Coins and identity are intricately linked. Greek cities, Roman emperors and Renaissance rulers all used coins to strengthen a sense of collective identity. Through creating or strengthening a collective frame of reference, an appeal was made to unity and continuity. In this way, leaders aimed to legitimize their position of power; coinage and the construction of a collective identity were crucial for reigning effectively.

This one-week course for MA and PhD students will take place in Rome. It focuses on the role of coins and medals in the process of identity formation in the Greco-Roman world as well as in the Renaissance in a comparative perspective. The main questions that will be addressed during the course are: How can we use coinage to study the identities of cities and larger politico-geographical areas on the one hand and identities of emperors and dynasties on the other hand? Who issued the coins and who used them? Could the messages on coins target specific audiences? What was the influence of tradition on the messages spread by this medium? What do we gain from comparing coins from different periods (Antiquity and the Renaissance), different types of rule (city states and empires) and different scales (local and imperial)?

Teaching staff:
Dr. Liesbeth Claes (Leiden)
Dr. Martin Hirsch (München)
Prof.Dr. Fleur Kemmers (Frankfurt am Main)
Dr. Erika Manders (Göttingen)
Dr. Marleen Termeer (Leiden)

Organization:
Dr. Liesbeth Claes (Leiden)
Dr. Erika Manders (Göttingen)