Virgil Bi-Millenary: Allegory of the Fertile Earth

This dark green 25-centesimi stamp continues the 1930 celebration marking the bi-millenary of the classical Roman epic poet Virgil ("Secondo Millenario Virgiliano"). Overprinted with a distinct red "SOMALIA" across the top pediment architectural frame, the design captures a foundational moment from the Aeneid (Book VII). The vignette illustrates the Trojan hero Aeneas kneeling on the banks of the Tiber River, acknowledging the fulfillment of the oracle's prophecy as his eyes land upon the chosen site for the new homeland. The lower tablet bears his definitive declaration: "Salve fatis mihi debita tellus hic domus haec patria est" ("Hail, land destined to me by the fates; here is our home, here is our country"), using a classic symbol of ancestral permanence to authorize territorial postal communications.