TY - JOUR
T1 - ESTABLISHING A DYNASTY IN IDEOLOGY AND PRACTICE
T2 - THE AEDES VESTAE AUREI OF VESPASIAN
AU - Arcenas, Scott Lawin
AU - Watson, George C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © British School at Rome 2023.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162161499&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/33d560d2-0266-3a07-ab8e-d3176589bcbf/
U2 - 10.1017/S006824622300003X
DO - 10.1017/S006824622300003X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85162161499
SN - 0068-2462
VL - 91
SP - 35
EP - 92
JO - Papers of the British School at Rome
JF - Papers of the British School at Rome
ER -