biga

The Biga and its Animals on Ancient Coins

A biga is a two-horse chariot. However, in numismatics the term also applies to chariots pulled by two other animals or fanciful creatures. This site is an illustrated list of the animals and creatures that pull bigae on ancient coins. Most are on Roman Republican denarii. This page does not consider quadrigae (four-animal chariots).

A biga is usually pulled by horses. They are common on Roman Republican coins. Bigae of some other animals are also fairly common on coins of the Roman Republic. Less common are bigae on coins of the Roman empire and on Roman provincial coins. On Greek coins bigae of horses (and perhaps mules) are common from Sicily (e.g. from Syracuse, Himera, Messana, and Catania), but bigae of other animals are rare on other Greek coins.

The Animals are listed here and illustrated below. Horses (driven by Victory [next], Luna, Apollo, a Gallic warrior, Venus, Juno Sospita, a Roman warrior, or Hector)
mules, goats, oxen, elephants, snakes (winged or not winged), lions, panthers, stags, and peacocks.

Other creatures: Centaurs, cupids, hippocamps (aka seahorses), griffins, unmatched pairs.

Horses. Most are on Roman Republican denarii.

Driven by Victory. Victory is, by far, the most common driver of a biga of horses.

Driven by Victory
Roman Republican denarius
101 BC
Cr 323/1. Sear 201
L. JULIUS ("probably not a Julius Caesar" Crawford, page 327.)

Driven by Victory (a second design with the horses rearing, which is an unusal pose):

Driven by Victory
Roman Republican denarius
128 BC.
Cr 260/1. Sear 136
T. CLOULIUS

Driven by Venus
Roman Republican denarius
106 BC
Crawford 313/1b. Sear 190
L. MEMMIUS GALERIA

It is not obvious why this is identified as Venus.

Cr 349/1 of 87 BC, Sear 262, is also driven by Venus. So is Cr 360/1b of 82 BC, Sear 284, P. CREPUSI and C. LIMETAN

Biga of horses, driven by a "male charioteer."
Nike flying right crowning the horses.
Tetradrachm of Syracuse, Sicily. 474-450 BC.
24 mm. 16.95 grams.
Reverse: Head of Artemis-Arethusa right, four dophins around
ΣVRAKOΣION

Sear Greek 924.

Animals (other than horses) and fanciful creatures.

Centaurs

Centaurs
Roman Republican denarius
139 BC.
Cr 229/1a. Sear 106.
M. Aurelius Cotta
COTA up to right
Reverse: Hercules with club driving biga of centaurs holding branches right
M • AVRELI (AVR ligate)
ROMA in exergue

Oxen

Oxen
A Roman provincial coin from Tarsos, Cilicia.
Very large. Larger than a sestertius. 36-34 mm. 28.82 grams.
Gordian III, 238-244 AD.
AVT K M ANTΓOPΔIANOC CЄB
Π Π either side of the bust
TA-POCV MHTPOΠ A (in upper feld)
M
KBΓ below oxen. (BMC Cilicia disscusses this lettering without resolution)
SNG France 2 Cilicie 1671, with a different bust.

Elephants

Elephants
Roman Republican denarius
125 BC
Cr 269/1. Sear 145
C. CAECILIUS METELLUS

(The Greek Seleucid King, Seleucus I, also has a type with a biga of elephants.)

Cupids

Lions

Lions
Roman Republican denarius
78 BC
Cr 385/4. Sear 315
M. VOLTEIUS

Panthers

Panthers
on a a Roman provincial coin of Severus Alexander from Seleucia ad Calycadnum in Cilicia.
27 mm. 14.48 grams
Severus Alexander, 222-235 AD.
AVK M AVR C Є OVHP AΛЄΞANΔPOC
Dionysos drives a biga with his animals, panthers.
CЄΛЄYKЄ in exergue
Reverse of SNG France 2, Cilicie, 979. Not listed for Severus Alexander.

Another Roman provincial type with panthers was shown by @happy_collector in this thread on Numis Forums:
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/8919-a-biga-is-a-chariot-pulled-by-two-%E2%80%A6/#comment-118457

Stags
Roman Republican denarius
92 BC.
Cr 336/1. Sear 221
C. ALLIUS BALA
Biga driven by Diana, dolphin below.

Hippocamps (aka seahorses)

Hippocamps (aka seahorses)
Roman Republican denarius
72 BC
Image courtesy of Leu Numismatics
Neptune with his trident driving a biga of hippocamps.
Cr 399/1a. Sear 335
Q. Cerpereius

Griffins (very rare)
Here is a Roman provincial coin with a biga of griffins:
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/search/browse?volume_id=6&number=6211&city_id=&region_id=&province_id=&subprovince_id=&issue_id=&reign_id=&obverse_inscription_simplified=&reverse_inscription_simplified=&obverse_design=&reverse_design=&metal_id=&weight_min=&weight_max=&diameter_min=&diameter_max=&format=
Cleopatra VII has a rare AE 22 with a biga of griffins: RPC I 4501

Peacocks (very rare) Another Roman provincial type with panthers was shown by @happy_collector in this thread on Numis Forums:
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/60-post-your-latest-ancient/page/140/#comment-154874
"This one just came in the other night. It's a sestertius minted under Antoninus Pius from 138 AD to 161 AD in Cos. The obverse features a laureate head of Antoninus Pius, right "ΑΥ ΚΑΙΣ(ΑΡ) ΑΔΡΙ(ΑΝΟΣ) ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟΣ" (Emperor Caesar Hadrianus Antoninus). The reverse has Hera standing in a biga drawn by peacocks, holding a patera and a long sceptre, ΚΩΙΩΝ (of the Coans). I was extremely happy to add this to my collection at the price I got it at. A very unique and beautiful reverse design!"

Unmatched pair pulling the biga: A female panther and a satyr:
This very rare Roman medallion of Antoninums Pius was shown by @Realms in this thread on Numis Forums:
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/8919-a-biga-is-a-chariot-pulled-by-two-%E2%80%A6/#comment-118457

Later types, not ancient: Napoleon has a medal celebrating the conquest of Egypt with a biga of camels. @Diogenes posted it in this thread (page 333) on Numis Formus.
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1124-anyone-up-for-a-game-of-coin-uno/page/333/#comment-162831

A list of Roman Republican denarii with bigae of horses with Victory driving:
Cr 200/1 of 155 BC, Sear 77, NAT
Cr 203/1a of 153 BC, Sear 82, C. MAIANUS
Cr 206/1 of 150 BC, Sear 85, SAFRA
Cr 261/1 of 128 BC, Sear 137, CN. DOMIT
Cr 284/1 of 117/6 BC, Sear 160, M. CALIDIUS and Q. CAECILIUS
Cr 289/1 of 115 or 114 BC, Sear 166, M. CIPIUS
Cr 328/1 of 100 BC, Sear 207, P. SERVILIUS M. F. RULLUS
Cr 337/2c of 91 BC, Sear 223, D. JUNIUS L.F. SILANUS
Cr. 337/3 of 91 BC, Sear 225, D. JUNIUS L.F. SILANUS
Cr 344/3 of 89 BC, Sear 253, L. TITVRI L.F. SABINUS
Cr 345/1 of 89 BC, Sear 254, CN. LENTULUS CLODIANUS
Cr 352/1c of 85 BC, Sear 268, L. JULIUS BURSIO
Cr 366/4 of 82-81 BC, Sear 292, C. ANNIUS and C. TARQUITIUS
Cr 387/1 of 77 BC, Sera 318, L. RUTILIUS FLACCUS

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