Keeping Up with the Sullans

At first glance, it seems that this coin is depicting Hercules (or Herakles), the famous Greek hero who completed Twelve Labors and wore a lion skin. To the Romans his status was comparable to that of Mars, god of war. Rawson, B, “Pompey and Hercules,” _Antichthon 4 (1970): 30.. However, you would be wrong. If you direct your gaze to the figure’s forehead, you will see a small lock of hair. This is what we call an “anastole”- a little tuft separated from the rest of the hairstyle and swept away from the forehead. This was a look popularized by and associated with Alexander the Great, the Macedonian prince who conquered the known world. Alexander often depicted Hercules on his own coins, trying to reference his greater forerunners, just like these Republicans were doing now. Unknown author, “Anastole”, Perseus, accessed 10 March 2022. The combination of Hercules and Alexander suggests two important qualities- mythical skills and military prowess. But who is trying to be associated with success and victory?

Picture a son of two fathers, both infamous men who ushered in the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic. Faustus Cornelius Sulla, the man who issued this coin, was the only surviving son of the dictator Sulla, who together with Gaius Marius plunged Rome into civil war. Upon winning the war, he had potentially as many as 9,000 nobles executed. Faustus was also the son-in-law of Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar’s friend-turned-enemy. Pompey was with Caesar in the first triumvirate, but subsequently faced Caesar in civil war and ultimately had his head given to him. At the intersection of history, Faustus minted coins celebrating both his father and his father in law.

On this coin, Faustus associated Pompey with Alexander the Great, a general unrivaled in skill and power. Was this association earned? Read on and find out.