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A goddess named for and representing the concept Liberty has existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire to those representing national symbols such as the American Columbia and its Statue of Liberty, an artwork created under the name Liberty Enlightening the World, and the French Marianne.
The ancient Roman goddess Libertas was honored during the second Punic War by a temple erected on the Aventine Hill in Rome by the father of Tiberius Gracchus. A statue in her honor also was raised by Clodius on the site of Marcus Tullius Cicero's house after it had been razed. The figure bears certain resemblances to Sol Invictus, the late Roman Republic sun deity and the crown often associated with that deity often appears in modern depictions of Liberty.
In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral was turned into a "Cult of Reason" and, for a time, "Lady Liberty" replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars.
In the United States, "Liberty" often is depicted with five-pointed stars, as appear on the American flag, usually held in a raised hand. Another hand may hold a sword pointing downward. Depictions familiar to Americans include the following:
Manhattan, New York, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, New York City
Renaissance, Middle Ages, Lazio, Roman Forum, Colosseum
Byzantine Empire, Roman Republic, Crisis of the Third Century, Pompeii, Tacitus
France, Portugal, Colombia, Italy, Switzerland
Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Julius Caesar, Nero
Silver, Copper, Liberty (goddess), United States Mint, Arkansas
Charles E. Barber, San Francisco Mint, Silver, Copper, New Orleans Mint
Magna Carta, Slavery, Freedom of information, Freedom of speech, Free will
Silver, Barber coinage, Mercury dime, New York City, Draped Bust
Draped Bust, Silver, Copper, William Barber (engraver), California gold rush