Julia’s Jobs
Lucilla knows that Julia recently received the title Mater Castrorum, meaning ‘mother of the camp’. This title is granted by the emperor when the empress has a strong connection with the military. In the early years of Septimius’ reign, he had to legitimize his claim to the throne by defeating his rivals, and Julia accompanied him on all his campaigns. Julia’s new coins proudly boast this title, and Lucilla wonders if the coin she holds in her hand is one of the newly minted coins. The letters are easily readable, and she reads IVLIA DOMNA AVG. Lucilla knows that AVG stands for Augustus, and in the case of a woman Augusta, meaning ‘empress’.
The simple title shows that this coin is not one of the new issues, but one from Julia’s early reign. Her early coins had simple titles, like Julia Domna Aug(usta) or Julia Augusta, but later she gained more prestigious titles which were put on her coins. These titles don’t say much about Julia Domna, thinks Lucilla. Perhaps the other side might be more telling…