Annia Galeria Faustina's Birth of Twin Sons Commemorated

Faustina, the wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius, gave birth to twin sons during a period marked by relative stability in the Roman Empire. This event was commemorated through contemporary coinage, which depicted the twin boys alongside the crossed cornucopiae, a symbol of abundance and prosperity. The inscription 'temporum felicitas', translating to 'the happiness of the times', reflects the optimism surrounding their birth. However, the joy was short-lived as both infants did not survive for long after their birth. The issuance of another family coin shortly thereafter indicated a shift in focus, featuring a tiny girl, Domitia Faustina, and one surviving boy, suggesting the family's grief and the impact of loss on their public image. The twins were named Titus Aurelius Antoninus and Tiberius Aelius Aurelius and were interred in the Mausoleum of Hadrian, where their epitaphs remain as a testament to their brief existence.