Tag Archive for: Romans

Agrippa’s Meeting of Kings at Tiberias

Josephus tells us of a most interesting meeting in Tiberias, apparently convened by Agrippa I (37-44 CE), grandson of Herod the Great, probably around 42 CE…

The courtesan Laïs in Corinth

Sex sells. That is common knowledge to the yellow press and tour guides alike, as early as ancient times. Already the Corinthians cashed in on that and promoted a tourist attraction of a particular kind: the tomb of the famous courtesan Laïs…

Manual to identify Roman coins

England’s Portable Antiquities Scheme is the most successful program on coin finds world-wide. No other country has won so many supporters to …

The sacred year of the Pagans – the Saecular Games

When the Pope declares a jubilee year, he stands in a tradition which is almost as old as Christianity itself. It was Augustus who created the practice of absolving mankind when nobody was still alive of those who had witnessed the beginning of the previous saeculum…

Gods Unto Themselves? Augustus and Caligula

The image of the Temple of Augustus on the sestertii of Caligula is among the most beautiful architectural motifs found on Roman coins. In its upcoming auction, Numismatica Genevensis is offering the finest known specimen of this fascinating issue.

Emperor Probus – Numismatic images of his reign

On September 14, 2018, the Philippe Gysen collection of barracks emperors’ antoniniani will be auctioned off at Paul-Francis Jacquier. The collection proves that one single person can advance research if he chooses his collecting field wisely.

Taxes for Rome

Hands up anyone who hasn’t come to be annoyed by the tangled mass of regulations accompanying our tax collection. Perhaps at different times, the situation had been better… Perhaps in Rome?

The ‘Modest Aphrodite’ from Nysa-Scythopolis (Beth Shean) and Ptolemais (Akko)

A comparison between a statue of Aphrodite found at Beth Shean and a coin type from the mint of Ptolemais reminds us of the realistic nature of statues appearing on city coins.

A temple for Honos

A coin of Trajan shows a temple for Honos in great detail. Honos? You don’t know this Roman deity? Join us and you will get to know her…

Did a British king pay gold to Augustus?

The last series of gold staters issued by British ruler Tasciovanos poses a riddle to experts as the coins differ considerably from previous series. A possible explanation now suggests that the gold staters were made as tribute money to Augustus.