Manders E. Coining Images of Power. Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Imperial Coinage, A.D. 193-284

Leiden – Boston: Brill, 2012. – 383 p. – (Impact of Empire. Vol. 15).
ISSN 1572-0500.ISBN 978-90-04-18970-6 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-22566-4 (e-book)Current scholarship on Roman imperial representation addresses both the ways in which individual rulers presented themselves to their subjects and how particular aspects of imperial representation developed over time. This book combines these two approaches. It examines the diachronic development of the representation of Roman imperial power as a whole in one medium over a longer period of time. Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of coin types issued between A.D. 193 and 284, patterns in the representation of third-century Roman emperors on imperial coinage are made visible. The result is a new perspective on the development of imperial ideology in times of crisis.General Patterns on Third Century Imperial Coinage
Coins in Context
Portrait of an era
Representing imperial power
Concepts and theories
Communicating imperial ideology
Coins and coin types as indicators for the development of third-century imperial representation
Appeasing the Army
The general picture
The emperor’s military roles
Victories
Direct references to the armed forces
Divine Propaganda
The general picture
Jupiter
Hercules
Mars
Sun gods
Sol
Apollo
The emperor as sacerdos
Divine exceptions on third-century imperial coinage
Elagabalus
Aurelian
Imperial Exempla
The general picture
Providentia
Liberalitas
Virtus
Pietas
Aequitas
The Dawning of a Golden Age
The general picture
The core benefits
Felicitas
Pax
Securitas
Salus
General Third-century Trends in Numismatic Imperial RepresentationCase Studies
Caracalla
Images of Caracalla
Comparing imperial imagery on coin types issued in 198–210 and 212–217
Divine association
Military representation
Saeculum aureum and virtues
Other categoriesDecius
Images of Decius
Standard types
The divi series
Conclusions
Gallienus
Images of Gallienus
Comparing imperial imagery on coin types issued during joint and sole reign
Military representation
Divine association
Saeculum aureum and virtues
Other categoriesList of emperors and usurpers (A.D. 193–284)
References to Jupiter, Hercules, Mars, Sol and Apollo on imperial coin types: emperors and corresponding RIC-numbers
References to other deities on imperial coin types: Emperors and corresponding RIC-numbers
Diachronic variation in Caracalla’s representation during joint and sole reign
Diachronic variation in Gallienus’ representation during Valerianus’ and Gallienus’ joint reign
Images