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ESTABLISHING A DYNASTY IN IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE: THE AEDES VESTAE AUREI OF VESPASIAN
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 June 2023
Abstract
This paper uses a Flavian aureus type depicting the aedes Vestae to explore both the ideological and the practical aspects of using coinage to propagate a dynasty. Firstly, we analyse the type from an iconographic perspective and argue that it should not be understood as a simple referent to the building itself, but rather as a complex interplay of different semantic units, intended to convey messages of dynastic harmony and security. Secondly, we use a die study to reconstruct the minting process and use our findings to elucidate the transformation of Roman coin production during the Flavian period. Taken together, the two parts of the paper demonstrate both the importance and the pay-offs of studying Roman coinage holistically, that is, with an integrated approach that combines iconographic and technical analysis. A catalogue of coins considered in the die study is provided as an appendix.
L'articolo utilizza un tipo di aureo di età flavia raffigurante l’aedes Vestae per esplorare sia gli aspetti ideologici sia quelli pratici dell'uso della moneta in supporto di una specifica dinastia. Nella prima parte del contributo, il tipo viene analizzato dal punto di vista iconografico e si sostiene come non debba essere inteso come un semplice riferimento all'edificio in sé, ma piuttosto come un complesso gioco di diverse unità semantiche, destinate a trasmettere messaggi di armonia e sicurezza dinastica. Nella seconda parte, si utilizza uno studio dei coni per ricostruire il processo di coniazione e i risultati vengono utilizzati per chiarire la trasformazione della produzione di monete romane durante il periodo flavio. Le due parti del lavoro, considerate nel loro complesso, dimostrano l'importanza e i vantaggi di uno studio della monetazione romana olistico, cioè di un approccio integrato, che combini analisi iconografiche e sulla tecnica. In appendice viene infine fornito un catalogo delle monete prese in considerazione nello studio dei coni.
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- Copyright © British School at Rome 2023
Footnotes
This paper is offered in memory of Professor Ted Buttrey. Many people have offered help and advice throughout this project, and we extend our thanks to Andrew Burnett, François de Callataÿ, Johan van Heesch, Alicia Jimenez, Saskia Kerschbaum, Bill Metcalf, Federico Pastrone, Adi Popescu, Jen Trimble, Terry Volk, David Weidgenannt and Bernhard Woytek. We would also like to thank Fran Stroobants (Brussels), Jesper Ericsson (Glasgow), Volker Heuchert (Oxford), Helle Horsnaes (Copenhagen) and Klaus Vondrovec (Vienna), who kindly supplied us with images of coins in their collections. Publication of this article was supported in part by a grant from the Baldridge Book Subvention fund through the Humanities Institute of the College of Humanities and Sciences at the University of Montana. Abbreviations of Roman primary sources follow the guidelines of the Oxford Classical Dictionary, eds S. Hornblower, A. Spawforth and E. Eidinow (Oxford University Press, fourth edition 2012, and online). Further abbreviations can be found in the References. References to RIC without further qualification are to RIC II.12, and unless a page number is supplied, to the coin types of Vespasian.
References
References
- ANS
American Numismatic Society, New York
- B
Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (numbering refers to object numbers in the online catalogue)
- Bologna
Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna
- Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Brussels
Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Brussels
- Budapest
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum, Budapest
- C
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
- Cop
Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen
- Frankfurt
Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt am Main
- G
Hunterian Museum, Glasgow
- Gaziantep
Adıyaman Müzesi, Gaziantep
- Göttweig
Benediktinerstift Göttweig
- Harvard
Harvard Arts Museum, Harvard
- L
British Museum, London
- Luton
Wardown House Museum and Gallery, Luton
- Mad
Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid
- Naples
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
- Netherlands NNC
Nationale Numismatische Collectie, The Netherlands
- Nîmes
Musée de la Romanité, Nîmes
- O
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
- P
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
- R
Museo Nazionale, Rome
- Seville
Gabinete Numismático Municipal, Seville
- St Paul
Benediktinerstift St Paul im Lavanttal
- Toulouse
Musée Saint-Raymond, Toulouse
- Trier
Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier
- V
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
- Vatican
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vatican City
- Wilhering
Zisterzienserstift Wilhering
American Numismatic Society, New York
Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (numbering refers to object numbers in the online catalogue)
Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Brussels
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum, Budapest
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen
Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt am Main
Hunterian Museum, Glasgow
Adıyaman Müzesi, Gaziantep
Benediktinerstift Göttweig
Harvard Arts Museum, Harvard
British Museum, London
Wardown House Museum and Gallery, Luton
Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
Nationale Numismatische Collectie, The Netherlands
Musée de la Romanité, Nîmes
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
Museo Nazionale, Rome
Gabinete Numismático Municipal, Seville
Benediktinerstift St Paul im Lavanttal
Musée Saint-Raymond, Toulouse
Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vatican City
Zisterzienserstift Wilhering
- Alfaro Asins
Alfaro Asins, C. (1993) Catálogo de las monedas antiguas de oro del Museo Arqueológico Nacional. Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional.
- Arquennes hoard
Hoard recorded in archive in Brussels, now dispersed.
- BMCRE
Mattingly, H. (1930) Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum II: Vespasian to Domitian. London, British Museum.
