CLST 277: The World of Late Antiquity Spring Semester 2012 Dr. Jacqueline Long

Excursus: Historical Evidence beyond Texts

Goals

• To examine, as far as physical presentation or technological representation makes possible, materials for historical inquiry
• To practice conventions of describing historical evidence
• To consider what types of information non-textual evidence can yield for historical inquiry, what additional information conditions that inquiry, and how
• To assess particular items of historical evidence

Instructions Specific instructions for individual Excursus will be posted as the exercises come due - keep watching! Every Excursus includes a 250-300 word written report (1 typed page), due at the start of the period for which the Excursus is assigned. Legible typing or word-processing, correct spelling and grammar, and meticulous observance of all principles and practices of academic integrity are required.

file in progress

Excursus 1: Numismatics

• Numismatics is the study of coins, an important material source for late antique history (and other periods!).
• Take as your target for this exercise the following image borrowed for academic use from Beast Coins:
• Look at it carefully, and as your report give your best answers to the following questions:
  1. Of what material does it appear to be made? How well does its appearance coincide with what the outline "Official Values of Imperial Money, 293-307 A.D." in Dr. Harl's Currency page leads you to expect?
  2. What is the emperor on the obverse ("heads" side) wearing? Which element or elements of his costume tell you something about the value of the coin? Again consult Dr. Harl's Currency page, and refer back to question #1 above. What other details of the emperor's appearance seem distinctive and notable, based on what you know about late-imperial Roman culture: explain briefly.
  3. To the best of your ability to decipher it, what does the writing that wraps about the edges of the coin say, obverse ("heads") and reverse ("tails")? What does this "legend" tell you about the image it encloses? [Have you ever studied Latin? Does that knowledge help with this decipherment? N.b.: I'm not expecting that you have, just imagining that IF you have, it MIGHT help, and wondering whether it does.]
  4. To the best of your ability to decipher it, what is the image inside the legend on the reverse? Describe what you see, in any event. If you can identify who or what a late antique Roman probably thought this image depicted, who or what is it?
  5. Does any of this information help you to identify a date when this coin was produced? Explain briefly.
  6. Based on what you have read on the coin in this exercise, how can you best identify it as a piece of material evidence for the late antique world? Explain briefly, including also any additional significant elements you recognize in the coin, that I haven't asked about.
• The written report of this Excursus is due at the beginning of class, Friday 2 February.

Revised 30 January 2012 by jlong1@luc.edu
http://www.luc.edu/classicalstudies/