21. Cn.Calpurnius, PISO legatus and
proquaestor of Pompey in the war against the pirates, commanded a division of the fleet at the
Hellespont, B. C. 67. He afterwards followed Pompey in the
Mithridatic war, and was present at the surrender of Jerusalem in 63. (Appian, App. Mith. 95, who erroneously calls him Publius; J. AJ 14.4.2.) The following coin commemorates the connection of Piso
with the war against the pirates. The obverse contains the legend CN. PISO. PRO . Q., with the
head of Numa (on which we find the letters NVMA), because the Calpurnia gens claimed
descent from Calpus, the son of Numa [CALPURNIA GENS]; the reverse
represents the prow of a ship with the legend MAGN. (P)RO . COS., i.
e. (Ponpeius) Magnus proconsul. (Eckhel, vol. v. p.
160.)