Cura Annonae

Romans, especially those in the city, were obsessed with grain- for many it meant the difference between an empty or a filled stomach. That is why the city handed out a certain amount of grain to their population every day (headed by the praefectus annonae (prefect of the provisions), a Roman official who was in charge of the dole) - later on during the empire, they even handed out loaves of bread. Potentially as many as 200,000 civilians were fed everyday.

Romans, especially those in the city, were obsessed with grain- for many it meant the difference between an empty or a filled stomach. That is why the city handed out a certain amount of grain to their population every day (headed by the praefectus annonae (prefect of the provisions), a Roman official who was in charge of the dole) - later on during the empire, they even handed out loaves of bread. Potentially as many as 200,000 civilians were fed everyday.

This was so important to the Romans that the daily grain supply became a personified goddess- Annona. She had no mythology or tradition, yet became the subject of many offerings and devotions. Emperor Tiberius would later comment that to stop this daily hand out would be “the utter ruin of the state”. 8 Tac. Ann. 3.54.6- When the grain supply stopped, the state risked riots and political instability.

It is hardly surprising that the corn-ear and Ceres (the goddess of agriculture who Annona was often depicted with) and similar motifs were so common on coins. The issuer or person depicted on the coin was posturing themselves as the protector of the uber important grain supply.