Mars, The Roman War god , father of Romulus.
According to the Greek historian Plutarch, Mars, the Roman god of war, conceived Romulus at the time of a solar eclipse. Romulus then laid the foundation of the city of Rome on the Palatine Hill at the time of a solar eclipse. During the disappearance and death of Romulus, a solar eclipse occurred over Rome. Plutarch (Lives of Romulus, Numa Pompilius and Camillus), Florus (Book I, I), Cicero (The Republic VI, 22: Scipio's Dream), Dio (Dion) Cassius. Dionysius of Halicarnassus (L. 2). Dio in his Roman History (Book I) and Antimachus.
There is clear Roman history of the importance of solar eclipses in the founding of Rome and in the mythology of the Roman war machine. Roman legionary standards from the time of Julius Caesar thru most of the Imperial era contained solar eclipse symbols. A legionary standard was likely present outside the city gates of Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Crucifixion was Roman state sponsored terrorism to scare the Jews from rebelling against the Romans at Passover. The symbol of the solar eclipse in ancient times varied from a star or dot within a crescent to a dot within a circle. It represented terror to ancient peoples. It is no coincidence that some of the most tyrannical Roman emperors, placed these symbols all over their coins. Roman money was by far the greatest instrument of Roman domination in the world. Today Roman coinage is a key method to date and determine the history of the Mediterranean world.
Let us return to the Roman symbols of terror than have long since been erased by the Grace of God. Crucifixion, the most feared method of death is reenacted today with love and adoration. It's symbol is placed on graves in hope of the resurrection of the body for life in the world to come. This same conversion of the cross to life is present in the symbol of the solar eclipse to ancient peoples.
Mary, the Mother of God most likely lived into the 50's AD. She was most likely present with the apostles in Antioch. The Jewish revolts according to Josephus started in the 50's and culminated with the first Jewish Revolt in 66AD. Having grown up under Roman oppression and domination, She was well aware of the consequences of open rebellion against Rome. Israel was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 73 AD and again in 136 AD. Fast forward to the year 1531 AD. Conquistadors , NeoRoman forces under the command of the Spanish Empire were plundering the Aztec Empire in Mesoamerica. The Aztec religion worshiped the sun god as its primary deity. The Aztec world revolved around human sacrifice to keep the world from being destroyed. This human sacrifice ended with the arrival of the Spaniards. In the same way after the First Jewish revolt, temple sacrifices ended with destruction of the Second Temple. Israel was finally destroyed under Emperor Hadrian during the Bar Kochba Revolt. Bar Kochba wanted to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and instead Hadrian built the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on the Temple Mount.
The Aztecs were about to rebel against the Spanish to resurrect their pagan religion. Mary visited Juan Diego after two solar eclipse events witnessed by the Aztecs. In 1531 AD she gave the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Aztec people. This kept a large scale rebellion from breaking out and millions converted to Christianity. No other image or icon other than the Cross of our Savior Jesus Christ has had such a profound impact on humanity. If the Aztecs would have rebelled, the Conquistadors would most likely have killed the Aztecs and other Central American cultures in a complete genocidal event. Mexico may have resembled Judea after the Bar Kochba Revolt.
Mary knew this. She brought the sacrifice of her son Jesus Christ to save native Mexican peoples. The symbol of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not only an Aztec symbol but a Roman symbol. The dark crescent is the sun. It is eclipsed by the glory of the Christian god. Mary is now being carried by a winged angel. The Roman eagle once worshipped by the Roman legions, now carries the Mother of God to the New World. Mary is not a god. She is the royal intercessor for the new Emperor, Jesus Christ. Her Son Jesus now brings His Sacrifice, His Life and His Compassion to the Aztec people, not the plunder, death and destruction of the Roman Legionary Standard.
It should be remembered that since the Aztec people did not rebel, it also saved Europe from becoming Muslim and part of the Ottoman Empire. If the Spanish would have been involved in a protracted war with the Aztecs they may not have had the wealth and military ships to contribute to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 AD. During the battle, Spanish warships flew a reproduction of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady and the Crescent vs the Star and the Crescent.
As a result of this battle Christian Europe was able to defend against and halt Ottoman Islamic expansion into Italy.
The above coin was minted in Rome in 103 BC. The helmet of Mars displays a circle within a dot. This may be symbolic for the 104 BC solar eclipse seen in Rome. At the time a state of emergency was declared in Rome as Germanic invasions were a threat to the north. The Second Servile wars were going on in Sicily.
Photo, CNG Coins
