P. Fonteius Capito was one of the moneyers for the year 55 BC. He is not otherwise known.
Gens Fonteia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned toward the end of the third century BC; Titus Fonteius was a legate of Publius Cornelius Scipio during the Second Punic War. The first of the Fonteii to obtain the consulship was Gaius Fonteius Capito, consul suffectus in 33 BC.
In his oration, Pro Fonteio, Cicero mentions that the Fonteii came originally from Tusculum, of which municipium it was one of the most distinguished families. The Fonteii claimed descent from Fontus, the son of Janus. A two-faced head appears on a coin of the gens, which Vaillant and others suppose to be the head of Janus, in reference to this tradition. But as Janus is always represented in later times with a beard, Eckhel maintains that the two heads refer to the Dioscuri, who were worshipped at Tusculum with especial honours.
Gens Fonteia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned toward the end of the third century BC; Titus Fonteius was a legate of Publius Cornelius Scipio during the Second Punic War. The first of the Fonteii to obtain the consulship was Gaius Fonteius Capito, consul suffectus in 33 BC.
In his oration, Pro Fonteio, Cicero mentions that the Fonteii came originally from Tusculum, of which municipium it was one of the most distinguished families. The Fonteii claimed descent from Fontus, the son of Janus. A two-faced head appears on a coin of the gens, which Vaillant and others suppose to be the head of Janus, in reference to this tradition. But as Janus is always represented in later times with a beard, Eckhel maintains that the two heads refer to the Dioscuri, who were worshipped at Tusculum with especial honours.
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Obverse: Veiled head of Concordia right, wearing stephane - P·FONTEIVS·CAPITO·III·VIR CONCORDIA around.
Reverse: The Villa Publica: building consisting of two stories, each with a row of columns; the lower columns are surmounted by arches, the upper ones by a sloping roof - T·DIDI· IMP VIL·PVB in fields.
Diameter:
18 mm
Die Orientation: 1 H
Weight: 3.86 g
Die Orientation: 1 H
Weight: 3.86 g
"The Villa Publica was built in 435 BC to house the censor's records. It was situated on Rome's Campus Martius, west of the city proper. According to the reverse legend the building was renovated and amplified under the consul Titus Didius. The building was also used as an office to raise troops and for generals waiting for triumph, as well as for foreign emissaries. Inside the Villa thousands of Samnite and Lucani prisoners were murdered by Sulla, guilty of having supported Cinna during the feud against the famous general of the gens Cornelia. With this issue, Concordia is probabaly approached to the building, to remember that political enemies must be treated with respect to prevent the situation from escalating to the horrors that occurred inside the Villa"
Crawford 429/2a