ALM SUNDAY WAS LAST WEEK, a day of crushed hopes and broken promises. Yesterday was the day of betrayal. Today is Good Friday, as I write this, late in the afternoon, a day of dark despair. We are grieving. I am grieving.
How well is our grief reflected in the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows, beata Maria virgo perdolens (the blessed Virgin Mary grieving), whose feast day was one week ago today. Here are a couple of images supplied by Alberto Tricarico, whose coll. of Flavian coins is among the best in the world. The first from the city of Taranto, Italy--
and this second one from Caltagirone in Sicily--
This is not the day to compare the Blessed Virgin to a pagan goddess. (In fact I hope I wouldn't do that on any other day of the year either.) However it's interesting to note what the figures of our Mater Dolorosa are standing on, compared to what Minerva happens to be standing on, on the reverse of this coin struck in the year 95 A.D., RIC 771--
In all three cases it is a processional litter, called a ferculum in Latin.
Easter is coming soon. From your perspective it is here already. Hallelujah, He is risen! He is risen indeed. I wish you all much joy on this day.
Next week: Unless I can come up with anything else worthwhile to say about the M2 reverse, something completely different....
