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Hadrian and the Greek East
HADRIAN AND THE GREEK EAST: IMPERIAL POLICY AND COMMUNICATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Demetrios Kritsotakis, B.A, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Fritz Graf, Adviser Professor Tom Hawkins ____________________________ Professor Anthony Kaldellis Adviser Greek and Latin Graduate Program Copyright by Demetrios Kritsotakis 2008 ABSTRACT The Roman Emperor Hadrian pursued a policy of unification of the vast Empire. After his accession, he abandoned the expansionist policy of his predecessor Trajan and focused on securing the frontiers of the empire and on maintaining its stability. Of the utmost importance was the further integration and participation in his program of the peoples of the Greek East, especially of the Greek mainland and Asia Minor. Hadrian now invited them to become active members of the empire. By his lengthy travels and benefactions to the people of the region and by the creation of the Panhellenion, Hadrian attempted to create a second center of the Empire. Rome, in the West, was the first center; now a second one, in the East, would draw together the Greek people on both sides of the Aegean Sea. Thus he could accelerate the unification of the empire by focusing on its two most important elements, Romans and Greeks. Hadrian channeled his intentions in a number of ways, including the use of specific iconographical types on the coinage of his reign and religious language and themes in his interactions with the Greeks. In both cases it becomes evident that the Greeks not only understood his messages, but they also reacted in a positive way. -
The Gallic Empire (260-274): Rome Breaks Apart
The Gallic Empire (260-274): Rome Breaks Apart Six Silver Coins Collection An empire fractures Roman chariots All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and beautifully displayed in a mahogany-like box. The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of authenticity, and a black gift box. By the middle of the third century, the Roman Empire began to show signs of collapse. A parade of emperors took the throne, mostly from the ranks of the military. Years of civil war and open revolt led to an erosion of territory. In the year 260, in a battle on the Eastern front, the emperor Valerian was taken prisoner by the hated Persians. He died in captivity, and his corpse was stuffed and hung on the wall of the palace of the Persian king. Valerian’s capture threw the already-fractured empire into complete disarray. His son and co-emperor, Gallienus, was unable to quell the unrest. Charismatic generals sought to consolidate their own power, but none was as powerful, or as ambitious, as Postumus. Born in an outpost of the Empire, of common stock, Postumus rose swiftly through the ranks, eventually commanding Roman forces “among the Celts”—a territory that included modern-day France, Belgium, Holland, and England. In the aftermath of Valerian’s abduction in 260, his soldiers proclaimed Postumus emperor. Thus was born the so-called Gallic Empire. After nine years of relative peace and prosperity, Postumus was murdered by his own troops, and the Gallic Empire, which had depended on the force of his personality, began to crumble. -
THE FRACTURE of IMPERIAL ROME the Rise and Fall of the Gallic Empire 260-274 CE a Set of Eight Bronze Coins
THE FRACTURE OF IMPERIAL ROME The Rise and Fall of the Gallic Empire 260-274 CE A Set of Eight Bronze Coins Coin type and grade may vary Order code: 8GALLICEMPBOX somewhat from image Beginning with the reign of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, the Roman Empire enjoyed two full centuries of peace and prosperity. The Pax Romana was unprecedented in both duration and territory—at its height, Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean region: most of Europe, including Britannia; all of North Africa from Gibraltar to Egypt; and a vast swath of the Middle East stretching into Mesopotamia and the Caucasus. Governing that many diverse populations so effectively, and for so long, is a feat unrivaled in the annals of history. To do so, the Romans established the most efficient system of administration the world had ever known. Career bureaucrats—prefects, politicians, tax collectors—maintained the system regardless of who was seated on the throne. During the Pax Romana, Rome also boasted a series of strong, stable emperors. Although there were periods of unrest, these tended to be short. After the death of Nero, three family dynasties provided the Empire with a consistent succession of emperors. By the third century CE, the empire began to show signs of collapse. A parade of emperors took the throne, mostly from the ranks of the military. Years of civil war and open revolt led to an erosion of territory. In the year 260, in a battle on the Eastern front, the Emperor Valerian was taken prisoner by the hated Persians. He died in captivity, and his corpse was stuffed and hung on the wall of the palace of the Persian king. -
