An Attempt to Elucidate Two Samnite Coins, Never before Fully Explained. In a Letter to Mathew Maty, M. D. Sec. R. S. from the Rev. John Swinton, B. D. F. R. S. Custos Archivorum of the University of Oxford, Member of the Academy Degli Apatisti at Florence, and of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona in Tuscany

LXI. An Attempt to elucidate two Samnite Coins, never before fully explained. In a Letter to Mathew Maty, M.D. Sec. R.S. from the Rev. John Swinton, B.D. F.R.S. Custos Archivorum of the University of Oxford, Member of the Academy degli Apatisti at Florence, and of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona in Tuscany. I. Good Sir, Read Dec. 7, 1769. The first of the coins I propose to consider here is a Samnite denarius (see Tab. XVI. n. i.) of Papius Mutilus, published by Sig. Olivieri and M. Pellerin, with the word SAFINIM on the reverse, in Samnite-Etruscan characters; an interpretation of which has, as I apprehend, been ineffectually attempted by the Marquis Scipio Maffei, Sig. Olivieri, Sig. Avvocato Passeri, and M. Pellerin. The other has the initial letter of the name of a town upon the reverse, indicating the place where it was struck. For that Etruscan coins coins are sometimes adorned with the initial letters of the names of towns, is a point that will admit of no dispute amongst the learned. No one will refuse his assent to this, who is apprized, that it has been allowed by Sig. (1) Olivieri and Sig. (2) Avvocato Passeri, the two greatest proficients in Samnite, or Samnite-Etruscan, literature that have hitherto appeared. What is now remarked has been also observed by Sig. Gori, in (3) the very valuable work here referred to. These pieces, however, are of a species different from that of the coins of Papius Mutilus, Tiberius Veturius, and Ni. Luponius, of which I have largely treated in (4) some of my former papers. The first species appertains to cities, the other to the Samnite, or Italian, commanders, whose names they bear, for the most part, on the reverse. Hence it seems, at first sight, extremely probable, that the word SAFINIM, on the reverse of Papius Mutilus's medal, now before me, cannot be equivalent to SABINI, THE SABINES, or SAMNITES, THE SAMNITES, as some (5) of the most celebrated (1) Una lettera del Sig. Olivier. al Sig. Abate Barthelemy, &c. p. 29. In Pesaro, 1757. (2) Jo. Baptist. Passer. Pisauens. De Num. Etrusc. Paflanor. in Symb. Litterar. Vol. II. p. 30, 31. Florentiae, 1748. (3) Anton. Francisc. Gor. Mus. Etrusc. Vol. II. p. 428. Tab. cxcvi. cxcvii. Florentiae, 1737. (4) Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. Par. i. p. 28—39. Vol. LVIII. p. 253—261. & alib. (5) Annib. degli Abati Olivier. Dissertaz. sopr. alcun. Medagl. Samnit. in Sag. di Dissertaz. Accademich. &c. di Cortona. Tom. IV. p. 142, 146. in Roma, 1741. Scip. Mass. ap. Annib. degl. Abat. Olivier. ubi sup. Peller. Second Supplem. aux Recueils des Medail. p. 1—14. A Paris, 1766. Vol. LIX. K k k Etruscan. Etruscan antiquaries of the present age have not scrupled to assert; but must be taken, agreeably to the nature and genius of such coins, for the name of one of the Italian generals, who distinguished himself in the Social war. In support of the former opinion, it has been alleged, that the Etruscan plural masculine termination, at the time of the Social war, was IM, the very same (6) with the Hebrew; and that there is a most peculiar and necessary connection between the name SAFINIM and the (7) symbol on the reverse, which accompanies it. But neither of these reasons, which have been offered, or at least supposed to be true, by two very great men (8), will be admitted by the learned. For that the Etruscan plural masculine termination was not the same with the Hebrew, and consequently IM, in any of the cases, but at least similar to the Latin, if not the very same with it, in the later ages, of which that of the Social war was one, is clearly evinced by the Etruscan coins, with the words (9) ICVFINI, ICVVINI, or EVGVBINI, (10) TIANVR, TEANVR, or TEANOR, upon them, to omit other instances of the same kind, that might, with equal facility, be produced. And that the sym- (6) Scip. Maff. ubi sup. M. Peller. ubi sup. p. 11, 12, 13. (7) Peller. ubi sup. p. 5, 11, 12, 13, 14. (8) Scip. Maff. & Peller. ubi sup. (9) Anton. Francisc. Gor. Mus. Etrusc. Vol. II. p. 422. Florentiae, 1737. (10) Numism. Antiq. &c. Thom. Pembroch. et Mont. Gomeric. Com. P. 2. T. 88. n. 3. Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. Par. i. p. 37. bol on the reverse of the medal I am now upon has no necessary or immediate connection with the word SAFINIM, attending it, is, I conceive, plain from hence, that this very symbol appears on the reverses of two other Samnite coins, one of the Veturian, the other of the Luponian family, by (11) me heretofore explained, with the names of two Italian generals upon them. From whence, by parity of reason, and analogy, it will likewise farther follow, that the word on the piece now before me may be fairly presumed to be the name of a Samnite, or Italian, commander, famous for his bravery, and laudable conduct, in the Social war. This, I say, seems extremely probable, not only from the nature and genius of the coin itself, but likewise from the similarity and analogy it bears to other (12) coins, with the names of Italian captains most evidently upon them, attended by the same symbol that occurs on the medal which is the object of my attention here. But the truth of what is here advanced will, as I apprehend, even to demonstration, appear, if we consider, with proper attention, the legend on the reverse of a Roman denarius (see TAB. XVIII. n. 2, 3.) of the Servilian family, in conjunction with that on the reverse of a Samnite coin of Papius Mutilus, to whom appertains the piece I am now endeavouring to throw some light upon. The two first of these (11) Philosop. Transact. Vol. LVIII. p. 253—265. & Vol. LII. Par. I. p. 28—39. (12) Sag. di Diffrtaz. Accademich. di Corton. Tom. II. Differtaz. 2. & Tom. IV. Differtaz. 4. p. 133—149. Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. Par. i. p. 28—39. & Vol. LI. P. ii. p. 853—865. K k k 2 medals medals are so perfectly (13) similar, that were not the characters with which they are adorned different, and the caps or helmets worn by two Caetors visible only on one of them, they might absolutely be con- sidered as duplicates of the same coin (see Tab. XVI. n. 2, 3.). Now the Roman denarius has preserved the legend SERVEILIM on the reverse, and the Samnite one I propose to elucidate here the inscription SAFINIM likewise on the reverse, in Samnite, or Samnite-Etruscan, letters. As there- fore SERVEILIM is apparently equivalent to SER- VEILI M., SERVEILIUS MARCI, or, in the Ro- man style, SERVEILIUS MARCI FILIVS; the legend SAFINIM may be considered as equivalent to SAFINI M., or SAFINIUS MARCI, which, in the Samnite mode of expression (14), answers to the Latin, or Roman, SAFINI M. F. that is SAFINIUS MARCI FI- LIVS. Wherefore it undoubtedly pointed at one of the Italian heroes, famous for his conduct and bravery in the war carried on, towards the decline of the sev- enth century of Rome, by the confederated Italian states, against the Romans. That my interpretation of the legend on the reverse of the Roman denarius is agreeable to truth, we learn from the legend on the reverse of a similar denarius of the Servilian family (see Tab. XVIII, n. 4.), now in my small collection, which is formed of the letters P. SERVII.M F., that is P. SERVILIUS MARCI FILIVS. Whence, in conjunction with the Samnite denarius (13) Sag. di Differiaz. Accademich. di Corton. Tom. IV. Differt. 4. p. 133, 134. In Roma, 1743. (14) Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. P. i. p. 35. (see Tab. XVII. n. 2, 3.), we may infer, that the word denoting son, amongst the Samnites, was absorbed in the genitive case of the father's name, after the manner of the Greeks, as I (15) formerly supposed; and that, in this particular, they were even sometimes (16) imitated by the Romans (see Tab. XVIII. n. 3.) With regard to the Safinian family, I shall beg leave to observe, that it was a family of pretty considerable note. We are told by (17) Sig. Olivieri, that C. Safinius had a hand in the seditions of L. Apuleius, which so much disturbed the repose of the republic, about the middle of the seventh century of Rome. The names of several members of this family occur in some of the Latin, or Roman, inscriptions, published by (18) Gruter and (19) Murator, to omit what has been said on the same subject by other writers. Sig. Olivieri (20) supposes the Safinian family might not improbably have been of a Samnite origin, and the interpretation of the word SAFINIM given here seems to add no small weight to such a supposition. Nay, we learn from (21) some of the above mentioned inscriptions, that (15) Philosoph. Transact. ubi sup. & not. (21). (16) Sag. di Dissertaz. Accademich. di Corton. ubi sup. (17) Sag. di Dissertaz. Accad. di Corton. Tom. IV. p. 144. (18) Jan. Gruter. Corp. Inscript. ex Recens. et cum Not. Joannis Georgii Graevii. CCCLXXXVI. 4. CMLIII. 5. MLXXV. 2. & MXCII. 7. (19) Lud. Ant. Murator. Nov. Thesaur. Veter. Inscript. &c. CCCIX. 3. MDXCIX. 6. MDCCXLIX. 2. & DCCXLIX. 2. Vid. etiam Ind. Univers. Claff. XVII. Mediolani, 1742. (20) Sag. di Dissertaz. Accademich. di Corton. Tom. IV. p. 146. (21) Jan. Gruter. ubi sup. CMLIII. 5. Lud. Ant. Murator. MDCCXLIX. 