Temple of Juno Moneta
On June 1, 384 BCE the saviour of Rome Marcus Furius Camillus announced the construction of a temple Junons Coins. The building was dedicated in 344 BCE. on the northern hill of the Capitoline Hill, where, according to tradition, the house of Manlius Capitolineus once stood , and even earlier probably the castle (arx) of the kings. The nickname Moneta means Warning, Advising, from the Latin word monere.
Juno Moneta is the middle name used in reference to the goddess Juno. Junona Moneta was the guardian of the state treasury. Originally, coins were minted in the temple for four centuries. Later, near the Colosseum, during the reign of Domitian, a state mint was established.
Geese were kept by the temple, they were the sacred bird of this goddess, as a symbol of purity and attachment to the home and vigilance. According to tradition, these birds alerted the defending Romans on the Capitoline Hill to the attack of the Gauls in 390 BCE.
The word “coin” is still the name of metal money.
- Manlius Capitoline was the hero of the Romans who first heard the gurgling of the geese and alerted the Romans to the sudden appearance of Gauls. Saving the Capitol from conquest made him very popular. With time, he was accused of attempts to coup and recognize himself as king. The penalty was death, and his house on Capitol Hill was destroyed.
- Peter J. Aicher, Rome Alive: A Source-Guide to the Ancient City, Volume I
- Titus Livy, Ad urbe condita, VI.20.9
