guy

A more academic article on these tokens (spintriae): "Is That a Spintria in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Pleased to See Me?" [broken link] Cecil Adams argues against some of the theories from the above article about these being brothel tokens: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2355/pay-for-play guy also known as gaius

Of course, Roman coins were minted throughout the Empire. In Egypt, these coins were primarily minted in Alexandria.** Like most Roman coins, the obverse (front) would usually have an image of the Emperor or members of his family. Unlike coins minted in Latin Rome, however, the legends are in Greek. (See examples below.) This reflects the pervasive Hellenization of Egypt's ruling elite. The Reverse of Egyptian coins are unique. They could be images unique to Egypt such the Egyptian god Serapis (a composite god of Hellenistic and Egyptian deities introduced by Ptolemy I) or the Egyptian eagle. They could also include images of the Greek gods of Nike, Zeus, Athena, Homonoia, or Elpis (among others), reflecting the great Hellenistic influence in Alexandria. Uniquely, they also show the actual year of mintage. The letter L is used for the year followed by the regnal year (year of the reign) of the ruling Emperor. Knowing the years of the Emperor's rule, it was possible to determine which year the coin was minted. According to Kenneth Harl, in his book Coinage in the Roman Economy, Egypt created the world's first successful fiduciary currency. (Fiduciary currency cannot be redeemed for a monetary reserve of a precious metal such as gold or silver. This is similar to paper currency or modern coinage.) Roman coins in Egypt where made from billon, an alloy consisting of a majority base metal (such as copper or, in the Egyptian coins' case, bronze) mixed with a smaller percentage of a precious metal (usually silver). Since the Egyptian economy was a closed one (coins did not circulate into or out of Egypt), its coins did not compete with circulating gold and silver coins from the rest of the Empire. Coins made in Egypt were less than 25% silver, but earned the trust of Egyptians, who constituted 10 to 15 percent of the Empire's population, for more than two centuries. Harl adds, "There was little risk of an inflationary spiral set off by the dynamics of 'Gresham's law'* whereby bad money chases out good money." These coins help to document and preserve the unique cultural identity of Egypt in Ancient Rome All these Romano-Egyptian coins were reasonably priced and purchased from forumancientcoins.com. This is an excellent site for purchasing Ancient Roman coins. Coins from this site are well researched, thoroughly attributed, authenticated, and guaranteed. Although the images and most of the attributions are from forumancientcoins, I take full responsibilty for any incorrect information. I highly recommend this site for the purchase of Ancient coins. (One needs to be logged in to view these coins. Go to the bottom of the link to see all the coins): http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?autoco...si&img=2960 An interesting reference on Roman coins in Egypt: http://www.coinsofromanegypt.org/html/collection.htm guy also known as gaius * Symbol L http://www.coinsofromanegypt.org/html/library/bmc_intro/html%20files/chronology.html#symbolL Gresham’s Law: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresham's_law

Let us know if you find any Roman coins. (See our Numismatica section as there are several videos on coin finds from digs.) guy also known as gaius

Nice post. Thank you. I guess this hoard reflects the (not always friendly) rivalry between two of the superpowers of the age: a decaying Byzantine Empire and a growing Venetian Empire. Soon, both these empires would face their greatest enemy, the Ottoman Turks. The Byzantine Empire would eventually fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The Venetian Empire would survive its struggles with the Ottoman Empire, but would be critically weakened. guy

According to the quizz: Horatius Flaccus, Hadrian, Lucretius, Gaius Marius, Livius... How I really feel: When I feel studious: Galen, the physician. When I feel decadent (but noble): Gaius Petronius as depicted in Quo Vadis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAzzFJgH-ww I love Petronius's insincere flattery of the degranged Nero in this scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP2b_TSh95w guy also known as gaius

I'm sorry. I misread the title of this post. I thought you were referring to another type of "pot." http://www.joezias.com/HealthHealingLandIsrael.htm My bad. guy also known as gaius