2. & Ind. Univers. Claff. XVII. M. or M. or MARCVS, was a prenomen used by certain members of this family, which may be considered as an additional proof of the truth of what has been here advanced. It is true, we meet with no commander of this name in the history of the Social war. But then it is as true, that we have very little relative to this war handed down to us by the Roman historians. As the war of the Allies was exceeding bloody, and continued near four years; we may reasonably presume many of the Italian generals and principal officers to have been cut off in the course of it, and to have been succeeded by others, several of whose names have not been mentioned by those writers who have only just touched upon that war. Had the histories of the Social war written by Cornelius Sisenna, L. Lucceius, and others, whose works, excepting a very few small fragments, are now entirely lost, escaped the ravages of time, we might perhaps have met there at least with the name of this general, if not some account of his exploits in that war. But as the matter now stands, we must be solely obliged to the very valuable denarius I have been considering, which has preserved the name of a family not hitherto observed on antient coins, for the preservation of his memory, through such a series of ages as has elapsed between the commencement of the Social war and the present time. I must not forget to remark, that the small (22) point between the two last letters of the word SAFINIM, on the coin, seems to divide the five preceding elements from the last letter M, and to an- (22) Sag. di Differtaz. Accademich. di Corton. Tom. IV p. 133, 139. nounce m the initial letter of the prenomen of our (23) Safinii's, or Safinius's, father. I would rather account for the small point here mentioned in this manner than suppose it an accent, as Sig. (24) Olivieri does, since we find something similar to this on (25) Papius Mutilus's coins; such a point being clearly visible (26) there, between the element c, the initial letter of the prenomen of Mutilus's father and the word Paapi, that general's name. This observation will, perhaps, be allowed to bring no small accession of strength to the interpretation of the word SAFINIM here laid down, and, in its turn, to receive no considerable support from that interpretation. After maturely weighing the reasons above alledged, I would flatter myself, that the Royal Society will adopt the preceding interpretation, as much easier, more simple and natural, and even more consonant to the genius of such Samnite coins as that here explained, than any of those different (27) ones that have hitherto appeared, though proposed by four of the greatest (28) antiquaries this age, or indeed any other age, has produced. To that most illustrious body, therefore, I beg leave to submit, with the utmost de- (23) Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. P. i. Tab. I. fig. 1. p. 34, 35. (24) Sag. di Differtaz. Accademich. di Corton. ubi sup. p. 139. (25) Philosoph. Transact. Vol. LII. P. i. Tab. I. p. 28. Sag. di Differtaz. di Corton. ubi sup. (26) Philosoph. Transact. & Sag. di Differtaz. di Corton. ubi sup. p. 133. (27) Scip. Maff. ap. Annib. degl. Abat. Olivier. in Sag. di Differtaz. di Corton. Tom. IV. p. 142, 146, 147. Jo. Bapt. Paffer, ibid. Olivier, ibid. Peller, ubi sup. p. 11, 12, 13. (28) Idem ibid. ference, what has been here advanced; as well knowing, that their determination of the point in question will be received as decisive by the whole learned world. II. I find in M. Pellerin's third Supplement, published in the year 1767, a denarius (see Tab. XVIII. n. 6.), attributed by that very learned and ingenious gentleman to the city of Corfinium (29), the capital of the Peligni, where the deputies assembled, in order to regulate the operations of the war entered upon against the Romans, by the confederated Italian states, towards the decline of the seventh century of Rome. This notion, which, I believe, will not be contested by the learned, he founds upon the appearance of the letter c (30) on (29) Peller. Troisième Supplément aux six volumes de recueils des medailles de rois, de villes, &c. publiés en 1762, 1763, & 1764, à Paris, 1767. p. 78—81. Pl. III. p. 90. (30) Peller. ubi sup. That Etruscan coins are sometimes adorned with the initial letters of the names of towns, is a point that will be allowed by every one moderately versed in this branch of literature. I have one of these, with the Etruscan letter η (see Tab. XVIII. n. 7.), and the uncial mark, or single globule, upon it. On one side it exhibits an anchor, and on the reverse a wheel. I received this piece from an Italian gentleman, and have some reason to believe it might have been found in Tuscany. As therefore the anchor indicates it to have been struck in a maritime town, it may perhaps not improperly be attributed to Cosa, or Cosla, an antient and famous city of Etruria, seated near Telamon and Populonia, at a small distance from the sea, according to Strabo. This appears the more probable, as Etruscan coins of Telamon and Populonia have been actually discovered, and communicated to the learned world. Anton. Francisc. Gor. Mus. Etrusc. Vol. II, p. 428. Tab. cxcvi, cxcvii. Florentiae, 1737. Una Let- Philos. Trans. Vol. LIX. TAB. XVIII p.440 1. Sag. di Dissert. di Corton. Tom. IV. p.133. 