Denarius of Antoninus Pius c. 145 - 161

Curator: This is a Denarius of Antoninus Pius, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. Its creation offers a lens into the power dynamics of the Roman Empire. Editor: It’s so tiny! And worn smooth by time and touch. You can almost feel the echoes of countless transactions. Curator: Precisely, the coin embodies economic and political control. On one side, we see the emperor’s profile, a classic symbol of authority. Editor: And the other side has a…table? Is that an altar? It looks like an invitation for some kind of offering, or sacrifice. Curator: That representation offers insight into the state religion and its role in legitimizing imperial rule. How the everyday interacts with the divine and the law. Editor: Amazing how much history can be crammed onto something so small. It makes you wonder about all the other stories it could tell, if only we knew how to listen.