A Medallion of Constantius II Julia Ruff Lawrence University
Lawrence University Lux Lawrence University Honors Projects 2005 A Medallion of Constantius II Julia Ruff Lawrence University Follow this and additional works at: https://lux.lawrence.edu/luhp Part of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Commons © Copyright is owned by the author of this document. Recommended Citation Ruff, Julia, "A Medallion of Constantius II" (2005). Lawrence University Honors Projects. 70. https://lux.lawrence.edu/luhp/70 This Honors Project is brought to you for free and open access by Lux. It has been accepted for inclusion in Lawrence University Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of Lux. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This honors these submitted by Julia Ruff has been read and found acceptable for Honors in Independent Study Randall McNeill, Member of the Examinin~ Committee Je#ld Podair, Member of the Examining Committee Carol Lawton, Thesis Adviser A MEDALLION OF CONSTANTIUS II Julia Ruff TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface 1 Introduction 2-3 The Sources 4 Historical Background 4-9 Ammianus Marcellinus 9-12 Reign of Constantius II 13-18 Medallions: Definition 18-19 Medallions: Occasions for Minting 19-22 Medallions: Intended Recipients 23-27 Description of the Medallion 28 Obverse 28-33 Reverse 34-39 Medallions: Production 39-45 The Messages of the Medallion of Constantius 45-50 Conclusions 50-51 Figure 1 52 Figure 2 53 Figure 3 54 Figure 4 55 Figure 5 56 Figure 6 57 Figure 7 58 Figure 8 59 Figure 9 60 Bibliography 61-62 ( 1 ( PREFACE I would like to acknowledge those individuals who have helped to make this work possible. -
PDF Printing 600
REVUE BELGE DE NUMISMATIQUE ET DE SIGILLOGRAPHIE BELGISCH TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR NlTMISMATIEI( EN ZEGELI(IJNDE PUBLIÉE UI1'GEGEVEN SOllS LE HAllT PATRONAGE ONDER DE HOGE BESCHERMING DE S. M. LE ROI VAN Z. M. DE KONING PAR LA DOOR HET SOCIÉTÉ ROYALE KONINKLIJK BELGISCH DE NUMISMATIQUE DE BELGIQUE GENOOTSCIIAP VOOR NUMISMATIEK Directeurs GHISLAINE MOUCI-IARTE, PIERRE COCKSHAW, FRANÇOIS DE CALLATAY et JOHAN VAN HEESCH CXLVIII - 2002 BRUXELLES BRUSSEL GIJS DE GREEF (*) ROMAN COIN HOARDS AND GERMANIe INVASIONS AD 253·269. A STUDY OF THE WESTERN HOARDS FROM THE REIGNS OF VALERIAN, GALLIENUS AND POSTUMUS C) Introduction A lamanni, oastaiis Galliis, in ltaliam penelraueruni. Dacia, quae a Traiano ultra Danubium [ueral adiecia, amissa est. Graecia, Macedonia, Pontus, Asta, oasiaia est per Gothos. Pannonia a Sarmatis Quadisque popu lata est. Germani usque ad Hispanias peneiraoeruni et cioitaiem nobilem Tarraconem expugnaverunl. Parihi, Mesopolamia occupata, Syriam sibi coe perunl nitulicare. Eutropius, Breuiarutn, IX, 8 With these dramatic words Eutropius and other Roman authors de scrîbed the events, which took place under the reign of the emperors Va lerian (253-260), Gallienus (253-268) and Postumus (260-269). However, the nature, the ehronologîeal and geographical spread and the impact of these invasions remain mostly unknown. The combined evidenee of texts, epigraphy, numismatics and archaeology has been proven incapable of solvîng these problems. This is why, from the beginning of the 20th cen tury, many scholars have sought a link between the Germanie invasions and the hundreds of coin hoards from this period which have been found ail over Europe e). This, in sorne cases aIl to automatically supposed, Iink between hoard and invasion has been severely critized over the last (*) Gijs DE GREEF, Kloosterstraat 58, B-3150 Haacht. -
A REASSESSMENT of GALLIENUS' REIGN TROY KENDRICK Bachelor
A REASSESSMENT OF GALLIENUS’ REIGN TROY KENDRICK Bachelor of Arts, University of Lethbridge, 2014 A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of the University of Lethbridge in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree MASTER OF ARTS History Department University of Lethbridge LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA, CANADA © Troy Kendrick, 2014 Abstract This thesis examines and reassesses the reign of the Roman emperor Gallienus in the mid-third century CE. Specifically, this paper analyses Gallienus’ military and administrative policies, his conception of his emperorship, and the influence his policies had on his successors.Gallienus ruled over the Roman Empire during a period of unprecedented calamities. The misfortunes of the Roman Empire during this period, and the biases against Gallienus in the writings of the ancient Latin authors, left a less-than-favorable impression of Gallienus’ reign. However, a re-evaluation of Gallienus and his policies unveils a remarkably capable emperor, who should be credited with not only saving the Roman Empire from complete collapse, but laying the foundation for the Empire’s recovery in the late third century CE. iii Acknowledgements I would like offer my thanks to committee members David Hay and Kevin McGeough for their assistance and comments regarding my thesis. I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Christopher Epplett, for the invaluable assistance, encouragement, and patience he has extended to me throughout the entire writing process. Finally, I would like to thank my family for -