I would probably live near my ancestral home in Regium (modern day Reggio Emila), on the via Aemilia, near the ancient towns of Parma and Mutina (Modena). Interestingly, Lucius Vorenus, one of the main characters from HBO's Rome was from that area. It is a rich agricultural area near the Po river, in the rich plains between the Alps and Apennine mountains. Sadly, it was the site of many barbarian invasions throughout its history. guy also known as gaius

Respectfully, I think this is too simplistic of a characterization of "Third Century Rome." This is from the description of Micheal Grant's great (but out of print) book Climax of Rome: The period between the accession of Marcus Aurelius in AD 161 and the death of Constantine the Great in 337 is often seen as little more than a protracted interval between the glories of the ancient world and the genesis of medieval Europe. This book shows a much more creative picture of this time - despite internal strife and wars along vast frontiers, there was a stupendous military achievement which preserved the Empire for several centuries. This overal stability allowed Roman civilization to flourish, combining "an artistic, literary, spiritual and political brilliance with unparalleled lavishness". In these two centuries Michael Grant finds the climax of "a terrible but marvellous age" guy also known as gaius

Here's a video on some coins from the Jewish revolt of AD 66-70. I can't vouch for their authenticity, but they at least have the appearance of the real coins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI2l_ngPzYA...feature=related Similarly, here are two videos of some of the famous "Widow's mite" coins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp1E7HmiRUk...eos=P-mXy-PWQjc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzEnP0xoruQ...eos=GKEwG01ol_Y I can't vouch for the authenticity of any of the above coins. Here's some interesting background information about "Widow's mites" from a very reputable site: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/r...ns.asp?vpar=812 guy also known as gaius

The works of Galen, the great physician of Greek descent who first practiced in Rome around AD 161, are a great example of the stagnation of intellectual thought. While alive, he challenged rigid dogma, exposed fraudulent practitioners, and furthered intellectual development of the medical sciences. After he died, however, Galen

Here's a newer video on the Ancient Roman coins found at the site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy3pIvd-RvY guy also known as gaius

That title doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering that calling Stilicho a Vandal would be like calling Obama a Kenyan. They both had parents who were those but that doesn't make them such. Unfortunately, the title makes perfect sense. Even today, there are those who doubt Obama's citizenship and legitimacy as a president. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_...piracy_theories There must have been even more of a tendency in Ancient Rome to see others as "outsiders" based on their social background or ethnic origen. guy also known as gaius

Interesting. Does that mean the artists were no longer capable of mastering Greek and just copying shapes? Seems a bit odd for this period. I would rather think the Greek language and alphabet were being progressively displaced and even forgotten with the advance of time after the Seleucid defeat; Aramaic seems to have been the new regional lingua franca. Supporting your point, here is an interesting quote from Rev. Richard Plant's A Numsmatic Journey through the Bible: "Thus the legends on the coins of Parthia...are inscribed [initially] entirely in Greek, which starts as good, readable Greek, becoming nonsensical in later times--until suddenly around 140 AD, if we look carefully, we notice that something has happened: http://www.parthia.c...s/pdc_40348.jpg AR drachm Parthia. Mithradates IV c 140 [AD]. Obv: Diademed portrait of king. Rev: Seated archer with "nonsense Greek" around--but look at the top of the reverse! This has suddenly become readable Aramaic, reading [the top line] (from right to left), Mithradara malka, 'Mithradates the King.' The other lines are in illegible Greek. Source of picture: Parthia.com. The Gonnella collection

Remember, Numimatics isn't just the study of coins. It also includes the study of tokens and medals. The following are Ancient Roman tokens. They are probably tokens to a brothel or game pieces. These erotic tokens are called spintriae (singular: spintria): (Remember, mature adult readers only): http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?searc...mp;a=&l=#19 One can only wonder what the numbers on the reverse represent. Here's an interesting theory about these spintriae:

Looks like an interesting exhibit in Philadelphia dealing with Ancient Rome's influence on the United States, especially early colonial and revolutionary America: Quote from an article in the Wall Street journal: By JULIA M. KLEIN Philadelphia "During their long separations, John Adams and his wife, Abigail, exchanged more than 1,000 letters. As the American struggle for independence intensified, Abigail signed off as "Portia," the wife of the Roman senator Brutus. But Adams never responded in kind, perhaps because of a reluctance to identify so brazenly with Julius Caesar's assassin. This story, from the exhibition "Ancient Rome & America," underlines the importance to early America of classical models

