durina the late pcnod „f the Rcpul.lic. patricians foin roiicaions, even if ,mi sncilKallv ,nr,„„,n.-,l 



paid exorlutant prices lur statuarv works.'- or. in l,v the anthors. prohal.ly had their phu e ol l„>nur 



PHny's words: ". . . tiiere is an ahnost more violent anion..; many art ol^ec ts. There is direct coimneni 



passion for works of hue handicralt. . . . the orator on an aspect of coin colleclino; I'iinv is surprised to 



Lucius Clrassus h.id a pair . ,f chased i;ohiets. ihe learn that "spurious methods are ohj.cts of siiulv. 



work ofthe artist Mentor, (hat cost llin.lllMl sestertii."-' and a s.nripl.- of a foi-ed .lenarius is caivhillv e.x- 



.Aus^ustus himself indul-.-d in the pleasures of the aniined .nid the .idulleraled coin is lu.w^ht foi more 



collector, and it was said that he was e.xceediiii^jy ih.iii <;eiuiine ones." '"' 



fond of fine furniture and C:orinthian vessels. His In Liter periods, hnin die Idi (ciiIuia' and f.ir into 



houses he adorned not so iiiucli with statues ,ind pic- the ':\h ccniury .\.l)., l.ime inedallioiis in hron/e and 



turcs as with "thii]<.;s which were curious, either for t;oId were dislriliuted hv the empenjrs on special 



their anticpiity or r.iritv." .At his retre.il in Capri occasions.-" These lokens ,,r im|jeii.il inuniliceiiec 



he had -Mui^e liniiis of sea-monsters . . . and also functionally coiiil)ined their role as historical ri-cords 



arms of ancient lieros." ■" We can safelv assume (hat with their more h.isii .ispecl ,is ol>iecls of monetary 



some beautiful coins loimd tfieir wav into the same value-— Ijotli of which ( .lused these picics to he kept 



collection since they were t;i\en occasionallv as '^ifts. and treasured. 



MIDDLE AGES AND EARLY RENAISSANCE 



With the decline of Rome's ]iolitical miuht — forces to them; others a'.;ain wer<- carried .iw.i\ 1 1\- 



undermined li\ economic chaos and sulijected to the admiration inspind h\ the immeiisitv of Rom. in 



stcadilv nniwini; pressure of imathnn p,-,,plrs from niins, the we.iltli of prime maleri.il, the |ieileili( f 



the East — Rom. in cultiiic .ind civilization soon were m innf ictiire " ■*" 



on the vera:c of collapse. The leisure of the^'ijolden \ r. i i , .• ■ ■ 



^ ' ^ \ei\' olten old p,i'_;,in representations were .isvimi- 



era" of .Augustus or Hadii.m was t^one, and rclro- 



spectiw or coiUenipl.itix e occupations like coin 

 collectint; certaiiiK' were out of place. Mon ii\'-r, 

 the rise of Clhristianitv , with its stron<; ascetic spirit. 



l,iti.'d as Clhristi.iii s\iiiliols, and it w.is not i.ire lor 

 ,1 Hercules or an .\plirodi(e to he regarded ,is (Ihiist, 

 the Good Slie|).ird, oi the \ ii'_;in. .Ancient yciiis with 



,11 1 I I I • .■ .• • , iii\lholo"ical siihietts were inisiiiteriiretrd ,md ohen 



hardlv would help promote mxestiuations into coins. ^ ' ' 



which reflected a p.^.in p.ist populated hy nods, u.kI- '''"■ ''lt"l"ii''l sMpern.itui.il pow.-is. M.ueoxvi, 

 desses, and heroes, .ill with a stron- empli.isis on sekloin did .incient coins hiil to he reu.irded as 



physical beauty. .As a result, ancient coins for t.ilismans; " their insi liplioiis prcs.iiieik in most 

 the most part remained in ofilivion. The Middle cases, an addition, il elinieni ol mysiilu .itioii. .\ 

 Aires, with its lioiisehokl-centered econonn', with ckissic example is a letr.iih .lehm nl Kliod<'s, incor- 

 trade and tra\el icfhiced to a minimum, knew little rectly identified for cenliiiii-s .is uiie of llu- "ihiil\- 

 about coins. While yold circulated freelv in the pieces of silver" for which jiid. is iietr.iy<-d the .S.i\ iour 

 Byzantine Empire, the man in the West seldom saw ^^-^,^ 4, j,i ^n,,,,!,,., insi.nu ,-. .i nuld s,,|idns struck 

 more than small silver coins. Under such circum- 

 stances any collection of coins had onlv a slim ch.iiui' 

 of sur\i\in<; the <;reat scarcitv of mint.iiile niet.ih 

 The attitude of tin- Middle .Aties tow.ird works ol 

 art — and ini|:)licitl\' coins- can Liest lie ch.iracterized 



as follows: "'.Some saw in them monuments cil idol.ilrv 



, , , , , -I . 1 • ^'- A,jiiii,il lliilcir \\\\n. xlvi. n.?. 



and as such repro\-ed them; others attnlmlefl manic /-i.nn. c^-, ,■,-,,, /,„■,/„./,„„; 



ill die IKinie of I-'.mpeldi /eiio (.\.|). -I 1 I'M I w.is 

 worshipped ill .Mil, in, ll.iK. .is '■.irycnto dei tre 

 m.iui," or the coin oilered iiy the Magi to the int.int 

 Christ."* 



,i„nt (l>)12). 



.'2 Of. MuNSTFRnrRG. op. (it., |i. 271; RiciniK, -A C.r,!, 'MiNIZ. /.m /■m,„u»,. ,A A^ /,>-,„;,•>>,;,„, (IHS.2). ..s < lr,l 



.Silver Phiale," p. 385 

 ^■' Pli.nv .Katural I, 

 irnfiniis ii. 7. 14. 

 " .SuETO.Nius, Lim of tl„- 'Iwrlve Camus: Augustus, Ixviii-lxx. vol. 1, i;"l 



PAPER 32: NUMis.\i.\ric:s — .an .ANCUENT St:lKN(:E 



inliAlJIMIN. I Ulll,'. Vii\. I.iol "S. 



^3 Pliny .Katural IIf.l„ry xxxiii. liii. 147; Ci.iiro IV/nm i" M,: i v. -l,. luiiiusui.i l.,u-nrnsr ,lr 1 .M V ( I ST). 



Oralwnsn. 7. 14. ' '" "" ' ■ ""''"'/" /'"'""- "/ f'''"'>'> !'■ '"; H\i'""N> /"••''. 



11 