Gallienus the Genderbender L
Gallienus the Genderbender L. S. B. MacCoull T SOME TIME between A .D . 260 and 268 the emperor Gallienus did an unprecedented and unparalleled thing. He had himself represented on his coins with the Afeminine-gender1 Latin legend GALLIENA AVGVSTA.2 The emperor’s head on the obverse (features and hair) is represented in what is described as a feminized (though bearded) form with unusual at- tributes.3 Though scholars since the Renaissance have variously attempted to account for this unique occurrence, recent post- modern work on gender and its construction, including cross- dressing and androgyny, has not been brought to bear on it. Nor have archaeological discoveries of the last thirty years been taken into account. In the present paper I should like to suggest a rationale for this astonishing propaganda gesture by a reigning emperor during the troubled third century. 1 J. P. C. Kent has tried to dismiss the entire problem as a non-issue by claiming that the legend is not in the feminine gender but is rather a “hyper- corrected” masculine singular vocative, with AE written for E: “Gallienae Augustae,” NC VII 13 (1973) 64–68. I am not convinced, not least because no known coin of Gallienus in fact uses the vocative (as pointed out by the anonymous reader for GRBS, to whom I am grateful). Such shifting grammatical endings are in any case to be found in Latin literature as early as Catullus; but on a coin surely more accuracy would be striven for to reach a large public audience. Kent’s theory has been in essence followed by L. -
Course Summary
PRELIMINARY COURSE SYLLABUS Quarter: Spring 2021 Course Title: The Roman World Course Code: HIS 197 W Instructor: Gary Devore Course Summary: This course will look at the lives of famous Romans (such as Julius Caesar, Nero, Hadrian, and Constantine) as well as the more obscure but still interesting Romans (like fraternal revolutionaries Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, the dictator Sulla, the 3rd-century emperor Gallienus, and the powerful women who safeguarded the patrician Cornelius family). Through these personages, we will see how Rome grew from a tiny village of mud huts clustered atop hills along the Tiber River into an empire controlling land and people across all of Europe, from Spain to the Near East and from Britain to the shores of the Sahara. Grade Options and Requirements: Each week the students should 1) watch the video treatment of the material, 2) read the assigned reading, 3) take an online “open book” quiz based on the reading to check comprehension and if possible 4) take part in an online Discussion Topic sessions (an hour on Zoom, Fridays from 7-8pm Pacific time). (The Zoom discussions are optional and will be recorded so those not able to attend can watch them later.) Every week will start with an announcement reminding the students of what ancient Roman we are meeting that week and telling the students what they should be on the look out for (in the readings and the video material) with regards to the Discussion Topic sessions. A brief final essay exam is available for those wishing to take the course for a grade. -
The Religious Administration of Constantine
The religious administration of Constantine MORTEN WARMIND University of Copenhagen Abstract Much of Håkan Rydving's work deals in one way or another with the influence of Christianity on the Saami-peoples. In my paper I explore how Constantine promoted Christianity through his time as emperor in the laws he issued. It is my argument, that Constantine really did nothing - or very little - that was without precedent, but that his care- ful method and his longevity as ruler was among the reasons for his success in creating the beginnings of a Christian Empire. Keywords: Roman Empire, Constantine, religious administration, Chris- tianisation, Codex Theodosianus Håkan Rydving published his thesis ‘The End of Drum-Time’ in 1993. It is sub-titled ‘Religious Change among the Lule Saami, 1670s–1740s’, and in it he discusses and clarifies the change of religion which took place in a culture confronted by missionaries working to effect as much change as they could. The work of these missionaries was based on the power of the state, and indeed used physical destruction of the primary religious instru- ments – drums – as a means of conversion, mirroring the great Christian missionaries like Martin of Tours in the fourth century or possibly the ninth-century missionaries to the north like Ansgar. The story of the con- version of large areas of the globe to Christianity is generally one of force and power – the machinery of a central state and sometimes even a hostile foreign power – being used to promote, propagate, or, if possible, simply force a new religion on a people on the periphery. -
