NOTES:
LESBOS, Methymna. Circa 500-450BC. The Greek island of Lesbos is usually associated with the poetess Sappho (Σαπφώ), the daughter of Scamander and Cleïs. She was said to have been born in Eresos, another city on Lesbos but is more often than not associated with Mytilene (Μυτιλήνη). Her birth was somewhere between 630BC and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC. The bulk of her poetry, which was well-known and greatly admired throughout antiquity, has been lost, but her immense reputation has endured. The coin shown above was minted in Methymna, a town just north-west of Mytilene. The city was named after Methymna (Μήθυμνα), the daughter of Macar who was married to the "personification of Lesbos."
"Some say the Muses are nine: how careless!
Look, there's Sappho too, from Lesbos, the tenth." - Plate 'Anthologia Palatina.'
CLEOPATRA VIIth, 51-30BC. In 51BC, Egyptain ruler Ptolemy Auletes died and left his kingdom to his eighteen year old daughter, Cleopatra, and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII who was then twelve. Cleopatra was born in 69BC in Alexandria, Egypt. After Ptolemy XIII drowned she became the sole ruler of Egypt. She inevitably fell in love with the Roman leader Julius Caesar and together they had a son, Caesarion (Ptolemy Caesar) who was born on June 23, 47BC. In July of 46 BC Caesar returned to Rome and he brought Cleopatra with him. She was not well received. Then, on the Ides of March of 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated outside the Senate Building in Rome. After his murder, Cleopatra fled Rome and returned home to Alexandria. Her next greatest love was the Roman General Mark Antony around 41BC but to make a long story short, the new Roman Emperor Octavian (Augustus Caesar) fearing this union made war against Cleopatra and fought Anthony in a great sea battle off Actium on September 2nd 31BC where Antony and Cleopatra’s fleet was finally destroyed. After the defeat, Antony committed suicide by falling on his own sword in 30 BC. Octavian then threatened to have Cleopatra displayed as a harlot and slave in the very cities that she had once ruled. Rather than be humiliated, Cleopatra let an asp, which was an Egyptian cobra, bite her. She died on August 12, 30 BC at the age of 39. Egyptian religion stated that death by snakebite would secure immortality. After Cleopatra's death, Caesarion was murdered.
BOUDDICCA was the widow of King Prasutagus of the Iceni, a tribe occupying East Anglia. After his death she became Queen and regent for her two daughters who inherited half of the kingdom, while the other half was given to Rome. However, Roman Emperor Nero refused to recognize any 'woman' as a ruler and he also objected to being given only half of the kingdom. Nero ordered all the Iceni land seized, Bouddica was publically flogged and her daughters raped in order to put them in their place within a Roman society. This provoked an Iceni revolt in 61AD. Buddicca burned Camulodunum and Londinium [London] to the ground and killed thousands. According to the historian Tacitus, the Roman governor Giaus Suetonius Paulinus told his troops that "in their ranks there are more women than fighting men." Bouddicca, who was said to be tall with thick red hair down to her knees, was eventually defeated by Suetonius and, rather than be captured, the proud warrior Queen took her own life by drinking from a poisoned chalice.
ANNIA GALERIA FAVSTINA Sr. (? -141AD) was born to Rupilia Faustina and Marcus Annius Verus, she married Antoninus Pius. Little is known of her, except that she was regarded as vain, frivolous and perhaps unfaithful, though this may have just been malicious gossip. Regardless of the gossip he heard, Antoninus Pius loved Faustina greatly and upon her death in 141 AD she was deified and a temple was built in her honor in the Roman Forum, which still stands, known as the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. They had two sons, Marcus Galerius and Marcus Aurelius Fulvus, and two daughters, Aurelia Fadilla and Annia Galeria Faustina (Faustina Jr.). When Pius became emperor on July 10, 138, she immediately became 'Augusta'.
CORNELIA SALONINA (254-268AD) was the wife of Roman Emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallianus. She was said to have been very beautiful, virtuous, faithful, intelligent, gentle, and learned. She was held in a very high esteemed by the Roman public, and was called by the Greeks 'Chrysogena', which means "begotten of gold." They had at least two sons; Licinius Valerianus, Licinius Salolinus; although some reports have them having four. In September of 268AD Rome was dealt a bitter blow. Their much beloved Emperor Gallienus and his wife Cornelia were slain by assassins near Mediolanum (Milan). The finger was immediately pointed at Claudius II but there was no proof to substantiate any of the allegations.
