Salonina, wife of Gallienus, who reigned 253-268. 

SALONINA AVG
DEAE SEGETIAE, goddess in temple

RIC Salonina, joint reign) 5. Sear III 10631.  Struck at Cologne, 259-260.

This depicts a famous statue of the agricultural deity Segetia (an ancient Italian corn-goddess and archetype of Ceres) which had had an altar near the Circus Maximus. Apparently, Salonina built her a temple. [Hill, Monuments, page 37]

 

On CoinTalk, the user "Roman Collector" wrote this:

According to Seth W. Stevenson's A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Salonina had taken it upon herself, in a time of great public calamity, to procure a plentiful supply of provisions for the population of Rome. Because of this, she built in that city a temple to the rural divinity, Segetia, whose duty it was to protect the crops of corn and other grain after they had sprouted above ground. Before the crop sprouted, the goddess Seia provided its protection.

Prior to the erection of this temple to Segetia by Empress Salonina, the goddess had only an altar in the Circus Maximus.

St. Augustine, in City of God, discusses the worship of this goddess:

"Do you think they dared trust one god with their lands? No, Rusina must look to the country, Jugatinus to the hilltops, Collatina to the rest of the hills, and Vallonia to the valleys. Nor could Segetia alone protect the grain: when it was in the ground Seia most look to it; when it was up and ready to mow, Segetia."

 


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