Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 207

Curator: Looking at this small, silver disc, a Denarius of Septimius Severus from the Harvard Art Museums, I'm struck by how much history it holds. Editor: It's like holding power itself, isn't it? The weight, the coolness of the metal – I imagine the ambition simmering beneath a stoic facade. Curator: It's quite telling how Septimius Severus, an emperor who seized power through military might, chose to represent himself and project that authority through imagery. Editor: Right, the portrait’s crisp profile feels almost aggressively Roman. The laurel wreath seems like a direct connection to the old Republic, but on a military strongman. Curator: These coins weren't just currency; they were propaganda, circulating images of the emperor throughout the vast Roman Empire. It's a reminder that even small objects can carry immense symbolic weight. Editor: True. This small piece gives me a palpable sense of the man's reach, as well as the cultural and political machinery that kept it all spinning. Curator: And to think of all the hands this coin has passed through! Editor: Yes, a tangible relic of immense power dynamics, brought down to the size of a pocket token.