Classical Numismatics Discussion
  Welcome Guest. Please login or register. All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities Welcome Guest. Please login or register. Internet challenged? We Are Happy To Take Your Order Over The Phone 252-646-1958 Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Support Our Efforts To Serve The Classical Numismatics Community - Shop At Forum Ancient Coins

New & Reduced


Author Topic: Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?  (Read 2784 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?
« on: June 07, 2008, 03:52:47 am »
Hadrian's return to Rome from his second great provincial tour c. 131 AD was commemorated by two common coin types with legend FORTVNAE REDVCI: Fortuna Redux is depicted either seated by herself, holding rudder and cornucopia, or standing and welcoming Hadrian, again holding cornucopia and sometimes with rudder on ground behind her.  The denarius and sestertius below from CoinArchives illustrate these two main types.
Curtis Clay

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2008, 04:12:57 am »
A rare variant of the seated type that occurs on denarii only has the shorter legend FORT REDVCI and adds, oddly enough, a wheat ear as adjunct.  The wheat ear may be in exergue, as on the first denarius below that I acquired in 1997 (the bottom arm of the E in REDVCI was not struck up).  It may be placed diagonally under the throne, as on the second denarius that I acquired three years ago, and on the third, a bust variant, that just arrived today.  Or it may grow in the ground behind the throne, as on the fourth coin below, a denarius in BM.
Curtis Clay

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2008, 05:07:07 am »
The meaning of the wheat ear was probably this:  "Rome's wheat supply is assured, now that the emperor himself has returned to the capital!"

We may deduce this meaning from Tacitus' account of Nero's sudden cancellation of a planned trip to the East in 64 AD.  According to Tacitus, the people of Rome welcomed Nero's decision to remain in Rome, "because of their desire for entertainments and, their particular concern, because they feared deficiencies in the grain supply, if the emperor were abroad." It's easy to understand that the emperor's absence might encourage negligence or corruption among the officials responsible for the grain supply, which would be hard to suppress because the boss was away and everybody else could just pass the buck!

Similarly when Severus Alexander was away on his Persian and German campaigns in 231-235 AD, he struck Annona continuously as one of his five main types, but with the legend PROVIDENTIA AVG, "The Foresight of the Emperor", promising that though he was away, he would be carefully monitoring Rome's grain supply!
Curtis Clay

Offline Numerianus

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1181
  • I love this forum!
Re: Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2008, 05:56:40 am »
Very interesting analysis!

One may guess that the  corruption in provinces was more wide-spreaded and more important
(economically) than in Rome.

What was the meaning and the aim of the "emperor tour"? This is the question raised by Curtis.

If we shall see  the emperor's life in the optics of Roman writers,
as a permanent  entertainment,  it will be just an "entertainment tour" of the ancient "jet-set"...
It seems that such an interpretation is very far from reality. The emperor had under control the most important
office of the empire. In the tour,  he was accompanied by a numerous staff, navy and army units.
The tour was a great political event. To my opinion, it was a kind of inspection of local administration to establish a strict order. 
Hadrian is called on the coin of the trip series "Restitutor"...
So, the natural message of the subsequent series should be "The inspection was succesful. The order is restored.
The emperor governs the provinces. The food suply will be stable. "   

I was thinking a lot about Nero's canceled trip to Middle East (Egypte).
As we know, it was a problematic region.  There was a strong need for a visit of the emperor (accompanied by troops and law enforcement).  The visit was cancealed because the situation in Rome was very unstable.   

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
Re: Hadrian's return guarantees Rome's food supply?
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2008, 02:20:26 am »
In my second message above I have now added the image of the BM denarius with the wheat ear upright behind Fortuna's throne.
Curtis Clay

 

All coins are guaranteed for eternity