2. Sag. di Dissert. di Corton. Tom. IV. p.133. 3. Sag. di Dissert. di Corton. Tom. IV. p.133. 4. Apud Joannem Swinton, S.T.B. Oxoniens. R.S.S. 5. Penes Joannem Swinton, S.T.B. Oxoniens. R.S.S. 6. Peller. III Supplem. p.90. 7. Apud Joannem Swinton, S.T.B. Oxoniens. R.S.S. the reverse; which he takes, with great reason, to be the initial letter of the word Corfinium, the name of that town. The coin of which I now send you a short account (see Tab. XVIII. n. 5) agrees with that denarius in every particular, but the letter on the reverse; which is E, not C. But this is so far from overturning M. Pellerin's notion, that it will, at least in my opinion, strongly support, if not entirely confirm, it; which will, if I am not greatly mistaken, from what immediately follows, more clearly appear. That these coins, and others similar to them, first appeared about the time of the Social war, must be allowed extremely probable, from the symbols on the (31) reverse which most of them exhibit, and has been observed by one of the greatest Etruscan (32) antiquaries of the present age. The letter E, on the reverse of my denarius, has a Samnite, Samnite-Etruscan, or oriental, direction, from the right hand to the left; which will, I conceive, notwithstanding the Roman letters in the exergue, sufficiently announce it a Samnite, or Samnite-Etruscan, coin. This also will, in some measure, be evinced by the character itself; which more resembles the antient Etruscan form of E, than terà del Sig. Olivier. al Sig. Abate Barthelemy, &c. p. 41, 42, 43. Tab. IV. n. 3, 4. In Pesaro, 1757. Sig. Canonici Mozocch. sopra l'Origin. de' Tirren. Tab. II. n. 15, 16. in Sag. di Dissertaz. Accademich. di Corton. Tom. III. p. 61, 62. In Roma, 1741. Strab. Geogr. L. V. p. 156. (31) Dissertaz. di Annibale degli Abati Olivieri sopra due medaglie Sannitiche in Sag. di dissertaz. Accademich. pub. let. nel. nobil. Accadem. Etrusc. dell' antichiss. cit. di Cortona. Tom. II. p. 57. In Roma, 1738. (32) Annib. degl. Abat. Olivieri, ubi sup. the later Roman, or Latin, figure of that element. Now the old name of the city, to which both the medals here mentioned may, as I apprehend, be assigned, was Corfinium, and the new one, given it by the confederated Italian states, Italica, as we learn from (33) Strabo. As the Samnites therefore and old Romans are known to have used E sometimes for I, the element e, on the reverse of my medal, may very well be supposed to have been the initial letter of the word Etalica, for Italica, the new name mentioned by Strabo (34). That the Samnites sometimes used E for I, we may infer from the word *EMBRATVR*, for *IMPERATOR* (35), on some of Papius Mutilus's Samnite coins, to omit others that might, with equal facility, be produced; and that the antient Romans likewise did, not infrequently, the same thing, from the authors (36) here referred to, is indisputably clear. From whence we may, as I apprehend, fairly collect, that M. Pellerin's denarius was struck about the time the league was formed, or concluded, in commemoration of it; and mine after the commencement of the war, which was the immediate consequence of that league. From what has been remarked, it is abundantly clear, that the pieces here mentioned not only receive a considerable share of light from Strabo, but likewise evidently support, in the point before us, the authority of that celebrated antient writer. Farther, as neither of these (33) Strab. Geograph. lib. V. p. 241. Lutetiae Parisior. 1620. (34) Strab. ubi sup. (35) Annib. degl. Abat. Olivieri, ubi sup. p. 61. (36) Cic. de Orat. lib. III. c. 12. Varro de Ling. Latin. lib. V. Quintilian. lib. V. c. 6. Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. X. c. 24. pieces was ever published, I believe, before the publication of M. Pellerin's third Supplement, they ought both to pass for a sort of inedited coins; and, as such, will have a place assigned them in the cabinets of the great, the curious, and the learned; which will, I hope, be deemed a sufficient apology for the trouble given, in the latter part of this paper, by, Good Sir, Your most obliged, and most obedient, humble servant, Christ-Church, Oxon. July 5, 1769. John Swinton.