Iconograhy

Question 1

What kind of mythology often appeared on G coinage?

Answer 1

aetiology
patron deities
geographical deities
‘place and history’

Question 2

What was the dual function of using iconography related to a specific place?

Answer 2

symbol of local pride and identity
means of validating and identifying the coin and its origins

Question 3

When was the key period in the formation of a roman tradition of coin iconography?

Answer 3

140 BCE-c14 CE

Question 4

What was distinctive about republican tradition of coinage?

Answer 4

variability in types
use of events
appearance of indivs
decline in the distinction of obv and rev

Question 5

In what way does the changing typology of republican coinage provide insight as to the politics?

Answer 5

unpredictable climate with power depending on actions of individuals made assertions of power/status important tools - this is what coins could do

Question 6

In what political environment did the republican coinage exist?

Answer 6

competitive elite scene on basis of status and influence

Question 7

What element of Pompey’s iconography was particularly significant? Meaning?

Answer 7

the globe
in multiple configurations, most notably a figure standing with one foot atop the globe, it was a message of global domination following his triumphs in the east (3rd Mithridatic War, 73-63 BCE)

Question 8

What should be borne in mind with regards to the meaning of iconography used on coins in republican p?

Answer 8

the audience was fellow elites who would more likely understand the use of specific imagery than those not politically engaged

Question 9

What themes in R iconography were used as tools of self-promotion by R republican elites on their coinage?

Answer 9

military success
benefactions
magistracies
ancestral links

Question 10

Example of magistracy being celebrated on republican coinage?

Answer 10

P Porcius Laeca in military dress crying ‘provoco’ facing a togate citizen - refers to a legal appeal

Question 11

Example of ancestral links being used on republican coins?

Answer 11

Iullii c100 BCE using legendary ancestor Venus as means to assert status.
PLUS venus in biga referring to military status also

Question 12

How does Levick refer to coins in their political role in the republican p?

Answer 12

they had a ‘publicity value’

Question 13

How did coins function as long-term political tools?

Answer 13

almost became monuments themselves with circulation long after they were minted and depiction of events/successes became a means of commemoration

Question 14

What deity has been argued as having assimilated coin with public memory/commemoration?

Answer 14

Juno Moneta
She was associated with the Capital mint in the fact that her temple/shrine was in proximity. Her role is understood to have been related to memory, remembrance, and reminders which could then have impacted the associations/understanding of coin function in Rome.

Question 15

When was the imperial portrait first used on roman coinage? What had obv portrait been previously?

Answer 15

44 BCE, Julius Caesar. Became established practice by the reign of Augustus.
most consistently Roma but occasionally Victory

Question 16

What literary evidence is there as to the signif of imperial portraits on coins? Signif?

Answer 16

Arrian book 4 - Epictetus: ‘Whose stamp does this sesterce bear? Trajan’s? Take it. Nero’s? Chuck it out.’
Represents both use of portraits as a means of securing monetary validity as well as the role of charismatic individuality in the sense that the reputation of the emperor influenced how the coins could be perceived.

Question 17

How could imperial coins influence political power?

Answer 17

they represented roman influence/power - the portrait on the coin thus represented WHO the authority of Rome invested solely in

Question 18

What changed in iconographical use under Augustus? Example?

Answer 18

both obv and rev started to be used as canvases for imperial political messages, not always distinctive enough to tell them apart
14-37 CE aurei with a portrait of Augustus on one side and Tiberius on the other.

Question 19

What characteristic of coinage made them effective as tools of political messaging?

Answer 19

repetition and frequency of engagement

Question 20

What is the term for types that represent the name of the state/mint the coins were from? Function?

Answer 20

canting types
Enabled the coin to be recognised and thus validated, even by illiterate users

Question 21

What happened to Ath owls far abroad that represents the more ephemeral political AND monetary function of coinage?

Answer 21

cut up and melted to bullion

Question 22

What was the reasoning behind such strict adherence to iconography in greek coinage?

