Libertas

Libertas (Latin for Liberty) is in Roman mythology the personification of freedom.

Originally, it was next to Civitas ( civil rights ), and family (marital status ) part of personal legal capacity of the Roman citizen. Lost the citizens 'freedom', such as a prisoner of war or a death sentence, so that he suffered a Capitis deminutio maxima ( largest change of civil status ). He was reduced to slaves and henceforth considered a matter. Libertas was depicted on coins during this time as a beautiful, richly decorated woman.

Towards the end of the Roman Republic, their attributes walked in perhaps a scepter and a pileus, a fitted hat by freed slaves. During the subsequent Principate their position was transferred to a general - state concept of freedom of the individual. The current concept of this together with Securitas ( mythology ) was determined by the emperor.

Libertas temple have been found on the Palatine Hill (Rome) and the Aventine.

Portraits of Libertas grace many coins, such as the five-, ten- and twenty centimes coins of Switzerland and various coins from the United States.