The obverse of a silver drachm of Orodes II showing his bust between a star and crescent, or sun and moon.

The reverse of a denarius of Trajan showing Aeternitas holding the heads of Luna and Sol.

eternitas meant permanence, durability, or the concept of eternal time. The word appeared on many Roman coins, usually either emphasising the permanence of the Imperium or celebrating the eternal memory of a new Imperial deity. The personification appeared rather less often. The denarius of Trajan from 111 CE on the near right is one such; Aeternitas is holding a head in each hand – Sol, the sun, on the left and Luna, the moon, on the right, as shown by the rays over one and the crescent over the other. This signifies that she has dominion over both night and day, and by implication, over all time.

The coin on the far right is not Roman. It is a Silver drachm of Orodes II of Parthia, from 57-38 BCE. I include it to show that using a sun and moon to either side was by no means a new idea. Sometimes the object on the left is labelled a star; but also, it has been suggested that, just like the Aeternitas image, the sun and moon on either side of Orodes signify that his authority never ceases. (Completely irrelevant to this page, but also interesting, is the Royal Wart on Orodes' forehead.)

The reverse of a denarius of Diva Faustina Senior showing Providentia.

The reverse of a denarius of Diva Faustina Senior showing Fortuna.

The reverse of a denarius of Diva Faustina Senior showing Aeternitas.

Any ancient coin collector is most likely to come across coins like these as his or her first example of Aeternitas. Millions of these coins were issued and many have survived. They are denarii issued by Antoninus Pius in commemoration of his late and deified wife Faustina.

Some of them don't show personifications of Aeternitas, but rather other figures like Fortuna or Providentia with the legend AETERNITAS AVG. On the far left is Providentia, who we would call Foresight, holding a globe to illustrate her wide-ranging concern, with her veil blowing about her head. Next is Fortuna, holding a rudder to indicate that she steers the course of fate, and holding the world in her hand.

The reverse of a denarius of Faustina Junior showing Aeternitas.

Aeternitas did appear in person on some of these coins, like the denarius on the right of that row. Aeternitas is holding a phoenix, symbol of death and renewal, which on this coin has a radiate halo about its head. She is lifting the hem of her skirt rather like Spes, the goddess of hope.

Faustina's daughter, who bore the same name and is therefore referred to as Faustina Junior, was also deified on her death, and a very similar type was issued for her, though in nothing like the huge quantity of those issued for her mother. The denarius on the right was issued by her husband, Marcus Aurelius. Here, Aeternitas is still holding a phoenix, which this time stands on a globe, and is also casually leaning on a column, demonstrating confidence.

The reverse of an antoninianus of Gordian III showing Sol.

The reverse of an antoninianus of Gallienus showing Saturn.

Here are two coins showing deities with an Aeternitas legend. On the far left, a limes (base metal) antoninianus of Gordian III from 241-243 CE, showing Sol in his typical pose with a globe in his left hand and his right hand raised with open palm. The legend, AETERNITATI AVG, dedicates this coin to the permanence of the emperor. This sort of statement was always a bit optimistic in the Roman empire. Gordian III actually lasted six years, not bad going in those times. Elsewhere, I have a whole page about Sol on Roman coins.

To the right of that coin is an antoninianus of Gallienus from 267 CE showing Saturn in his role as an agricultural deity. The unusual object he is carrying is an agricultural implement, a type of sickle known as a harpa. It was used to cut down the ripe wheat and barley. Combine this with the way Saturn is veiled, and you have a delicate reminder of death and renewal. The crop is harvested ... but it always grows again. This is a similar image to our Old Father Time, who comes with his scythe to illustrate the end of the old year and to usher in the new. But in the myth, Saturn's sickle also had a rather more disturbing use .. it was the instrument he used to mutilate his father, Uranus. After which, Uranus would have been incapable of fathering any more children.

The reverse of an antoninianus of Philip I showing an elephant.

On the right is an antoninianus of Philip I from 247 CE. Philip ruled at the time of the 1,000th anniversayry of the founding of Rome, and celebrated with a series of spectacular games. This coin anticipated a series of commemorative coins which were struck in the next year. The celebrations were extensive and expensive, and many exotic animals featured in the games. Some of these were shown on the coins, the favourite probably being a hippopotamus on a coin of Philip's wife Otacilia Severa. In this context, this elephant and mahout, with the legend AETERNITAS AVGG, may have advertised the imperium rather than Philip and his son as being everlasting.

The reverse of an antoninianus of Carinus showing Aeternitas.

The reverse of an antoninianus of Maxentius showing the Dioscuri.

The second last coin, on the far left, is an antoninianus of Carinus from 284-285 CE. The image is almost identical to that on the silver coins of the Faustinas over 100 years earlier; Eternity holding a phoenix on a globe, and hitching up the hem of her skirt.

And finally, a follis of Maxentius from 309-312 CE, struck at the port of Ostia, which shows a completely different image. The legend, AETERNITAS AVG N, states that our Emperor will go on forever, and Castor and Pollux, children of Zeus, protectors of Rome, are shown leading their horses forward to take up their task.

This divine pair – known as the Dioscouri – were common on Rebublican coins, but less so afterwards. This was their last appearance on a Roman coin.