Answer 22

many different states minting their own coins and these had to be recognised in order to be used; the way of doing this was consistency that generated recognition in the iconography of the coinage

Question 23

In what ways are coins advantageous for studying iconography/use of imagery (esp in politics) in AG? Disadvantageous?

Answer 23

High survival rate of many versions of iconography as a result of mass production that was involved in minting; combo of images and writing means a greater likelihood of understanding the provenance of iconography as well as its signif.
The small size of coinage restricts the level of detail and canvas on which the image is done.

Question 24

In what instances can political change be detected on G coinage?

Answer 24

-political events represented on Alexander’s coinage
-Acragas and Himera: the former took control of the latter c483 which is represented on Himera’s coins by the new coins from this point showing Himeran cock on obv and Akragian crab on the rev.
-Zancle and Samos: signif instance of events on coins; Zancle was taken control of by Samians 494 BCE - coins have been found with samian icon of lion scalp on obv.

Question 25

What shows the limitations of G coinage in showing political change?

Answer 25

-pre-AtG political events are v rarely depicted on coinage
-standardization/consistency of G coin iconography bypasses contextual changes e.g. constancy of Athenian owls throughout turbulent 5th cent

Question 26

What kind of portaits were used by Philip II? Example?

Answer 26

ruler portraits so not indivdualised or necessarily showing him but rather a non descript ruler
figure on horseback

Question 27

What were the Alexander portraits under Ptol I based on?

Answer 27

Herakles types minted under Alexander himself.
apaptions: AtG w mitra (piece of armour); elephant headress; ram’s horn at temple

Question 28

In what context did Sulla mint coins especially? Signif?

Answer 28

in conflict
Recognition of the value of coinage in spreading messages and building confidence in a leader/idea etc and meeting costs of warfare

Question 29

What role do JC’s coins play in his reign?

Answer 29

representative of him acting like a king which leads to his assassination

Question 30

What can be understood of coins acting as ‘propaganda’ in the roman periods?

Answer 30

pre-Aug: R coinage was not propaganda
under and post-Aug: used as imperial propaganda

Question 31

What was the iconography used in Antony’s legionary coinage?

Answer 31

Obv: galley with an ornamental prow (called an aplustre) and a mast that slants forward over the bow; legend: ANT AVG III VIR R P C Antonii auguris, tresviri rei publicae constituendae Antonius, Aug(ur), triumvir for the restoration of the Republic.
Rev: (mostly) aquila, the eagle-standard (eagle-on-a-stick) between two military standards; legend of LEG + number

Question 32

When and where was Anthony’s legionary coinage minted?

Answer 32

32-1 BCE
East Mediterranean

Question 33

Why was Antony’s legionary coinage unusual for a coin series representing HIM?

Answer 33

no portrait, as previous coins had shown

Question 34

Function of Antony’s legionary coinage?

Answer 34

legionary pay AND self-promotion
likely paid out at random though, not to legions on legend (Actium hoard prexerves this coinage but legion numbers are varied despite the fact this would have been deposited by same legionaries and at sam time)

Question 35

Interps of SC meaning:

Answer 35

Mommsen: mark of authority, senate struck the bronze of the R Empire - ‘divided authority’.
Kraft: it was a design feature; originally served as marker of where the honours on the obv came from (NOW WIDELY DISPUTED) but soon becoming simply the marker of the bronze coins (MORE CONVINCING)
Crawford: bronze coins were a new series and thus had to be authorised (but not initiated, this was Aug) in order to circulate and be used; absence on silv and gold coins was because these weren’t reformed under Aug.
Wallace-Hadrill: ‘mark of authority and the identifying feature’; must have carried economic authority, especially considering the number of provincial BRONZE series; he compared w provincial authority markers e.g. DD, suggested as parallels; silv and gold coins don’t have it as no need to distinguish from provincial types.

Question 36

Link of SC (senatus consulta) on coins to an actual Senatus consultum?

Answer 36

Crawford: provided authority to initiative of Aug in order for the reformed coinage to successfully circulate.
Wallace-Hadrill: could reasonably have been done on order of Aug to have been put through senate
would work w the reforms of coinage c20s BCE