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Propaganda and the Imperial Coinage*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2015

Barbara Levick
Barbara Levick*
Affiliation:
St. Hilda’s College, Oxford
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Extract

During the first half of this century the view came to be widely held by numismatists, and by many Roman historians too, that the types chosen for the Roman imperial coinage were to be interpreted as a means of influencing public opinion, of reconciling his subjects to the rule of the Princeps, and of explaining imperial policy to them; in short, as propaganda. Thus for C.H.V. Sutherland coins are, in essence, ‘organs of information’, while in the words of M. Grant, ‘Roman coinage . . . served a propagandist purpose far greater than has any other national coinage before or since . . . This was the means which the Roman government . . . used to insinuate into every home in the empire each changing nuance of imperial achievement and policy’.

Type
Research Article
Information
Antichthon , Volume 16 , 1982 , pp. 104 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for Classical Studies 1982

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References

1 See Charlesworth, M.P. ‘The Virtues of a Roman Emperor: Propaganda and the Creation of Belief’,Proc. Brit. Acad. 23 (1937),105ff.;Google ScholarSutherland, C.H.V.Coinage in Roman Imperial Policy (CRIP) London 1951),Google Scholar passim; Grant, M.summing up the view in Roman Anniversary Issues Cambridge 1952),8;Google Scholarcited by Belloni (1974), 1018 (see next n.); and see below n. 13.

2 Jones, A.H.M. ‘Numismatics and History’, in Essays Presented to Mattingly, H.London 1956),13ff.Google Scholar = The Roman Economy (ed. P.A. Brunt, Oxford 1974), 61 ff., with postscript by Crawford, M.H. Sutherland replied: ‘The Intelligibility of Roman Coin Types’, JRS 49 (1959),46ff.Google Scholar More recent scepticism: Buttrey, T.V. ‘Vespasian as Moneyer’, NC7 12 (1972),89ff.,Google Scholarwith synopsis of precious metal types from the Roman mint, 92 ff.; G.G. Belloni, ‘Significato storico-politico delle figurazione e delle scritte delle monete da Augusta a Traiano’, ANRW 2.1 (1974), 997 ff., especially 1018 ff.;‘Monete romane e propaganda’ in I canali della propaganda nel mondo antico (ed. M. Sordi, Milano 1976), 131 ff.; Wallace-Hadrill, A. ‘Galba’s Aequitas’, NC 161 (1981),20ff.,Google Scholarwith the preceding bibliography; ‘The Emperor and his Virtues’,Historia 30 (1981), 298 ff.; see especially 313 for views akin to those expressed in this paper.

3 SeeGriffin, J. ‘Genre and Real Life in Latin Poetry’, JRS 61 (1981), 39ff.Google Scholar

4 SeeScott, K. ‘The political Propaganda of 44–30 B.C.’, Mem. Amer. Acad. Rome 11 (1933),1ff.,Google Scholar

5 But see passages cited by S.R.F. Price, CR 29 (1979), 277.

6 Quint. Inst, orat. 10. 1. 31.

7 See Woodman, A.J.Velleius Paterculus: the Tiberian Narrative(2.94 – 131) Cambridge 1977), 30.Google Scholar

8 Mattingly, H. and Sydenham, E.A.The Roman Imperial Coinage 1 London 1923),30.Google Scholar Augustus 350 f. All further items cited from vol. 1 refer by number to the reign of Claudius, except where indicated.

9 Aul. Gell. Noct. Alt. 15. 7. 3.

10 See Levick, B.Latomus 35 (1976), 309ff.;Google ScholarTiberius the Politician (London 1976) 46 ff.

11 Suet. Tib. 15.2.

12 RIC 1 Augustus 63 ff.

13 Cf. K. Pink, NZ nf 26 (1933), 20; S.R.F. Price, loc. cit. (above, n. 5): ‘Coins were a vehicle, if a minor one, for official imperial propaganda. Even if sometimes designs were not actually suggested but only approved by the emperor … the emperor was held responsible for coin types and these types were noticed and taken to be imperial propaganda’. The passages cited do not sustain this claim.

14 SeeVoelkel, L. ‘The Selection of Types during the Reign of the Emperor Domitian’,in Studies presented to D.M. Robinson (edd.Mylonas, G.E.Raymond, D.Louis, St. 1953), 2.243ff.,Google Scholarbased on Stat. Silv. 3.3.86 ff. Sutherland, CRIP 131, speaks of ‘an imperial official, close to the Princeps’.

