Please do not remove this page Early coinage of the Roman Republic, 280 to 91 B.C.E. Brennan, T. Corey https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/discovery/delivery/01RUT_INST:ResearchRepository/12643456130004646?l#13644607670004646 Brennan, T. C. (2005). Early coinage of the Roman Republic, 280 to 91 B.C.E. https://doi.org/10.7282/T3WH2N0Z This work is protected by copyright. You are free to use this resource, with proper attribution, for research and educational purposes. Other uses, such as reproduction or publication, may require the permission of the copyright holder. Downloaded On 2021/09/29 16:34:09 -0400 RUTGERS RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESENTS EARLY! COINAGE OFTHE ROMAN REPUBLIC 280 TO 91 B.C.E. EXHIBITION CURATED BY Fernanda H. Perrone Rutgers University_Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives with assistance from T. Corey Brennan Classics, Rutgers-New Brunswick Gary D. Farney History, Rutgers-Newark WITH A CHECKLIST BY T. Corey Brennan Published by Rutgers University Libraries Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey Early Coinage of the Roman Republic 280-91 BCE Preface The Rutgers collection of Roman Republican coins housed in the Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives is remarkable for its comprehensiveness, historical value, and the fine condition of most of its individual pieces. It was in 2001 that an extraordinarily generous anonymous benefaction brought these coins to Rutgers. The gift of this collection-which had been acquired with an expert eye and much con­ tinued effort over many decades-almost overnight made the University an important locus for teaching and research in this area. This exhibition, the first public display of the Rutgers coins, has as its major themes the evolution of the technical aspects of coinage in the earlier Republic, and political and social developments that are reflected in Rome's money during our chosen time period, which ends at 91 BC­ the start of Rome's "Social War" against its Italian allies, and with it, a new era in the coinage. This checklist is aimed at non-specialists. For every coin in this exhibi­ tion there are two (abbreviated) references, to the fundamental works in this field: E.A. Sydenham, The Coinage of the Roman Republic (1952), and M.H. Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage (2 vols, 1974). For a general introduction to the field, there is much to be said for D.R. Sear, Roman Coins and their Values vol. I (5th edition, 2000), which features a well-organized type catalogue accompanied by excellent illustrations. For the acquisition of the Rutgers collection, special thanks are owed to University President Richard L. McCormick, Marianne I. Gaunt, University Librarian, Ronald L. Becker, Head, Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), and FAS Dean for Humanities Barry V. 2 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Qualls. Timothy S. Corlis (Head, Preservations, SCUA), Kristen St. John (now of UCLA), and Dr. Fernanda Perrone (Head, Exhibitions Program, SCUA) have seen to conservation issues. In addition, at vari­ ous stages Professor William E. Metcalf (Yale University) and Mr. Robert J. Myers offered expert advice, for which we are grateful. A companion online Roman Republican Coins database is the work of Brian Hancock (now Systems Librarian, Montclair State University) and Dr. Jeffery A. Triggs (Applications Developer, Scholarly Communication Center), who have been aided by Rutgers graduate stu­ dents Samantha Doherty (formerly Philosophy, who provided much of the database content) and Kathleen J. Shea (Classics). Ms. Shea created most of the splendid photographs, including all seen in this checklist. There would be no exhibition without the generous help of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and also the steadfast support of the Friends of the Library. Dr. Fernanda Perrone curated this exhbition, with basic help in the choice of items from Professor Gary Farney of the History Department of Rutgers-Newark (who selected about two-thirds of the coins shown here) and myself. Timothy Corlis imaginatively saw to the physical display of the coins. Rutgers undergraduate Valerie N. Addonizio (Douglass College '06) deserves full credit for her energy and initiative in assisting in almost all aspects of the exhibition, including the preparation of labels, ancillary materials, and much work for the check­ list (including cover design and the concordances at end). It is the enormous fortune of Rutgers and its larger community that Professor E. Badian, John Moors Cabot Professor of History Emeritus in Harvard University, accepted our invitation to open the exhibition by delivering this year's Louis Faugeres Bishop Ill Lecture, choosing as his theme the development of Roman Republican coinage. Professor Badian also graciously shared with the Rutgers Libraries some of his own notes on the coin descriptions, which I draw on in this checklist. I should emphasize however that any errors in fact or interpretation in this checklist, and its physical production, are my responsibility alone. T. Corey Brennan Rutgers-NB Classics 3 Introduction: Some Practical Matters 1. How does the Roman system of names work? The Roman (male) name usually consists of three elements: praenomen, nomen gentilicium, and cognomen. PRAENOMEN: the "first name", normally abbreviated. A limited range were in general use in the Classical period, with the most frequent as follows: A.