During the last half of the Roman Empire, Rome's major opponent was disease. After disease, their next major opponent was themselves. Foreign enemies were able to exploit Rome's weaknesses after Rome had either been devastated by disease or weakened by one of their many civil wars. Although the Parthians may not have penetrated much beyond Asia Minor, the plague the Romans brought home during the war with Parthia (known as the Antonine plague or the plague of Galen) extended to the heart of the Roman empire and the city of Rome, probably causing the deaths of two emperors (Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus). guy also known as gaius

Article on John Hannah who plays Batiatus: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/ne...nnah15_ST_N.htm guy also known as gaius

Patience with me on this one. It appears that Italy is demanding a permit on Ancient Roman coins exported to the United States...even one found in England. Ouch. Here's an article dealing with the subject: http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/...-speak-out.html Oh, the insanity. I know its difficult reading. But if this agreement is passed, it could have a devastating impact on the collection and study of Ancient Roman coins. Here's an important part of the article: Why oppose these import restrictions? Because Roman coins are at the very core of the cultural experience that we all treasure. They have circulated all over the known world in antiquity and since through trade and collector markets. It is impossible to distinguish a Roman coin found in Britain, for example, from exactly the same type, mint, etc found in Italy. Requiring an export permit from Italy on a coin found and legally exported from Britain would not only be impractical, it would not have any legal foundation. guy also known as gaius

*Unfortunately this is unlikely since decimalisation in the late 60's. A QV penny is somewhat different from a modern penny so a 'modern British' analogy would have to be finding a QV shilling as the modern 5P is based on the same size as an old shilling. Mind you having said that not long back we found an old Victorian coin stuck inside a secret drawer of a piece of furniture on sale in an antique shop but that's another story Point well made. (One can guess on which side of the Atlantic I reside.) Hey, wait a minute.... You mean I can't spend those farthings I collected as a kid on my trip to England? Well, thanks for reading my post, anyway. I think the analogy of old coins in modern American change is still valid, however. guy also known as gaius

Here's an interesting video of Roman Republic coins found in Cheshire, England. Sorry. The video was disabled. See the video in a post #5. According to the video some of these coins date from 109 BCE. These coins would predate Caesar's visit to Britain (55-54 BCE) and Claudius's arrival (AD 43) by many years. Instead of being decirculated (like modern coinage), many older Roman coins would continue to be used in Ancient Rome more than a hundred years after they were minted. A possible analogue would be finding an Indian Head penny in modern American change or a Queen Victoria penny in British change. guy also known as gaius Addendum: I made out this not so rare coin of Augustus at 0:58 of the newer video: http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?searc...amp;a=&l=#0 The reverse shows two heirs and grandsons of Augustus (both of whom prematurely died): Lucius and Gaius. They are holding honorary shields and spears. Also pictured are a ladle and lituus. Lucius died in AD 2, followed by his brother Gaius in AD 4. These coins were probably brought to Britain after AD 43 when Claudius returned after Caesar's departure almost a century earlier. guy also known as gaius

Heaven forbid! Is this supposed to be controversial? Many of us question the sanity of religious fundamentalists. On the other hand, not many people are willing to question the science behind some of the global warming dogma / hysteria. Well, who knows? Maybe someone will dare to question humoral theory (that was scientific dogma for nearly two thousand years). But why contradict "the view of most scientists"? guy also known as gaius

Happy 420 guy also known as gaius

I used to smoke cigars, but no longer. My asthma has been acting up. I love Amsterdam, but I wouldn't admit to smoking anything there. I really love the Dutch art, however. I'd much rather have a heated argument about Leuktra than any modern topic. guy also known as gaius

I think you are both correct, but let's ask Professor Kagan: The Battle of Leuctra begins at 25:00 The issue of cavalry at 33:11 guy also known as gaius

Video evidence of the battle guy also known as gaius