15 Dr. Nash draws my attention to the way the portrait of the old Augustus was ‘frozen’ for his last thirty years. Even Queen Victoria aged on her coins. That this is a painful experience for the subject is suggested by a report in the Guardian, 26 February 1982 (‘Queen in her Counting House’): Master John Ritchie, The Queen’s Remembrancer, recounted a fiscal dream he had experienced. ‘In this, he was the man responsible for advising the monarch when her or his portrait… should be replaced by one showing her or him looking older. He had wondered what the protocol might be for such a delicate manoeuvre, and was being taken away to the Tower of London in chains when he woke up’. (I owe this reference to Dr. Forsyth.)

16 Suet. Tib. 23, with Levick, B. ‘Atrox Fortuna’, CR 22 (1972), 309ff.Google Scholar

17 RIC 1 Nero 9 f.; cf. 17. The coins are discussed and illustrated by Sutherland, CRIP 153 ff., P1. 15.1 f.

18 See RIC 1 p. 98; Sutherland, CRIP 79 ff.

19 RIC 1.22 ff., 38 ff.

20 RIC 1.1 ff. (seated), 68 (standing). The connotations of Constantia are not limited to the events of A.D. 41: seated on a curule chair she refers to Claudius’ preoccupation with his duties administrative and judicial as holder of imperium.

21 RIC 1.19 ff.; cf. 41 ff., 57, 60 f.

22 Suet. Claud. 11.2; cf. Jos. AJ 19.265 (danger to senate); BJ 2.205 (to Claudius).

23 See Taylor, G. and Wolfram, S. ‘The self-regarding and other-regarding Virtues’, Philosophical Quarterly 18 (1968), 238ff.CrossRefGoogle Scholar where they are found to be ‘strength of character’ virtues (not those that benefit the self), which aid in pursuing whatever ends one may have.

24 Jos. AJ 19.212 ff.; Dio 60.1 (accession); Tac. Ann. 11.31 ff. (marriage of Messalina and Silius).

25 RIC 1.49 f. (VICTORIA P.R. and AVGVST.); 8 ff. (DE BRITANN.), cf. 56; 16 f. (DE GERM.).

26 ILS 212 = E.M. Smallwood, Documents illustrating the Principates of Gaius, Claudius and Nero (Cambridge 1967), 369 col. 1 line 37 ff.

27 Col. 2 line 35 ff.; RIC 1.75 ff., with two shields, two spears, two trumpets, and a vexillum.

28 ‘Primus in dicionem populi Romani redegerit’ in lLS 216 = Smallwood, Docs. 43 (b), with S.S. Frere, Britannia2 (London 1977), 82.

29 RIC 1.80 ff., 86 ff.

30 Suet. Claud. 11.5.

31 RIC 1.64 and 67.

32 See Levick, B.AJP 109 (1978), 87f.Google Scholar

33 See Sutherland, CRIP 132 n. 1, emphasizing the birth of an heir against the coincidence of Claudius’ own birthday with the Festival of Spes.

34 RIC 1.69.

35 BGU 611 = Smallwood, Docs. 367 col. 3 line 17 ff.

36 RIC 1.89 ff.

37 RIC 1.100; cf. Nero 11 ff.

38 RIC 1.98: cf. 99.

39 ILS 952 (A.D. 77–8). For the allegedly Sabine college of the Titii, see Tac. Ann. 1.54.1; its functions are obscure.

40 See de Laet, S.J.De Samenstelling van den romeinischen Senaat(28 voor Chr. — 68 na Chr.) Antwerpen 1941),304.Google Scholar

41 Suet. Vesp 2.3.

42 RIC 2 (London 1926), Vespasian 29 f., 148, with simpulum, ‘aspergillum’, jug, and lituus. (All further items from RIC 2 refer by number to coins of Vespasian.)

43 PRINCIPES (PRINCEPS) IVVENTVTIS, showing Titus and Domitian, or Domitian: RIC 2.23 ff., 145, 292 f., 390 f., 579; showing Spes: 139, 233, 380; SPES AVGVSTA, with Titus and Domitian: 396, 462; S.C., with Spes: 583ab, 598, 669, 674, 678 ff., 684, 694abc, 714, 723, 726ab, 729, 786, 791ab; LIBERI: 313 ff., 321 f., 331 f.; FILI 3, 270; heads of the Caesars: 283, 358, 412; the Caesars on obverse and reverse: 605, 628, 635.

