Saserna

• a friend of Antony, Cic. Phil. 13, 13, 28; id. Att. 15, 2, 3.—
• II Sasernae, father and son, Latin writers on agriculture, Varr. R. R. 1, 16, 5; 1, 18, 2; 5, 2, 22; Col. 1, 1, 12.

1, 2. The name of two writers, father and son, on agriculture, who lived in the time between Cato and Varro. (Plin. Nat. 17.21. s. 35.22; Varr. R. R. 1.2.22, 1.16.5, 1.18.2; Col. 1.1.12.)

3, 4. C. Saserna and P. Saserna, the name of two brothers who served under Julius Caesar in the African war, B. C. 46, and one of whom is mentioned by Cicero as a friend of Antonius and Octavianus after the death of Caesar. (Hirt. B. Afr. 9, 10, 57 ; Cic. Philipp. 13.13, ad Att. 15.2.3.)

The gentile name of the preceding Sasernae is not mentioned, but they probably belonged to the Hostilia gens, since we find on coins the name of

5. L. Hostilius Saserna. Eckhel conjectures that this L. Hostilius Saserna is the same as the C. Saserna previously mentioned, overlooking the passage of Hirtius (B. Afr. 57), in which his praenomen Caius occurs. The following are the most important coins belonging to L. Hostilius Saserna. On the obverse of the first is the head of Pallor, and on the reverse a standing figure of Diana in a foreign dress, holding in the right hand a stag by its horns, and in the left a spear. The obverse of the second represents the head of Pavor, and the reverse a biga, which one man drives at full speed, while the other is fighting from behind. On the obverse of the third is the head of Venus, and on the reverse Victory. The heads of Pallor and Pavor are introduced, because the Hostilii claimed descent from Tullus Hostilius, the third king of Rome, who is said to have vowed temples to Pallor and Pavor in his battle with the Veientes (Liv. 1.27). Hence Lactantius says (1.20) that this king was the first who figured Pallor and Pavor, and introduced their worship. (Eckhel, vol. v. p. 226.)