= Aulus M. = Marcus Sex. = Sextus Ap. = Appius M'. = Manius Sp. (or S.) = Spurius C. = Gaius N. = Numerius T. = Titus Cn. = Gnaeus P. = Publius Ti. = Tiberius D. = Decimus Q. = Quintus V. = Vibius L. = Lucius Ser. = Servius NOMEN GENTILICIUM: the family name (gens), normally ending in "-ius" (i.e., for men), and hereditary for men (and women), follows immediately after the praenomen. COGNOMEN: Like the family names, cognomina (many of which started as nicknames, often derisive) were usually, though not always, hereditary; this element frequently served to distinguish various branches of a single (usually large) gens. The Senate might also vote an extraordinary additional name (agnomen) to triumphing military commanders, derived from the area of their con- 4 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES quest (e.g., Q. Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus). In certain (especially official) contexts, a man's name might also include filiation and tribal designation: FILIATION: On the coins, a man's immediate male ancestry is indicated by recording, immediately after the nomen, the father's praenomen and the abbreviation "f." (for filius = "son [of]"). Hence the signature of the moneyer of 137 BCE M.BAEBI. Q.F TAMPIL. (X.3, shown below) is to be expanded "Marcus Baebius, son of Quintus, Tamp(h)ilus". TAMPIL. M.BAEBI. Q.F If one should want to indicate one's ancestry back two generations, the abbreviation "n." (for nepos = "grandson [of]") is added: hence M. Baebius Q.f. Cn.n. Tamphilus = "Marcus Baebius, son of Quintus, grandson of Gnaeus, Tamphilus". TRIBAL DESIGNATION: From about 160 BCE on, the full masculine name in formal documents regularly included the voting tribe in which the man was enrolled (at the time there were 35 in all). The tribal name, normally abbreviated to three letters, was usually recorded after the fili­ ation and before the cognomen: see Xll.23 (the moneyer A.MANLI.Q.F SER, 118-107 BCE) for a possible example. EARLY COINAGE OF THE REPUBLIC 5 2. Who issued the coins in the Roman Republic? The "Republican" period of Roman history extends from (traditionally) 509 BCE-the date when the Romans expelled their seventh king, Tarquin the Proud-to (on a generous reckoning) 31 BCE, the date when Octavian, the future Augustus, defeated Marc Antony in a naval battle off Actium, a promontory in the north of Acarnania (Greece). It seems reasonable to suppose with M.H. Crawford that for much of the third century BCE it was Rome's censors-two senior magistrates elected (notionally) at five year intervals for an eighteen month term­ who selected the types of Rome's coinage and determined the denomi­ national structure. But certainly by ca. 200 BCE the Republic had shifted to a system of three moneyers (the tresviri monetales); where we can check, they are generally young men at an early stage of their polit­ ical careers. The reform came perhaps ca. 212 BCE, when we know that Rome initiated a major overhaul of the structure of its silver and bronze coinage (see VI and VII Introductions). There is no evidence that the monetales were elected; apparently one of the senior magistrates of a given year (perhaps one or both of the consuls) appointed them. Here are the Roman magistracies that find most frequent mention in the pages that follow; the first three constitute the official career path ('cur­ sus honorum') of the classical Republic; the fourth, the Tribunate of the Plebs, properly was outside of it. All regular Roman magistracies except for the censorship had (officially) a one year term of office. Consuls Instituted in (traditionally) 509 BCE, to replace the king as head of state, they were two in number; the praetorship was made a prerequi­ site for the consulship ca. 196. Eligibility for office (after 180 BCE) was 42 years of age. They gave their names to the year, with a term starting 15 March ca. 228-154; 1 January from 153 BCE. Commanders in major wars, their official power (after 327 BCE) could be extended past the year of the magistracy, for service only outside Rome. Praetors One praetor (at least later, 'Urban') 366-ca. 244 BCE; two praetors ca. 244-229; four 228-198; six 197-81; eight 80-47; and then 16 6 RUTGERS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES by 44. The quaestorship was a prerequisite after 180 BCE. Like their senior colleagues the consuls, their official power also could be extended past the year of the magistracy. The urban praetor was, in the (quite common) absence of the consuls from the city, the chief magistrate in Rome.