The ruler in the "citizen’s garb" or the image of dynasts in Trajan Decius’s coinage (249–251)

Abstract

The article tackles the promotion of Trajan Decius’s family members in representations featured on medallions and coins (249–251). It focuses on images that feature two or three representatives of the dynasty. Such joint representations manifested the stability of the dynasty’s rule, the collaboration of the members of the dynasty and the resulting benefits for the empire and its inhabitants, which is indicated by the following ideas: concordia, pietas, liberalitas, promoted by the mint in Rome. What links the imperial coinage with the provincial one is the representation of rulers in togae, seated on sellae curules. This image of the dynasty members was utilised on the coins from Anazarbus. This bears testimony to the practical significance of the imperial representations, especially in terms of the rivalry of the provincial elites vying for their position in this region of the empire.

Keywords

• Roman imperial coins
• Roman provincial coins
• dynasty
• Roman emperor
• Trajan Decius