- BNC
Giard, J.-B. (1998) Monnaies de l'Empire romain. III. Du soulèvement de 68 après J.-C. à Nerva. Paris/Strasbourg, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
- Calicó
Calicó, X. (2003) The Roman Aurei I: From the Republic to Pertinax, 196 B.C. – 193 A.D. Barcelona, X. & F. Calicó.
- CH
Coin Hoards
- CHRB
Coin Hoards of Roman Britain
- Didcot hoard
Bland, R. and Orna-Ornstein, J. (1997) Didcot, Oxfordshire: 126 aurei to AD 160. In CHRB X, London, 91–100.
- Du Chastel
de Callataÿ, F. and van Heesch, J. (1999) Greek and Roman Coins from the Du Chastel Collection: Coin Cabinet of the Royal Library of Belgium. London, Spink.
- EDCS
Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby, https://db.edcs.eu
- HCC
Robertson, A.S. (1962) Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow: 1. Augustus to Nerva. London, Oxford University Press.
- Liberchies hoard
Thirion, M., Claes, P. and Léva, C. (1972) Le trésor de Liberchies. Aurei des Ier et IIe siècles. Brussels, Pro Geminiaco.
- Mazzini
Mazzini, G. (1957) Monete imperiali romane 1: Pompeo Magno — Domizia. Milan, Mario Ratto.
- RIC / RIC II.12
Carradice, I. and Buttrey, T.V. (2007) The Roman Imperial Coinage II Pt 1: From AD 69 to 96 (second edition). London, Spink.
- RIC I2
Sutherland, C.H.V. (1984) The Roman Imperial Coinage I: From 39 BC to AD 69 (revised edition). London, Spink.
- RIC II1
Mattingly, H. and Sydenham, E.A. (1926) The Roman Imperial Coinage II: Vespasian to Hadrian. London, Spink.
- RIC IV.1
Mattingly, H. and Sydenham, E.A. (1936) The Roman Imperial Coinage IV Pt 1: From Pertinax to Geta. London, Spink.
- Sear, Roman Coins
Sear, D. (2000) Roman Coins and their Values, The Millennium Edition. London, Spink.
- Shillington hoard
Curteis, M. and Burleigh, G. (2002) Shillington A and B, Bedfordshire. In CHRB XI, London, 65–74.
- Trier hoard
Gilles, K.-J. (2013) Der römische Goldmünzenschatz aus der Feldstraße in Trier. Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier.
- TVB's files
Photo file records of Professor Ted Buttrey
- via Po hoard
Cesano, S.L. (1929) Ripostiglio di aurei imperiali rinvenuto a Roma. Bollettino della Commissione Archeologica Comunale di Roma 57: 1–119.
Alfaro Asins, C. (1993) Catálogo de las monedas antiguas de oro del Museo Arqueológico Nacional. Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional.
Hoard recorded in archive in Brussels, now dispersed.
Mattingly, H. (1930) Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum II: Vespasian to Domitian. London, British Museum.
Giard, J.-B. (1998) Monnaies de l'Empire romain. III. Du soulèvement de 68 après J.-C. à Nerva. Paris/Strasbourg, Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Calicó, X. (2003) The Roman Aurei I: From the Republic to Pertinax, 196 B.C. – 193 A.D. Barcelona, X. & F. Calicó.
Coin Hoards
Coin Hoards of Roman Britain
Bland, R. and Orna-Ornstein, J. (1997) Didcot, Oxfordshire: 126 aurei to AD 160. In CHRB X, London, 91–100.
de Callataÿ, F. and van Heesch, J. (1999) Greek and Roman Coins from the Du Chastel Collection: Coin Cabinet of the Royal Library of Belgium. London, Spink.
Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby, https://db.edcs.eu
Robertson, A.S. (1962) Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow: 1. Augustus to Nerva. London, Oxford University Press.
Thirion, M., Claes, P. and Léva, C. (1972) Le trésor de Liberchies. Aurei des Ier et IIe siècles. Brussels, Pro Geminiaco.
Mazzini, G. (1957) Monete imperiali romane 1: Pompeo Magno — Domizia. Milan, Mario Ratto.
Carradice, I. and Buttrey, T.V. (2007) The Roman Imperial Coinage II Pt 1: From AD 69 to 96 (second edition). London, Spink.
Sutherland, C.H.V. (1984) The Roman Imperial Coinage I: From 39 BC to AD 69 (revised edition). London, Spink.
Mattingly, H. and Sydenham, E.A. (1926) The Roman Imperial Coinage II: Vespasian to Hadrian. London, Spink.
Mattingly, H. and Sydenham, E.A. (1936) The Roman Imperial Coinage IV Pt 1: From Pertinax to Geta. London, Spink.
Sear, D. (2000) Roman Coins and their Values, The Millennium Edition. London, Spink.
Curteis, M. and Burleigh, G. (2002) Shillington A and B, Bedfordshire. In CHRB XI, London, 65–74.
Gilles, K.-J. (2013) Der römische Goldmünzenschatz aus der Feldstraße in Trier. Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier.
Photo file records of Professor Ted Buttrey
Cesano, S.L. (1929) Ripostiglio di aurei imperiali rinvenuto a Roma. Bollettino della Commissione Archeologica Comunale di Roma 57: 1–119.