Plutarch's Romane Questions · Plutarch
41.
_What is the reason that the auncient coine and mony in old time, caried the stampe of one side of_ Ianus _with two faces: and on the other side, the prow or the poope of a boat engraved therein_. WAS it not as many men do say, for to honour the memorie of _Saturne_, who passed into _Italy_ by water in such a vessel? But a man may say thus much as well of many others: for _Janus_, _Evander_, and _Aeneas_, came thither likewise by sea; and therefore a man may peradventure gesse with better reason; that whereas some things serve as goodly ornaments for cities, others as necessarie implements: among those which are decent and seemely ornaments, the principall is good government and discipline, and among such as be necessary, is reckoned, plentie and abundance of victuals: now for that _Janus_ instituted good government, in ordeining holsome lawes, and reducing their manner of life to civilitie, which before was rude and brutish, and for that the river being navigable, furnished them with store of all necessary commodities, whereby some were brought thither by sea, others from the land; the coine caried for the marke of a law-giver, the head with two faces, like as we have already said, because of that change of life which he brought in; and of the river, a ferrie boate or barge: and yet there was another kinde of money currant among them, which had the figure portraied upon it, of a beefe, of a sheepe, and of a swine; for that their riches they raised especially from such cattle, and all their wealth and substance consisted in them. And heereupon it commeth, that many of their auncient names, were _Ovilij_, _Bubulci_ and _Porcij_, that is to say, Sheepe-reeves, and Neat-herds, and Swineherds according as _Fenestella_ doth report.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.