[Wishes for recovery on bronze--comments on a coin in honour of L. Aelius Caesar]

Abstract

L. Aelius Caesar is a little known co-regent of Hadrian who, having already been taken ill, was elected Princeps as Hadrian's successor and died soon afterwards. The city of Mytilene in Lesbos dedicated a bronze coin for him while he was still alive. The reverse of the coin shows the arrival of Asclepios in the shape of a snake. It is certainly a reference to the mythic translation of the cult of Asclepios to Rome in the third century B. C. which introduced the worship of the healing god on the Tiber Island. The community of Mytilene that struck the coin wanted to wish the ruler, whose illness was generally known, a good recovery or even to encourage him to convalesce at the famous ancient spa of Mytilene. At the same time they wanted to make a request on their own behalf. They wanted to gain the favour of the putative successor to the ruling Princeps in order to keep or regain certain liberties for their city which have been reduced by Vespasian in his centralization of the Roman Empire.