Roman Republican Denarius - Soldiers Throwing Shields at Tarpeia Reverse

The scene depicted on the reverse of this denarius is derived from a legendary event that happened during the reign of Romulus, Rome's first king. The Sabines, a neighboring tribe in Latium were at war with the Romans. Their king Tatius had bribed Tarpeia, the young daughter of one of the Roman offficers to let the Sabine soldiers into a Roman citadel. She was to be paid with "What the soldiers carried on their shield arms", that is, gold arm bands and other jewellery. The Sabine troops had only scorn for the girl traitor, even if she was helping their side. To show their disgust for her actions, they paid her off with what they had on their shield arms by battering her to death with their shields.

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