder. The rarity of the spolia opima makes this honor a particularly esteemed one. The connection with the mythical past serves as a means of legitimizing the present political situation, as it connects Marcellinus not only with his ancestor, but also with the founding myth of Rome.

With the reference to his ancestor, Marcellinus used his prestigious ancestor Marcellus as a symbol of power and drew a link to military victory. Marcellinus, the fellow of Caesar, connected the famous victory of Marcellus over the Gauls with Caesar’s victory over the Gauls. By creating this glorifying framing, Caesar’s claim of immense power within the Roman state receives the necessary legitimation, since the Romans during the time of the republic were always afraid of individuals gathering high power in their hands

Next to supporting Caesar, this reference to his legendary ancestor certainly boosted Marcellinus’ own position, and led him to gain “power” as well. With the support of Caesar, this coin created a powerful political claim in the highly competitive political environment of the late Roman republic.