Coin (AE3) of Theodosius II 408 - 423

Curator: Here at the Harvard Art Museums, we have a coin, an AE3, issued during the reign of Theodosius II. Editor: It's humble, worn smooth by time, yet there's something grand about it, isn't there? A pocket-sized echo of an empire. Curator: Indeed. The obverse displays a profile of Theodosius, while the reverse shows Victory and a captive, visual elements laden with symbolic power. Editor: Victory over what, though? The barbarians at the gate or, perhaps, his own internal struggles? What did holding this coin feel like for someone back then? I bet they never imagined anyone would be analyzing its design centuries later. Curator: The coin's materiality—its metal composition and method of striking— speaks to the empire's economic and technological capabilities. Editor: It's amazing that such a tiny object can contain so much history. The past isn't gone; it's just compressed.