Presentation Type

Paper

Abstract

Subject: History- Severan dynasty

Motivation: As a researcher on the Severan Provincial Coinage database last summer, I became interested in the coinages of two neighboring cities in Cilicia, Anazarbus and Tarsus. Each city advertised festivals and games on their coinage. I noticed that although the themes were similar, the cities seemed to favor different emperors. I wanted to know why they differed in this aspect.

Thesis: Anazarbus and Tarsus competed fiercely with one another for dominance over the koinon of Cilicia; this is evident by examining the numismatic evidence of both cities and their usage of festivals/games on these coins.

Methodology: I researched modern scholarship on civic festivals and games in order to gain a sense of their importance in civic identity. I then examined the coinage of Anazarbus and Tarsus found in the Severan provincial coinage database.

Conclusions: Through my research, I will show that the numismatic evidence supports the rivalry between the cities of Anazarbus and Tarsus. I will then show the purpose of using festivals and coinage on cities. i will then show which city I believed to have been the most successful in the rivalry, basing my conclusion on the data, as observed by analyzing the coins.

Categories

Social Sciences

Research Type

Research Assistant

Mentor Information

Dr. Julie Langford

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Rivalry through Games

Subject: History- Severan dynasty

Motivation: As a researcher on the Severan Provincial Coinage database last summer, I became interested in the coinages of two neighboring cities in Cilicia, Anazarbus and Tarsus. Each city advertised festivals and games on their coinage. I noticed that although the themes were similar, the cities seemed to favor different emperors. I wanted to know why they differed in this aspect.

Thesis: Anazarbus and Tarsus competed fiercely with one another for dominance over the koinon of Cilicia; this is evident by examining the numismatic evidence of both cities and their usage of festivals/games on these coins.

Methodology: I researched modern scholarship on civic festivals and games in order to gain a sense of their importance in civic identity. I then examined the coinage of Anazarbus and Tarsus found in the Severan provincial coinage database.

Conclusions: Through my research, I will show that the numismatic evidence supports the rivalry between the cities of Anazarbus and Tarsus. I will then show the purpose of using festivals and coinage on cities. i will then show which city I believed to have been the most successful in the rivalry, basing my conclusion on the data, as observed by analyzing the coins.