Miejsce i rola wyobrażeń krajów oraz ludów wschodnich w propagandzie politycznej cesarzy rzymskich z dynastii Antoninów – świadectwo monet

Abstract

The subject matter of the present consideration is the functional and structural aspect of the political propaganda of the Antonines (96-192), as promoted in the emperors' minting in its part using the representations of eastern provinces, lands and nations in coin reverse iconography.Theywere employedto apologizethe Roman Emperor as an ideal ruler: triumphator and benefactor of the state. Various combinations of these representations, often providedwith "narrative legends" reveal the complexity of problems arising from the eastern policy of the Roman Empire. The period ofpeace brought not very originalrepresentations of lands and nations in the monetary iconography. They are mainly personifications of provinciae piae .fidelis type. However,together with other "regional" issues of Hadrian and Antonius Pius, they acquire value for presenting the political images of these emperors: they are warrantors of order in the Empire made up of various provinces and lands together with their inhabitants. In this case the impersonations of lands and nations serve the ideas of peace and revival of the Roman Empire. The period of eastern wars brought about the intensification of propaganda initiatives. In Trajan minting the history of the conflict with Parthians was related. by means of individual images. There are no battle scenes of the emperor but original inscriptions that sum up successive episodes of the military operations. In MarcusAurelius and Lucius Verus minting eastern lands and nations are represented mainly as enemies who the Emperor-Warrior fights with. The history of war was rendered in a few scenes which repeat certain metaphorical formulations explaining the effects of the war. They show the grandeur of the emperor, worthy the name of imperator invictus.