INTRODUCTION TO ROMAN ART

Roman Coinage

Numismatics is the study of coins. What did coins tell us about a people?

Advanced enough to have a currency system. Rich enough to have metals to make the

coins. Had a stable enough for their coins to be

considered of value. What purpose besides monetary value

did coins have? Effective form of propaganda and

advertisement.

Lets get Numismaticing!

The three major coins: Aureus- Gold Denarius- Silver - Worth 1/25 of an aureus Sestertius- Bronze – Worth ¼ of a denarius As- Copper - Worth ¼ of a sestertius

Standard daily wage for a laborer was one denarius.

Today's daily wage for a minimum wage worker is $60 or around $100 for a skilled worker.

Kleiner, Fred S. A History of Roman Art. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.

Kleiner, Fred S. A History of Roman Art. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.

Apollo from Veii

From the rooftop of an Etruscan temple. 510 BCE. Made of terracotta that was brightly

painted, some color still remains.

Kleiner, Fred S. A History of Roman Art. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.

Capitoline She Wolf

500 to 480 BCE. Made of Bronze. Not made by the Romans. This was

created by the Etruscans. Romulus and Remus may have been

added later.

Pg 62

Kleiner, Fred S. A History of Roman Art. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007. Print.