Libertas | |
---|---|
Goddess of liberty | |
Symbol | Pileus, rod (vindicta or festuca) |
Equivalents | |
Greek | Eleutheria |
Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', pronounced [liːˈbɛrt̪aːs̠]) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the late republic. She sometimes also appeared on coins from the imperial period, such as Galba's "Freedom of the People" coins during his short reign after the death of Nero.[1] She is usually portrayed with two accoutrements: the spear; and a phrygian cap, which she holds out in her right hand, rather than wears on her head.
The Greek equivalent of the goddess Libertas is Eleutheria, the personification of liberty. There are many post-classical depictions of liberty as a person which often retain some of the iconography of the Roman goddess.