Roman Imperial Coins: Their Art & Technique

Description

Translated from the Italian ("L’arte romana nelle monete dell’età imperiale") by Peter Green. Introduction by Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli. Nowadays, when greater attention is being paid to coins from the standpoint of their intrinsic value as works of art, interest has been mostly centred on those of the Greek period, which are both better known, and better appreciated because of their close and obvious relationship to the history of classical art. In consequence, Roman coinage has been somewhat neglected. The only illumination it receives is from the Roman theory of portraiture - which in any case sheds lustre, first and foremost, on sculpture rather than the art of coin-design. It may, therefore, serve some useful purpose to devote the present volume (which, in accordance with its terms of reference, aims at popular exposition and does not claim to be a work of original scholarly research) to the presentation of material still all too little known as far as the general public is concerned. To this end there have been assembled within its covers various examples selected - with no special influence on any particular period - from the vast legacy bequeathed us by the Roman Imperial Mint. This material is drawn almost exclusively from the Coin Cabinet of the Museo Nazionale in Naples, except for one or two specimens, the provenance of which is stated in the commentary accompanying each of the individual players. INTRODUCTION by Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli 6 Origins and critical stages 9 Physical reality: the portrait 12 Historical reality: narrative relief 13 Hellenism and "Plebeian" Art 17 The East 19 The new style 24 INTRODUCTION TO THE PLATES by Laura Breglia 27 THE PLATES 1-3 AUGUSTUS 34-39 4-5 TIBERIUS 40-43 6-9 CALIGULA 44-51 10-15 CLAUDIUS 52-63 16-23 NERO 64-79 24-30 GALBA 80-93 31-32 VESPASIAN 94-97 33 TITUS 98,99 34-41 DOMITIAN 100-115 42-44 NERVA 116-121 45-52 TRAJAN 122-137 53-54 HADRIAN 138-141 55-61 ANTONINUS PIUS 142-155 62-63 MARCUS AURELIUS, LUCIUS VERUS 156-159 64 MARCUS AURELIUS 160, 161 65 COMMODUS 162, 163 66 PERTINAX 164, 165 67-69 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS 166-171 70-72 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, CARACALLA, GETA 172-177 73 MACRINUS 178, 179 74 ELAGABALUS 180, 181 75 PUPIENUS 182, 183 76-78 GORDIAN III 184-189 79 PHILIP I 190, 191 80 VALERIAN I, GALLIENUS 192, 193 81-82 GALLIENUS 194-197 83 POSTUMUS 198, 199 84 PROBUS 200, 201 85 DIOCLETIAN 202, 203 86 MAXIMIAN 204, 205 87 CONSTANTIUS I CHLORUS 206, 207 88 MAXIMUS DAIA 208, 209 89-90 LICINIUS I 210-213 91 LICINIUS II 214,215 92-94 CONSTANTINE I 216-221 95 CONSTANS I 222, 223 96 MAGNENTIUS 224, 225 97 VALENTINIAN I 226, 227 98-99 ARCADIUS 228-231 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 232,233 INDEX OF TYPES 234