Local imperial coinage in the shadow of the metropolises Ephesos and Sardis

The project asks about the identity of communities in Asia Minor in the hinterland of the large metropolises. This phenomenon has been little researched so far. Coin motifs offer a good starting point, as they are a medium of local self-representation.

Research objective

The self-image and value system of three small cities in the sphere of influence of the metropolises Ephesus and Sardis are to be investigated on the basis of local coinage. These large cities influenced the region due to their economic and cultural supremacy. Although Kilbianoi and Dioshieron are located in Lydia, i.e. closer to Sardis, the references to Ephesus seem to be relatively strong. This raises the question of which landscape or transport geographic factors could have had an influence on the formation of identity.

Methods

As a basis for the evaluation, all known coinages of the cities are to be recorded in a coin corpus. Comparative finds from western Asia Minor will be used to evaluate the motifs on the reverse of the coins. In addition, relevant literary testimonies, inscriptions as well as archaeological finds and reports by travellers of the 19th and early 20th centuries are taken into account, which provide information on the location and development of the cities and their surroundings.