adventures in my head
So strange how they seem to be thrown down before the gate… Update 10/5/22: I think it is a torch (still a weird thing to leave on the ground at the gates). What convinced me was seeing the torches on this Campana plaque (relief)
” RPC 919 var. (date?). Sear, Imperators 587 var. (same). Buttrey, Studies in Numismatic Method Presented to Philip Grierson, 36. “ Crawford 30 So I was thinking about the second of these coin above, the one from Paestum, and that got me looking at this older post. The implication of Cicero’s passage seems to be… Continue reading Worrying about chairs and fasces (again)
Just wanted to juxtapose the image and the text for later reference: RRC 414/1: Ando (p.106):
As the sella curulis and fasces come up again and again on the republican coin series, I wanted to put a note up here of this iconography from Vulci (c. 300-280 BCE). This is the front of the sarcophagus of Ramtha Vishnai and Arnth Tetnies (Now in the MFA Boston). The couple join right hands… Continue reading Early Curule Chair and Fasces?
For, whereas the previous decemvirs had observed the rule of only one having the “fasces” at a time and making this emblem of royalty go to each in turn, now all the Ten suddenly appeared, each with his twelve lictors. The Forum was filled with one hundred and twenty lictors, and they bore the axes… Continue reading Fasces as Royal Symbol
I’m most interested in the objects everyone is carrying. First figure with raise arm, sholder length hair, a hair band tied in front and sleeves, seems to be holding some thing with three curved horizontal bars and a fan shaped object above (orange). The green circles mark out a pretty ordinary horn player and horn.… Continue reading 80 of 234: Etruscan Procession
I’ve been very focused in the pre 49 BCE period. This is likely to change as my research evolves over the next few years, but I realize that I am so much less familiar with coins after that date. Even ones I ‘know’ I’ve just spent less time thinking about. This might be completely obvious… Continue reading What type of axe?!
What’s up with the filleted scepter on Antony’s ship series ? Cleopatra’s ships? RRC 494/3 – Aeneas RRC 494/42-43 – Cloacina perhaps evokes Tarquin or Tatius legends?! esp the latter when paired with Concordia? Do the fasces and curule chairs disappear in the Augustan era iconography because they recall regal power (esp. given the lack… Continue reading Triumviral Regal(ish?) imagery
I’m very grateful to Prof. Sinclair W. Bell for reading the below post and sending me the following article which I had not read when I wrote the original post! I’ve annotated my original post to highlight our agreements and disagreements. —Original post with annotations based on Daoust– I am very grateful to Dr. Jeremy… Continue reading Nothing to do with coin striking
I made this when working on the first version of the coin book while on sabbatical in 2013-2014. It like so much of that first version is too fine grained for what CUP will publish. That said, It seems really useful so I’m putting it out here now. 486 – Sp. Cassius “plotted”at regal power… Continue reading Timeline of Roman Grain Supply
Liv Mariah Yarrow 