The position of Ephesus through coins
Ephesus was a city in modern-day Turkey. During the second century A.D. the city had her flouring period. In the middle of this century Ephesus was the fourth biggest city of the eastern Roman Empire. People from various cultures gathered in Ephesus. The protective goddess of the city, Artemis, was known and loved in almost the entire empire. This quote of Pausanius, a traveller from the second century A.D., shows the admiration that people had for the city:
“The land of the Ionians had the finest possible climate, and sanctuaries such as are to be found nowhere else. First of these, because of its size and wealth, is that of the Ephesian goddes (7.5.4).”
Why was this city so attractive? This website will provide a brief explanation of the glory days of the city and her cult. How did the city ‘promote’ itself in a region that was under influence of the empire? We will take a look at multiple coins on which the cult is pictured. Afterwards, we will discuss this phenomenon using modern communication and network theories. This combination is new and innovative in this section of science. The following video shows the grandeur of the temple of Artemis.
“The land of the Ionians had the finest possible climate, and sanctuaries such as are to be found nowhere else. First of these, because of its size and wealth, is that of the Ephesian goddes (7.5.4).”
Why was this city so attractive? This website will provide a brief explanation of the glory days of the city and her cult. How did the city ‘promote’ itself in a region that was under influence of the empire? We will take a look at multiple coins on which the cult is pictured. Afterwards, we will discuss this phenomenon using modern communication and network theories. This combination is new and innovative in this section of science. The following video shows the grandeur of the temple of Artemis.
Artemis
Artemis of Ephesus was the protective goddess of the city. She is famous because of her conspicuous appearance. She has multiple breasts on her chest. Her veil is covered with images of animals and mythological creatures. These animals and creatures refer to the natural world and to the cosmological and astrological order. Sometimes she is accompanied by two stags. The stags refer to the hunt. At almost every image on coins she is holding fillets in her hands, which reach to the ground. |
Coins & comparison
For the three ages following the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. the coinage of the Roman Empire is classified under the name ‘Roman provincial coinage’. These coins were produced under imperial order and circulated widely. It was common for cities to produce mints under their own name. Sometimes coins were struck to celebrate alliances with other cities. But most of the time symbols were used to refer to the city itself.
For this website we will make a selection from the database. The mints that are depicted here show the most useful outcomes of this research. You can clearly see the differences between the coins from the first century A.D., the coins from the second century A.D. and the mints struck in the third century A.D.
For the three ages following the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. the coinage of the Roman Empire is classified under the name ‘Roman provincial coinage’. These coins were produced under imperial order and circulated widely. It was common for cities to produce mints under their own name. Sometimes coins were struck to celebrate alliances with other cities. But most of the time symbols were used to refer to the city itself.
For this website we will make a selection from the database. The mints that are depicted here show the most useful outcomes of this research. You can clearly see the differences between the coins from the first century A.D., the coins from the second century A.D. and the mints struck in the third century A.D.
According to Jas Elsner, there is a clear development. He says that the earlier coins show an imperial acknowledgment of the importance of a provincial eastern cult, and a civic alignment on the part of the Ephesians with the charisma of the imperial centre. The mints from the first century A.D. include an image of a proud Artemis statue. The later coins from the third century A.D. completely differ from earlier coins. Instead of only depicting the Artemis cult, coins from the third century A.D. show imperial temples surrounding the temple of Artemis. This indicates that the Roman Empire is more of an influence on what is depicted on the coins of Ephesus. This theorem of Elsner, seems to be significant looking at the data from my research. But another phenomenon has been discovered during my analysis.
The third mint depicted here shows emperor Décius. The reverse of the coin looks a lot like the first mint. Décius tried to force his people in to honouring the gods of the Roman Empire again. This could be the reason why those mints are so alike. This brings us to the most important conclusion from this research; the flexibility of the Artemis cult. There is no such thing as a solid development. The city, along with her coins, seems to adjust to the evolvement of the society and her region. We can see this aspect by looking at the mint from the second century A.D. This mint includes an image of Artemis and Apollo (another Roman god). It was common for eastern imperial cities to use religious images on their coins. But why did they do this? |
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Combination with communication theories
Mints were used to promote a city. Via mints Ephesus could show its identity. They chose to use an image of the Artemis cult on their mints. This was a very clever choice. In antiquity, religion was one of the most important things in life. Seeing a religious picture on a coin satisfies the ‘sense-making mechanism’ of human beings. We have the need to belong somewhere. Therefore, cities used religious images that people could relate to.
