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It is estimated that 700,000 people
were killed in the coliseum for entertainment.
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From the Desk of Augustus Well, the Holiday season is finally here, and I've added some specials for you down at the bottom, in case any of you were thinking of giving Roman coins as gifts. It was my pleasure to give my grandmother the oldest thing she owned last year. It was a Christ coin from about 885 AD. This issue marks my first attempt to be more of an actual publication as I have an article that was contributed by my good friend Tore. If you enjoy learning the history behind the coins, as I do, I think you will enjoy it. I've been slowing down on the selling lately and just stepping back to enjoy the coins. I think this is the greatest hobby ever! I'm about 4 1/2 Caesars into "The Twelve Caesars" and am enjoying that immensely. Without further fanfare, here are some of the coins you've been finding over the past month.
Keep up the good work, and email your finds to mcintyre@romancoins.net Thank to all of you for sharing your finds. Bits of History Collecting ancient coins is a fascinating hobby, but the names and years make little sense if nothing else is known. Something can be found in the descriptions to the coins on wildwinds.com and cngcoins.com, but these are only short summaries and really don't tell much. To me the best experience is to sit with a coin (or several) beside me while reading the words of those who actually were there and saw the persons depicted on the coins. Or, as is the case with Julius Caesar, - reading the story as he himself tells it. Reading his own version feels like opening a gap between his time and mine and really makes it all come alive, especially as I can look at his portrait on a coin he might even have held himself and that definitely was used to pay one of his soldiers.... Does it get better? How to build a summary of the many available sources? I'll skip most discussion of the credibility of sources, if you get any of these books the introductions will deal with that. I'll start this with a later work and work my way back through the centuries, this because the most coins you will find in uncleaned lots are late roman. It will not be totally chronological, though. Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Latin historian. Anyone collecting Late Roman coins should read him. He was a Greek officer who took part in many of the great and horrible events of the years 354-378. His career took him close to Constantius II, Constantius Gallus, Julian the Apostate, Jovian, Valentinian and Valens. He was a pagan in a time when Christianity took hold of the empire but is quite fair and impartial. His account of the short life of Constantius Gallus and the horrible treason trials by Valens stand out, as well as his own experiences in Julians disastrous persian campaign. He was personally involved in electing Jovian after Julians death. 6 fictitious writers were supposed to have composed the Augustan History. My copy, the penguin classics edition, covers the period from Hadrian to Elagabalus, 117 -222. The original work is longer and covers the time up to 284, but the work is full of fiction and the most outrageous inventions are in the later part... Not considered worth printing. It is a racy and Juicy history and covers a period where we lack other good sources so it is an important work. Laugh and enjoy it, but be aware that you may not get the literal truth here... Tacitus is one of the greatest and most readable Latin historians ever. He published several works, most notably “the Histories”. That is the story of the events of 68/69. 69 described as “the long single year”. From Nero's suicide in despair as Galba, the rebel general from Spain, came knocking on Rome's gates through the chaos that led Otho, then Vitellius to their short spells of power and finally to Vespasians ascension that brought peace and stability to Rome, Tacitus shows us how fickle fate could be in those days. This is a great work! “The annals of imperial Rome”, covering the period 14-68, are also definitely worth reading. Here you will find the lives of Tiberius, Gaius (Caligula), Claudius and Nero. He also wrote the life of his father in law, Agricola, and a work on Germania. Both well worth reading. For those especially interested in Britain's history “the Agricola” must be read... Suetonius is perhaps the most famous of all. The legendary author of “the Twelve Caesars” must be mentioned in any article about ancient sources to the history of Rome. Covering Julius Caesar to Domitian, 85 B.C. (where the “life” of Caesar starts)-96. His fascinating and racy story is based on a careful study of sources and eye-witness accounts. Accurate, but also fond of a good story, Suetonius is readable