This coin depicts Aeneas, a prince of Troy and legendary ancestor of Caesar. At the end of the Trojan War, Aeneas escaped Troy, carrying his elderly father and holding tight to his young son’s hand, settling on the coast of Italy, where his descendants would go...
According to Roman tradition, Lucius Junius Brutus became one of the first Consuls of Rome in 509 BCE after overthrowing its last king, Tarquinius Superbus. Centuries later, his descendant Marcus Junius Brutus (of “Et tu, Brute” fame) invoked this legendary act of...
Minted quickly by Cato to pay his soldiers as they battled Caesar’s forces in modern-day Tunisia, this small coin depicts the goddess Victory and the god Liber, powerful symbols of Roman hope and liberty. Despite this appeal to the gods, Cato and his forces could not...
A copper-alloy mirror recovered from U-M excavations at Seleucia on the Tigris (Iraq). This was a locally produced imitation of a type of mirror typical of Han China (206 BCE to CE 220), some of which reached Mesopotamian and Mediterranean sites via the Silk Road. The...
Weaving combs are used to beat or compress weft yarns against previous rows, ensuring that the final textile has a consistent density. This large weaving comb was made from three pieces of wood joined with pegs, decorated with a concentric circle design. It is one of...
Coinage offered an effective means of circulating political messages to a broad population. This silver tetradrachm was minted in Egypt under Ptolemy I Soter. The obverse shows a portrait of Alexander the Great with an elephant-scalp cap, horns of Ammon, and aegis;...
This gold stater is a popular type that was produced during the reign of Philip II of Macedon (359–336 BCE), father of Alexander the Great, to celebrate his victories in the Olympic Games. The obverse of the coin features the god Apollo wearing a laurel wreath crown,...
This silver coin is an Athenian tetradrachm, renowned as one of the most widely produced and recognized coins of the ancient world. Its obverse side features a striking depiction of Athena, the revered patron goddess of Athens, while the reverse showcases the owl, a...
This silver tetradrachm is a popular typology that was produced under the reign of Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander the Great’s half-brother. After the death of Alexander in 323 BCE, Philip III was chosen to be king, along with Alexander’s infant son named...
