ancient coins

Memory and impression: A walk-through in the Peloponnese.

Memory and impression: A walk-through in the Peloponnese.

Tegea, 12–13 December 2019 The event is set to function as a herald of the temporary exhibition Memory and impression: A walk-through in the Peloponnese using ancient coins as a guide (to open in May 2020 at the Archaeological Museum of Tegea). The contributions to the Colloquium include perspectives by historians, numismatists, archaeologists, art historians, and so on, broadening the spectrum of the approaches and the information to be offered.  Organisers: KIKPE – Stassinopoulos-Viohalco Foun... »

Happy and Healthy 2015

Happy and Healthy 2015

I am so happy this year that I cannot help but want to wish the same for Love of History followers. Let us face it, some of you have been following this blog unfailingly for the past 5 years. As I am getting ready to take it to the next level, I would like to thank you for your support and eager readership. Without the encouraging comments and interesting discussions I would not have been able to keep at it for so long. So, enjoy the new articles and posts I will be uploading from time to time a... »

The power of the Roman state in the cities of Northern Turkey. The coin evidence

The power of the Roman state in the cities of Northern Turkey. The coin evidence

Pontus and Paflagonian Coinage in the Late Republic and the Early Empire Already before the annexation of northern Asia Minor by the Romans, the cities of Pontus (around 12 of them) produced their own bronze currencies, which circulated throughout the region. Most of the types on these coins include Mithridatic connotations based on the association of the royal line with the God Dionysus. During the period immediately before the Roman annexation (85-65 BC), we observe a profusion of 12 different... »

Happy New Old Life!

Happy New Old Life!

  Christmas is time for deep reflection on the past and happy thoughts for the future. At least for me! I always use the free time to understand better what I achieved so far, and what I would like to target in the future. For some disturbing reason, this year I decided to return to the past! As a historian, it would seem to be the obvious choice for many. And yet, it is not the obvious choice for me. For the past year I was dealing almost exclusively with innovative companies. In a sense, ... »

Teaching Ancient Coins: A Ray of Hope

Following my latest post on the problems of teaching numismatics, I thought I should offer also some hope. The first solution that springs to mind is to “Teach the Teachers”. Most ancient Historians and Classicists refrain from using coins in the classroom for paedagogical purposes. There are several reasons for this: 1) They have never been formally taught numismatists; therefore they do not know the potential of such a study, 2) They do not understand the theory of monetary economics, 3) They ... »

Teaching Ancient Coins: Identifying the Problems

Back in the old days, in order to master the discipline, the students had to have a strong background in a) Classical Archaeology, specifically Greco-roman sculpture and architecture, b) Basic knowledge of statistical analysis, c) Theory of Economic History and d) Political Theory. As far as I know, none of our British students have such a background. This is not a typically British characteristic. In fact, our colleagues in Frankfurt, where the subject is taught regularly, informed me that thes... »

No more Abbreviations, please!

Have you ever been able to take a glimpse of a numismatic catalogue? It is the apotheosis of Abbreviations in ancient history. Each line has so many abbreviations that you need a second book to decipher them. I find it very difficult to understand the symbolism behind every small cluster of letters and I suppose that the non-experts are getting increasingly more frustrated. So why are they so popular? According to my fellow numismatists, it saves space on the page. Less pages mean less bulky boo... »