The Few, The Proud, The Romans!
Another week and I am almost done sorting through the Roman Imperial coins. Labels have been written. Coins re-ordered. Some even identified and attributed to their rightful emperor. YES. This exciting adventure will soon come to an end…or will it? Oh the Suspense. Of course it’s not ending, we have to sort through those Byzantines. That ruckus group of ragtag eastern Romans who decided that they should continue on without the western half of the empire. THE NERVE! And speaking of me nerves, STOP CALLING THEM BYZANTINES!
Sweet tunderin Jesus by’s! If I could go back to the 19th century and bitch-slap those f@krs who were responsible for this label, I’d be calling up Doc right now, hopping into that sexy Delorean, and driving that bad boy back to the past.
If you could not tell I am not a fan of the label Byzantine. Unfortunately, as it is, I need to use the label as it is standard within the field. However, some are trying to change this. Again, I refer you back to Anthony Kaldellis’ Romanland. (Yes, I am a HUGE Kaldellis fan…so back the f@k off). Oh, and he has a BRILLIANT podcast called Byzantium and Friends. In the first episode called Byzantine Gender, with Leonora Neville, he interviews the Brilliant Leonora Neville of the University of Wisconsin, discussing all things gender and identity. Also, episode #33 The Study of Ethnic Identities in Byzantium and Beyond with Brian Swain is excellent.
PS: Anthony, if you happen to be reading this, which I doubt, I’m a big fan and if you want to be this Newfie’s PhD supervisor, fully funded of course, well…I accept!
Now that my embarrassing sucking up is finished, let us move on.
In the following weeks I will be working on my beloved Byzantine coins held in the Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary. I will be exploring how museums represent the identity of Byzantine coins in a lecture that I will be giving in January for the Nickle at Noon series. STAY TUNED!
That is ME! Standing next to the Byzantine coin display that I co-curated.
The Byzantine coins will be a more intensive project as it will set up the template and foundations for my PhD research, assuming I get through my MA. The chronological period will start with the reign of Anastasius (491-518 CE) to the “Fall” of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE. Did it fall or was it just captured? Though there is debate about when the Byzantine empire actually began — Was it 324/330 CE with the founding of Constantinople? Or maybe it was after the death of Theodosius I in 395 CE, the last sole ruling emperor of both the East and West? Or as others argue, Anastasius because of his sweeping monetary reforms? — Either way, for my case study it will start with that old codger Anastasius I. (I believe he became emperor at the youthful age of 61. Not bad.)
JESUS…There Is A Coin For That!
Just some of the Byzantine coins on display
Held in our Byzantine collection is the very first portrait of Jesus depicted on a coin. A gold Solidus minted during the reign of Justinian II (born sometime between 668-69 CE and kicked the bucket in 711 CE). Above, there is a blown-up image of the coin in the center of the pic. I guess I should get an actual image of the coin for you! But for now check out this link to coinweek for an image and an interesting article by Mike Markowitz.
Coins like this are generally used to represent Byzantium as an Orthodox Christian Empire, which is accurate — to a degree. Though, as I go through the Byzantine coins we will see how there are many ways that coins can represent the numerous identities of Byzantium. The theological debates in the Empire were, for lack of a better word, complicated. Schism after Schism, council after council, people debated Jesus’ nature.
They argued, fought, persecuted and killed each other. It’s like watching people fight over the existence of the White Walkers in Game of Thrones. Do they exist? What powers do they have? Can they drink a Tim Horton’s coffee without running immediately to the lavatory afterwards? You know, those important questions.
See what I mean! Roman on left, Byzantine on Right.
But as you will see, when I go through these coins, the iconography changes over the centuries. They move away from the ornate Roman bust (which generally faces viewers right) and are beautifully detailed to a more drunken uncle on Thanksgiving day portraiture. Just as beautiful but lacking that certain panache the later Republican and earlier Imperial coins had.
So how does this affect the way Byzantine identity is represented in the museum environment?
This is what we will explore together on this journey!
So, on that note, I will bid you adieu and look forward to telling you more about my Eastern Roman experiences.