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MONEY, POWER AND POLITICS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE |
By Günther Dembski VIENNA, 22 NOVEMBER 2005—The Romans in Asia Minor: Money, Power and Politics is a special exhibition hosted by the Coin Collection in Vienna that focuses on a little-known chapter in the economic and monetary history of the Imperium Romanum. The monetary reforms instigated by the first Roman emperor, Augustus (14 B.C. - 27 A.D.), created a coinage that was valid in all parts of the empire. The Eastern provinces, however, retained a special status: being distant from the central mint in Rome there were numerous smaller centres that issued coinage of base metals which was then put in circulation locally. Their designs followed the coinage issued in Rome only in a perfunctory way. Today, these isolated coins are called "provincial Roman coinage". On
the obverse they generally depict the reigning emperor or a member of his
family and these portraits are generally identified by an inscription. The
latter are generally written in Greek and only rarely in Latin. Contrary
to the coinage issued in Rome, however, the obverse frequently also
features numerous other depictions: we encounter both city-deities and
various other gods and heroes. Of particular interest are the depictions and identifications of local deities, allowing us at least some insights into the cults venerated in the various Eastern cities. In connection with these religious celebrations one must mention the regional agone or games. In the course of these sporting events a victor would receive a prize amphora, and these are also frequently depicted on the reverse of coins. The coinage was commissioned by what we would today call the wealthy
citizens or offcials of the various cities. The main reason for such local
coinage seems to have been fiscal tricks and the profit to be made in
money-changing. Rome always paid her soldiers and officals in gold (aurei)
and silver coins (denarii). However, inscriptions show that locally
services and goods were normally paid in copper coins. This nececitated
the exchange of the official into the local coinage. And this was only
possible in exchange-bureaus which charged a suitable agion, or fee. This
fee was then divided between the money-changer and the local government.
Almost all the objects in the exhibition come from a single private Austrian collection which was acquired in 2004 by the Austrian National Bank and is now administered by the Coin Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The collection was published in a two-volume catalogue by Univ-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Szaivert (University of Vienna). In addition, the exhibition is augmented by objects from the Coin Collection and the Collection of Classical Antiquity of the Kunsthsistorisches Museum.
The Romans in Asia Minor: Money, Power and
Politics |
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