Tetarteron of Alexios III c. 1195 - 1203

Curator: Here we have a Tetarteron of Alexios III, weighing only 2.81 grams, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Its diminutive size belies its historical weight, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. My immediate impression is its worn texture speaks volumes about the lives it must have touched—its travels through the hands of merchants, soldiers, perhaps even emperors. There's an aura of resilience. Curator: Coins such as this one, during Alexios III's reign, offer insights into Byzantium's financial and political state. The images, though faded, would have conveyed power. Editor: It is interesting to analyze how the images on the coin are gendered. The figures represented, likely male rulers, reinforce the period’s patriarchal structure and legitimize their authority. Who had access to this currency and who was excluded? Curator: Indeed. Currency accessibility reflects power dynamics and economic stratifications. The circulation of this coin also served as a form of propaganda. Editor: Precisely. This tiny object represents much more than its monetary value. It serves as a window into the power structures of the Byzantine world. Curator: Studying such artifacts allows us to see history through the lens of everyday life. Editor: And question the narratives that history often obscures.