Roman Republic, Lucilia gens, M.Lucilius Rufus Coin, 101 BC

 

The gens (race, family or clan) Lucilia was a plebeian (commoners) family at ancient Rome. The nomen (hereditary name) Lucilius is a patronymic surname, derived from the common Latin praenomen Lucius. The satirist Lucilius is said to have come from Suessa Aurunca, an ancient town of the Aurunci, where a Latin colony was established in 313 BC. 

                                      

M. Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius, Rome, 101 BC 

                                         

Location of Sessa Aurunca in Italy

In the time of the Republic, the surnames of the Lucilii were ''Balbus'' and ''Bassus'', the former referring to the one who stammers, and the later to someone stout or sturdy. Later in the Imperial times, we find ''Capito'' given to one with a large prominent head, and ''Longus'', tall and ''Ruffus'' commonly to someone with red hair, appears on the coins of the Lucilii. 

Marcus Lucillius Rufus was 'triumvir monetalis' (a moneyer who oversaw the minting of coins). In that role he would be responsible for the ordinary coinage during the republican period. Over the course of the late Republic from 139 BC onwards, the moneyers started to mint more personalized coins which advertised their lineages, achievements of ancestors and other leaders. 

In 101 BC, M Lucillius Rufus minted coins depicting Pallas on the obverse, and Victoria driving a biga (chariot) on the reverse. 

                                       

M. Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius, Rome, 101 BC, silver, weight 3.9 gm, Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right, PV behind, all within laurel wreath, Reverse: Victory in biga right, RVF above, M LVCILI in exergue

Lucilius Rufus

Lucilius Rufus AR Denarius