This invaluable study in the fields of Roman history and numismatics includes hundreds of significant updates in chronology, historical perspective and numismatic attribution. The 550-year period covered here is divided into twelve epochs, most of which are prefaced with an overview of the period's social and historical developments. Especially close attention is paid to the most difficult periods, each of which is demystified with historical overviews, and in some cases with tables and family trees. Perhaps most helpful of all, however, is the treatment of Rome's final epoch (AD 364 to 480). When viewed as a single empire, this period not only is hopelessly confusing, but is fundamentally misunderstood. In this book, the post-Constantinian Empire is addressed as two separate empires in the East and the West. The individual fates of Rome and Constantinople are chronicled in a way that allows the reader to understand and enjoy this notoriously difficult period.
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Students of Roman history, as well as beginners, will find much of value.... All in all, these volumes are two of the most impressive works of reference to come along in many a day. In their field they are already on the way to becoming classics.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A double resource for Roman history and Roman coins,
By Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Coinage and History of the Roman Empire (2 Volume Set) (Hardcover)
David L. Vagi's "Coinage and History of the Roman Empire" is perhaps reminiscent of the god Janus, facing in two directions at once. Volume One is squarely focused on history, Volume Two on coins.Taking the History section first, this lengthy (over 600 pages) and physically impressive volume contains biographical essays about every person portrayed on a Roman coin (and even a couple who were not), 284 biographies in all. Although a few are limited to a single paragraph because virtually nothing is known of the person except for their appearance on a coin, most are multiple-page essays covering everything from origins to ultimate fate (and in the case of a good many Roman emperors, their fates were anything but happy). The biographies are arranged primarily on a chronological basis, beginning with Sulla who became Dictator in 82 BC and concluding with Leo, Caesar under Zeno in the eastern Empire in AD 477. The essays are grouped into chapters with such titles as "Collapse of the Republic (Imperatorial Period)" and "Civil War and the Severan-Emesan Dynasty", with each chapter prefaced by a separate essay providing a historical survey of events in that period. In all, more than five centuries of Roman history are covered. Many of the individual biographies include a "Numismatic Note" section specifically addressing information about or gleaned from the coin's bearing that subject's image. Volume One might be considered to be a counterpart of historian Michael Grant's "The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to Rulers of Imperial Rome", long a favorite of mine for its handiness as a source for quickly providing basic information (and more) about each emperor. Vagi's Volume One not only serves as an equally convenient source with additional material, but also provides such information about a broader range of personalities. By itself, I would rank Volume One as a 5-star production. Volume Two is specifically geared towards numismatics, with over 180 pages devoted to discussions of various aspects of the coins: types, physical characteristics, how and where made, collecting, etc. The bulk of the volume, however, is given over to a catalog of Roman coins, including statements of value based upon grade of condition. It is here where Vagi's book may be considered short of some other Roman coin resources, depending on the needs of the individual reader. Because many of the coins for any given person depicted are grouped as being a generic or common type, with only the more interesting or rare coins given an individual listing, Vagi's numerical classification scheme may not deemed adequate by many serious collectors because it fails to differentiate between similar types which are given separate identification numbers in other sources. Vagi also limits himself to providing price range estimates for only three grades, typically Fine, Very Fine, and Extremely Fine. Within these limitations, however, Vagi's catalog is easy to use and does quickly provide a general guide to a given coin's scarcity and worth. This is surely not a work aimed at the general reader, and it is in some regard unfortunate that the first volume is not separately available for those concerned with Roman history, but not Roman coins. But for those have a strong interest in both, Vagi's "Coinage and History of the Roman Empire" should be a welcome addition to their bookshelves.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A double resource for Roman history and Roman coins,
By Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Coinage and History of the Roman Empire (Vol. 1) (Hardcover)
David L. Vagi's "Coinage and History of the Roman Empire" is perhaps reminiscent of the god Janus, facing in two directions at once. Volume One is squarely focused on history, Volume Two on coins.Taking the History section first, this lengthy (over 600 pages) and physically impressive volume contains biographical essays about every person portrayed on a Roman coin (and even a couple who were not), 284 biographies in all. Although a few are limited to a single paragraph because virtually nothing is known of the person except for their appearance on a coin, most are multiple-page essays covering everything from origins to ultimate fate (and in the case of a good many Roman emperors, their fates were anything but happy). The biographies are arranged primarily on a chronological basis, beginning with Sulla who became Dictator in 82 BC and concluding with Leo, Caesar under Zeno in the eastern Empire in AD 477. The essays are grouped into chapters with such titles as "Collapse of the Republic (Imperatorial Period)" and "Civil War and the Severan-Emesan Dynasty", with each chapter prefaced by a separate essay providing a historical survey of events in that period. In all, more than five centuries of Roman history are covered. Many of the individual biographies include a "Numismatic Note" section specifically addressing information about or gleaned from the coin's bearing that subject's image. Volume One might be considered to be a counterpart of historian Michael Grant's "The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to Rulers of Imperial Rome", long a favorite of mine for its handiness as a source for quickly providing basic information (and more) about each emperor. Vagi's Volume One not only serves as an equally convenient source with additional material, but also provides such information about a broader range of personalities. By itself, I would rank Volume One as a 5-star production. Volume Two is specifically geared towards numismatics, with over 180 pages devoted to discussions of various aspects of the coins: types, physical characteristics, how and where made, collecting, etc. The bulk of the volume, however, is given over to a catalog of Roman coins, including statements of value based upon grade of condition. It is here where Vagi's book may be considered short of some other Roman coin resources, depending on the needs of the individual reader. Because many of the coins for any given person depicted are grouped as being a generic or common type, with only the more interesting or rare coins given an individual listing, Vagi's numerical classification scheme may not deemed adequate by many serious collectors because it fails to differentiate between similar types which are given separate identification numbers in other sources. Vagi also limits himself to providing price range estimates for only three grades, typically Fine, Very Fine, and Extremely Fine. Within these limitations, however, Vagi's catalog is easy to use and does quickly provide a general guide to a given coin's scarcity and worth. This is surely not a work aimed at the general reader, and it is in some regard unfortunate that the first volume is not separately available for those concerned with Roman history, but not Roman coins. But for those have a strong interest in both, Vagi's "Coinage and History of the Roman Empire" should be a welcome addition to their bookshelves.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Modern Classis -- History & Coins,
By
This review is from: Coinage and History of the Roman Empire (Vol. 1) (Hardcover)
This is a monumental work by numismatist Vagi that must be on the shelf of every collector of ancient Roman Coins. The set comes in two volumes, the first one "History" which is a chronological collection of biographies of individuals represented on or who issued coins from the Social War of 91-88 BCE to Julius who last struck coins in the West until 280 CE and Zeno in the East to 491 CE. The second "Coinage" will be strictly of interest to numismatists and covers Roman coinage of the same period.
Both volumes are excellent and essentially unrivaled although there are other coin references such as the five volume set by Seaby or "The Emperors of Rome and Byzantium" by Sear that are also classics in their own right. Since so much Roman history is contained in or inferred by its coinage, an historian needs to supplement and correct the classical Roman histories from the likes of Dio Cassius or Appian with evidence from coinage. Although Vagi's work is obviously not intended for the general reader, it is an excellent reference for anyone interested in Roman history. I cannot understand why anyone would give these volumes less than five stars.
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