Coin and Conquer: The Numismatic Impact of Roman Military Activity and Empire in the Early Second Century BC

Abstract

During the late third and early second centuries BC Rome’s empire expanded immensely. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the changes in coinage both during and after Roman military activity throughout the Mediterranean basin, and then to determine how these changes illustrate Rome’s economic philosophy when considering provincial coinage. Iberia, Sicily, and Greece will be utilised as case studies for this thesis, each demonstrating a unique numismatic reaction to their incorporation into the Roman empire. Additionally, this thesis will explore the Mediterranean’s active Market economy during the second century BC, and both the history of Roman coinage, and the contemporary numismatic situation occurring within Rome during the second century BC. By presenting these case studies this thesis demonstrates that ancient coinage is a tangible piece of evidence for the analysis of how Rome perceived their role as an Imperial power, and the power dynamic in relation to the provincial people which accompanied it. Further, coinage is brought forward as a valuable source of evidence during a period where contemporary historical literature is scarce, and therefore, the numismatic record brings to light the local monetary response to their developing political environment.