44 See e.g. Tac. Hist. 2.77.

45 Suet. Vesp. 15, 25; Dio 65.12.1. CONCORDIA SENATVI of that year (RIC 2.418) is peculiarly poignant.

46 Tac. Hist. 4.11; Suet. Vesp. 7.2.

47 For a different view, see Brunt, P.A. ‘Lex de Imperio Vespasiani’ JRS 67 (1977), 95ff.Google Scholar

48 IVDAEA: RIC 2.15 f., 34, 45, 254, 266, 287 f.; CAPTA: 424 ff., 489 f., 595 f., 608, 620, 653, 733, 762, 784; DEVICTA: 148B, 289, 373; no legend: 41a , 53, 363, 367.

49 MARS: 272 (CONSERVAT(or)), 278 (unnamed), 257 (VLTOR), 431 ff. (VICTOR); VICTORIA: passim.

50 Suet. Vesp. 22; see below n. 65.

51 VESTA (or her type):RIC 2.40, 50, 157,162, 171ab,180, 230 f., 244 f., 249, 304, 548, 690, 705; cow: 71, 96 f., 187 ff., 222; sow: 109, 220; oxen: 99A, 107, 136, 197; goatherd: 111; bull: 87, 95, 181, 183.

52 PAX AVGVSTI/AVGVSTA: passim; as Nemesis: 64 (no legend), 141 f., 150, 153, 297; Claudius: RIC 1.26 ff. with n.; Tac. Hist. 4.3.

53 SECVRITAS: RIC 1.22a, 412a, 479, 500. SALVS AVGVSTI/AVGVSTA: 58, 67, 151, 392, 460, p. 74n., 521.

54 LIBERTAS PVBLICA: 267ab, 429; cf. AVGVSTI: 428; RESTITVTA: 290, p. 76n., 430; CONCORDIA: 43, 360, 365, 416 ff., 538, 647; see Levick, B.Scripta nummaria romana: Essays presented to H. Sutherland (edd. Carson, R. and Kraay, C.London 1978), 217ff.,Google Scholar HONOS ET VIRTVS: 423; FELICITAS PVBLICA: 485, 539ab f., 554, 567, 578, 594, 616 f., 648ab, 665, 667, 671, 675, 695a ff., 710, 715, 722; 768, 775ab.

55 OB CIVES SERVATOS: 17; FIDES EXERCITWM: 420 f.

56 NEPTVNO: 35, 46, 361, 366; FORTVNAE: 402, 422, 473, 487 f, 516, 532, 571, 588, 607, 643, 672, 732, 754ab, 761 (cf. 760).

57 124ab, 176, 211 (IOVIS is of course nominative).

58 Dio 65.10.2; Tac. Hist. 4.9.

59 AEQVITAS AVGVST(i): 399, 482 f., 527, 542ab, 557ab f., 568, 580ab f., 618, 652 f., 666, 676, 694 A abc, 709, 758 f.,

60 Walker, D.R.The Metrology of the Roman silver Coinage 1, BAR Suppl. 5 (Oxford 1976), 83ff.;Google Scholar 3 (1978) 114 ff. (I owe these references to the kindness of Dr. Nash.)

61 RIC 2.14, 55, 376, 382, 486, 619, 731, 753a, 783.

62 Suet. Vesp. 16.3.

63 CERES AVG(usta): RIC 2.122, 132 f., 154, 219, 248, 469, 593ab, 682 f., 720 f.; ANNON(a) AVG(usti): 131ab, 218, 570ab, 680ab, 717.

64 ROMA RESVRGE(n)S: 310, 407, 445, 520, 735; PERPETVA: 309, AETERNITAS: 121ab, 209, 408 (P(opuli) R(omani)); TVTELA AVGVSTI: 398, 480.

65 Bull: above, n. 50, with Suet Aug. 7.1, cf. 3.1. Capricorn: 88, 117 f., 182, 252.

66 Holzapfel, L.Klio 13 (1913), 295ff.,CrossRefGoogle Scholar followed by Wellesley, K. ad Tac. Hist 3 82.Google Scholar

67 Tac. Ann. 3.52.2, cf. 55.5. For Sabine simplicity see Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 2.49.

68 Suet. Aug. 79.2, 89.3.

69 Tac.Ann. 4.38.