and re-readable. Gaius Julius Caesar himself wrote long detailed reports of his wars in Gaul and Britain and also a long account of the civil war against Pompeius Magnus. My penguin classics copy also contains further accounts by his friends and soldiers, most notably Aulus Hirtius who struck some of Caesars Gold coins. Reading his own accounts of those events is a fantastic experience, not only is it written by the man himself, its also outstandingly well written and will keep you reading for hours. Find the time to read these and you`ll enjoy your coin collection a lot more. If there`s interest I`ll continue back to republican times next time and may also present Greek sources or make a special on sources about the roman military etc... You, who read this, decide what is to follow. Please send your comments to mcintyre@romancoins.net Bits of History (2)Urbis Romae As many of you know, I am a librarian by trade. Digitization is my specialty, and I have taken many bits of history and made them available on the web. If you ever get the urge to look into Aerospace history you can take a look at some of my work at www.gl.iit.edu/wadc. That being said, I was reading on my listserv the other day when I received an interesting message. A group of scholars is digitizing the statue of David. Being a Michelangelo fan, I decided to take a look (it is work related after all). Much to my surprise, not only did I find the David, but I also found much more. It seems that in Ancient Rome there was a large marble map of the city and surrounding area. Only 10-15% of the map survives, and the surviving sections are broken into 1,186 fragments. Finding matching pieces is very difficult, because of the way marble breaks. Researchers at Stanford decided to employ digital technologies to digitize the map in 3D and then write algorithms that will help put the map together. The Forma Urbis Romae depicted the ground plan of every building and monument in the imperial city at a scale of 1:240. The researchers have gone through all kinds of tests, including breaking marble slabs to see how marble breaks, and testing their program on the pieces. Rather than go into it in detail, I will just pass along the web address. I hope you will find it as much fun as I did, reading about the project, and looking at the pieces. There is even a piece you can download and look at in a free 3-D viewer. Enjoy. The address is: http://formaurbis.stanford.edu/index.html
Deals I wanted to put together some good deals together for the holidays for anyone who reads my newsletter. If you are wanting to give the gift of history to someone, now is the time to order. Gift Pack #1 - Uncleaned Coins Special
A $105 value for only $95. International S&H is considerably more for the book. Just contact me at mcintyre@romancoins.net Gift Pack #2 - Biblical Coin Special
Approximately a $65 value for $50. Just contact me at mcintyre@romancoins.net Gift Pack #3 - Ultimate Gift Pack
$125 value for $110. International S&H is considerably more for the book. Just contact me at mcintyre@romancoins.net If you are looking for something special and unique, I have Shekels of Tyre for sale which are the type of silver coin that Judas was paid for the betrayal of Jesus. Just contact me at mcintyre@romancoins.net
"Bruised Coins" In addition, I have several thousand "bruised" uncleaned coins. These are coins that, for one reason or another, I will not include in my regular $1.50 lots. They are broken, chipped, cracked, bent, or show slugs. However, there are many rare coins in the lot. I have watched them go past and can identify Nero and Augustus on many occasions, and there is also some low-grade silver in the group. They just are not perfect coins for my regular lots. They also make great practice coins for zapping, or for testing new cleaning methods. I offer these to you for .25 each (100 for $25.00) + S&H. Small Coins In addition, I have several thousand uncleaned coins that are too small to include in my regular lots. These are mostly dime-sized or smaller. Many show good detail before cleaning, and nothing is wrong with them except that they are smaller than your average coin. There is an opportunity to find many rare varieties in this lot. Some small Byzantine coins are worth hundreds. If you are interested in these coins, I will sell them for .65/each (100 for $65.00) + S&H. Just contact me at mcintyre@romancoins.net if you are interested in any of these offers. I have several auctions up as well, if you are interested, Check Out Auctions. Crossword Puzzle First, I apologize for the last crossword. "I _______" for "I Claudius" was a horrible clue. Hopefully I have done better on this one. Enjoy, and let me know if there are any improvements to be made. Remember, I'm new to this crossword stuff. Bible Coins
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