This is one of my favourite objects from the book, Julius Caesar’s ‘elephant’ coin, depicting an elephant (somewhat of a motif throughout the book…) stomping on a snake. The message of the coin – the elephant representing Caesar for reasons I explain in the book – is ‘I will crush you.’

The ‘you/snake’ in question is Juba’s father, Juba I, King of Numidia, who had backed the wrong side of the Roman Civil War between Caesar and Pompey. There was no love lost between Juba I (he of the big bushy beard) and Caesar, the two having previously physically fought in the Roman senate during a diplomatic mission.

After Juba I’s defeat and death, Caesar took his infant son – Juba II – home to parade in triumph through the streets of Rome, a triumph that featured some of the many elephants captured from Juba I’s army. After the triumph, in a spectacular act of mercy, Caesar not only spared little Juba II’s life but brought him into his household. After Caesar’s own death, Juba was raised by Octavia (Caesar’s great-niece, and sister to Octavian, the future emperor Augustus) to be a model Roman.

And how that turned out is pretty much the story told throughout the rest of Rex Juba.