Copyrighted Material
THE CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY 23 1 The Crisis of the Third Century 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 253–268 Gallienus The Byzantine Empire does not have a proper “beginning” since it was, in fact, the continuation of the Roman state, which had begun (according to tradition) in 753 BC. A convenient starting date is the reign of Constantine, but the events of his reign cannot be understood without a consideration of the events and problems of the third century after Christ, since those set the scene for the restructuring and “revival” of Rome in the years that followed. We begin our survey, therefore, with the crisis that affected the Roman world in the middle years of the third century. The 50 years between the death of Severus Alexander and the accession of Diocletian (235–284) witnessed the near collapse of the whole Roman way of life, from the government and military structure to the economy and the thought system that had characterized the ancient world until then. In political terms, no emperor COPYRIGHTEDduring this entire period was MATERIALsecure, and nearly every one of them died a violent death at the hands of rebels. The frontiers of the empire gave way, the enemies of the state, especially in the north and the east, came flooding in, and various parts of the empire became essentially independent. Meanwhile, the economy collapsed, inflation drove prices up, and the coinage became virtually worthless. Not surprisingly, amid these difficulties there developed what we may call a cultural crisis, characterized by changes of style in art, literature, and religion. -
This Remarkable Collection of Genuine Coins
This remarkable collection of genuine coins traces the history of the Empire from the late second through the fourth centuries, a period of tumult and uncertainty, when emperors came and went, almost none of them dying of natural causes. The Roman Empire was the greatest the world had ever known. Its dominions stretched from Britain to Persia, from the Maghreb to Northern Europe, and encompassed every inch of shoreline along the great Mediterranean Sea. While Rome endured for centuries, establishing a system of colonization and administration that is still copied today, the Empire was always on the brink of collapse. Indeed, the definitive history of Rome, Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, covers the period from 98 through 1590 CE. In other words, Rome’s decline and fall lasted for almost 15 centuries! This remarkable collection of genuine bronze coins traces the history of the Empire from the late second through the fourth centuries, a period of tumult and uncertainty, when emperors came and went, almost none of them dying of natural causes. Indeed, the entire history of the Roman Empire is revealed in its coinage. Coins were the newspapers of their day, used not only to exchange for goods and services, but to share information. The portraits, legends, and reverse iconographies describe the adoration of the emperors and their heirs and families, and communicate imperial agendas in the realms of politics, religion, domestic life and the military. All of this history is handed down to us on these ancient coins. 1. -
The Imperial Mints During the Reign of Claudius II. Gothicus and Their Issues by Andreas Markl, K
The Imperial Mints during the Reign of Claudius II. Gothicus and their Issues by Andreas Markl, k. k. Major i. P. Translated from the original German, in Numismatische Zeitschrift No. 16, Anno 1894 by Dane Kurth Notes from the translator : 1) For clarity, I have used "IMP" for the "I IIIIP" used on the Rome issues 2) The way that the Cohen references were given in the original article was a little confusing: a) Cohen references for Claudius coins with Gallienus reverses are Cohen refs for Gallienus , b) the Cohen references below only refer to the basic type and not to the varieties of fieldmarks, mintmarks etc. listed below. e.g. IMP CLAVDIVS AVG/LIBERITAS AVG of Siscia, with S in the right field is described as Cohen 115. However, Cohen 115 gives the obverse legend as IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG and makes no mention of the field mark S. So the Cohen references in the following pages cannot be taken as "gospel". c) because a couple of Cohen references appear to be incorrect (possibly type- setters errors) d) the RIC author appears to have been using a different version (numbers in RIC do not correspond to the appropriate coin(s) in my edition of Cohen) I have, where possible used "modern" known references including RIC, Cunetio hoard, Normanby Hoard, Venera = La Venera Hoard, IARCW = Roman Coin Hoards of Wales, Cardiff University. The Cohen volumes: Gallienus (Cohen vol. IV) and Claudius (Cohen vol. V) can be viewed on http://www.inumis.com/rome/index.html 3) Coins described below, which were not already in my RIC list of Claudius II coins, have been added to that list.