Coin of Arcadius, Antioch 392 - 395

Curator: This is a coin of Arcadius, found in Antioch, and part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It's so small, yet it speaks volumes. Editor: It’s incredible to think about the hands this little coin passed through. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The coin represents more than currency. It’s about power and propaganda. Consider its purpose: to disseminate the image and authority of Arcadius, the Eastern Roman Emperor. What does it tell us about his reign and the social hierarchy of the time? Who benefitted, and who was excluded from this power structure? Editor: It’s fascinating to consider the coin as a tool for social control. Curator: Exactly. And the fact that it survived for centuries is a testament to its enduring symbolic power. It makes you wonder about the stories it could tell, if only it could speak.