Having an image that is similar to its identity is best for the credibility and persuasiveness of a city. Therefore, it is important to stay consistent. However, Ephesus due to the variety of images shown on the coins does not show consistency. I think it is impossible to stay continuous over a period of three ages.
Mints were used to promote a city. Via mints Ephesus could show its identity. They chose to use an image of the Artemis cult on their mints. This was a very clever choice. In antiquity, religion was one of the most important things in life. Seeing a religious picture on a coin satisfies the ‘sense-making mechanism’ of human beings. We have the need to belong somewhere. Therefore, cities used religious images that people could relate to.
Having an image that is similar to its identity is best for the credibility and persuasiveness of a city. Therefore, it is important to stay consistent. However, Ephesus due to the variety of images shown on the coins does not show consistency. I think it is impossible to stay continuous over a period of three ages.
Network theory
What is network theory and how could it be used in this research? Network Theory is a modern way of doing your analysis. Communities or people are nodes. Ties connect important nodes in the network. These ties stand for the connections between the nodes. Ties can be strong or weak. When a node attracts a lot of ties, it becomes a hub. For more information about network theory see references below. How is the theory applicable to this subject? There are multiple ways to do this. I think the best solution is to make Ephesus the centre of the network. In other words, Ephesus becomes the hub of the network. Places where the Artemis cult is known or recognized become nodes in the network. We call this kind of network; a network at the meso-level. The meso-level includes conversations between households in a community. In addition they look at the connection between those communities. Other levels are the micro-level and the macro-level. The micro-level includes near interactions, like conversations between two people. The macro-level is about regional interactions. Long distance links exists in these kinds of networks. This map from the archaeological book of Robert Fleischer can serve as a starting. This map shows all the places where coins including images of the cult were found. Furthermore he describes several cult statues found in the Mediterranean. |
To conclude; Ephesus ‘promoted’ itself through coins in antiquity. To use coins with Artemis depicted on it, was a very clever choice. People could relate to the religious image and feel satisfied. This is also due to the flexibility of the Artemis cult.
F.K.
Further reading:
de Bois, L. & van der Spek, R.J. Een kennismaking met de Oude Wereld, Uitgeverij Coutinho, 2010.
Elsner, Jas. “The Origins of the Icon: Pilgrimage, Religion and Visual Culture in the Roman East as ‘Resistance’ to the Centre.” In The Early Roman Empire in the East. Oxbow Monograph 95,1997.
Fleischer, Robert. Artemis von Ephesos: und verwandte Kultstatuen aus Anatolien und Syrien. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1973.
Howego, Christopher & Heuchert, Volkert & Burnett, Andrew. Coinage and Identity in the Roman provinces. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Knappett, Carl. An Archaeology of Interaction. Network Perspectives on Material Culture and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
van Nijf, Onno, M. & Williamson, Christina, G. “Netwerken, panhelleense festivals en de globalisering van de Hellenistische wereld”, Groniek 200 (2014).
van Riel, Cees B.M. Identiteit & Imago. 4e druk Den Haag: BIM Media B.V, 2010.
Scherrer, Peter. Ephesus the New Guide. Selcuk: Graphis Ltd, 2000.
Online encyclopedia:
Oxford Classical Dictionary. At: http://www.oxfordreference.com
Used online database:
Roman Provincial Coinage Online. At: http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Sources of images:
Artemis: https://bleon1.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/biblical-ephesus-harbor-street-and-artemis-temple/
BMC 231, RIC 119: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/392868767464713815/
BMC 229, RIC 119: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s1839.html
Waddington, 6158, pl. : Howego, Christopher & Heuchert, Volkert & Burnett, Andrew. Coinage and Identity in the Roman provinces. Oxford: Oxford University Press: 2005. 225.
Karwiese 982: http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/600/?search&s&design_group=1&provinces=any&design-0=411&rno=197
Map Fleischer: Fleischer, Robert. Artemis von Ephesos: und verwandte Kultstatuen aus Anatolien und Syrien. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1973. Karte II
Source of video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eni3Xou9sVo