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Clare will be discussing: A Wolf in Greek Clothing. Representations of Rome on Republican Provincial Coinage

Abstract:
The Roman Provincial Coinage project and resultant publications have demonstrated the historical potential offered by the local coinages struck by cities in the Roman Empire. These objects offer a unique perspective on local cultures, festivals, and cults, as well as local perceptions of the emperor and the empire. If this is the case for the imperial period, then it stands to reason that the provincial coinage of the Roman Republic can offer us similar perspectives. This paper explores what the provincial coinage of the Republic reveals about the representation of Roman power in the provinces before Augustus. An interdisciplinary approach is adopted in order to make full use of this challenging material: ideas from anthropology, iconology, and media studies are used to chart the changing experiences of the Republican Empire. The resulting perspective is one that provides an important point of comparison with surviving textual evidence, revealing that often the Roman wolf was publicly presented in Greek clothing.