Between Identity and Remembrance in Roman Greece: The Numismatic Evidence for the Formation of a New Identity
Abstract
The numismatic boom in the Peloponnesian cities under the Severan dynasty, though not fully explained, is well attested.
However, in Imperial times, a few cities minted coins even before that period. With the exception of the colonies, where coinage is associated with their founding, at least one city in every region had numismatic activity. Although modest, minting is attested in two cities of Megaris and Argolis, while in the regions of Sicyonia, Elis, Messenia, and Lakonia, one mint operated in each.
The question of whether the specific character of these cities could be the cause of their numismatic production needs to be answered to shed light on the political and economic environment in the Peloponnese during the first and second centuries CE.
On the other hand, their iconographic repertoire, in comparison with earlier and later choices, can shed light on the ideological local Imperial milieu.