Your guide to the creatures and places in The Treasure of Juno Moneta
The World of Rome
Sciapod
Sciapods are one-legged creatures with a single great foot. They like to rest on the ground, using their foot to shield themselves from the sun. Their name is of Greek origin, meaning "shadow-foot".
These unusual beings were described by the Roman author Pliny the Elder and are mentioned as early as 414 BC in the Greek play The Birds by Aristophanes.
Illustration of a sciapod comfortably resting in the shade of his foot, Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493.
The Temple of Juno Moneta
High atop the Capitoline Hill stands the Temple of Juno Moneta. Here, all coins in Rome are minted, overseen by the watchful eyes of the goddess herself. Due to the enormous wealth hidden within, it is heavily guarded by the Emperor's personal bodyguard, the Praetorians.
Only a mad fool would attempt to steal from the temple. Fortunately, in Rome fools come in plenty.
A History of All Nations from the Earliest Times, 1905.
Panotti
Pliny the Elder writes that Panotti "have ears of such extraordinary size as to cover the rest of the body". This is indeed true, as any citizen of Rome can attest. They are commonly spotted soaring in the night sky, using their ears as wings.
This Panotti is a renowned lawyer. With old age, his ears have shrunk and he could easily be mistaken for a human (according to his friends).
(Image source: Homo Fanesius Auritus, 1642.)
Circus Maximus
Home of chariot races, gladiator fights, and beast hunts, no place in Rome offers more mayhem than the Circus. With a capacity of well over 150,000, all of Rome is invited. And all of Rome has come.
Racing Chariots Entering The Circus, Eduardo Ettore Forti.
Dwarf
Dwarves are robust creatures with a love of all things shiny. They seem to be stuck in an eternal state of grumpiness, perhaps due to their everlasting grudge against their underground neighbors, the fire-breathing salamanders. Dwarves are usually recruited for the Vigiles, the police and firefighters of Rome.
Who doesn't love a stubborndwarf with a beard?
(An illustration of a dwarf for Völuspá, 1895.)
Lion
Good ol' lions. Nothing beats that.
A lion ready to eat gladiators at the Circus. Yummy!
(Image soucre: The lion king Tryggve in the Serengeti National Park Photo by Giles Laurent.)
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