Antioch in Syria: A History from Coins (300 BCE-450 CE)

by Kristina M. Neumann

Overview

Antioch in Syria critically reassesses this ancient city from its Seleucid foundation into Late Antiquity. Although Antioch's prominence is famous, Kristina M. Neumann newly exposes the gradations of imperial power and local agency mediated within its walls through a comprehensive study of the coins minted there and excavated throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Patterns revealed through digital mapping and Exploratory Data Analysis serve as a significant index of spatial politics and the policies of the different authorities making use of the city. Evaluating the coins against other historical material reveals that Antioch's status was not fixed, nor the people passive pawns for external powers. Instead, as imperial governments capitalised upon Antioch's location and amenities, the citizens developed in their own distinct identities and agency. Antioch of the Antiochians must therefore be elevated from traditional narratives and static characterisations, being studied and celebrated for the dynamic polis it was.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781108940375
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/23/2023
Pages:	438
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.91(d)

About the Author

KRISTINA M. NEUMANN is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Houston and co-director of The SYRIOS Project, a web-based, interactive exhibit inviting the public into the history of ancient Syria (https://syrios.uh.edu/). She has worked with archaeological projects in Rome, Pompeii, and Israel.

Table of Contents

List of figures; Chronology of rulers; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Counting change; 2. Imperial beginnings (300–129 bce); 3. Imperial transitions (129–31 bce); 4. Provincial negotiations (31 bce-192 ce); 5. Imperial creations (192–284 ce); 6. Imperial city (284–450 ce); Conclusion; Appendix 1 – S methodology for digitally analyzing coin finds; Appendix 2 – list of excavation reports; Appendix 3 – coin hoards with antioch coins; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘Kristina M. Neumann’s book is exceptionally well grounded in the original and secondary sources for its history, as well as in the evidence provided by epigraphy and archaeology. Moreover, she provides a noteworthy aid to future such undertakings by sharing the data …’ Alan Stahl, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

From the Publisher