Denarius of Septimius Severus c. 201s

Editor: This is a denarius of Septimius Severus, a Roman coin. It feels weighty, doesn't it? Like holding a piece of history. What symbols do you notice here, and what might they have meant to people at the time? Curator: Precisely. Notice the laurel wreath on Septimius' head – a symbol of victory and imperial power, deeply ingrained in Roman visual language. And on the reverse, we see a figure, perhaps Pax, the Roman goddess of peace. What feelings might that imagery evoke? Editor: I see... peace and prosperity linked to imperial strength? Curator: It's a carefully constructed message. Roman coins were potent propaganda. They circulated widely, embedding these symbols into the collective psyche, reinforcing the emperor’s legitimacy and projecting the desired image of the empire. Editor: So, it’s more than just money; it’s cultural memory, distributed on a mass scale. Curator: Absolutely. Even today, these symbols resonate, reminding us of the enduring power of images to shape our understanding of history and authority.