The volume in hand presents the Proceedings of the 1st International Conference. Numismatic History and Economy in Epirus during Antiquity. The work is the fruitful outcome of excellent collaboration between the University of Ioannina, the 12th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, the Archaeological Institute for Epirotic Studies and Lydia Lithos, Society for the Study of Numismatics and Economic History.
The organizers of the 1st International Conference. Numismatic History and Economy in Epirus during Antiquity proposed as the goal of the Conference a documented picture of the numismatic and economic issues of Epirus and the neighboring areas in antiquity. With good reason it was considered necessary to have a thorough discussion of the themes that were occupying the scholarly community so as to explore and formulate ideas with clarity and, if possible, results of the specialist studies. At the same time, the aim was also to scrutinize the historical environment from which the production of monetary wealth emerged, whether for the emissions of the Epirote tribes themselves or for the numismatic output of foreign mints that arrived and circulated in wintry Epirus and the neighbors with whom it communicated politically, economically and culturally.
In the proceedings of the Conference the articles of the distinguished researchers, which cover a wide chronological span, are divided into the following units: Mints, metrology – prosopography – historiography, iconography, circulation, Epirus – Sicily – Magna Graecia, economy and collections.
New chronological proposals historically documented, have been ascertained, and the mints have been interpreted, those of the Chaones and the other Epirotes, as well as those of the neighboring regions, from the islands of Korkyra and Paros, to Apollonia, Dyrrachion and the Illyrian king Genthios. Results from the examining the thorny metrological problems of the mints of Epirus are of decisive significance, while works on prosopography and historiography were also fruitful. The productive ‘dialogue’ on the subject of iconography, as it issues from the coins and seals, yielded interesting interpretive approaches. A considerable number of studies contributed significantly to our knowledge about the circulation of the coins – by period – valuable or humbler pieces, as is evidenced in excavations and hoards, in combination with other archaeological evidence and the dated close grave groups. The varied relations of Epirus with Sicily and Magna Graecia emerge distinctly in a series of articles, in which the numismatic, archaeological and purely historical information coincides. Specialists have delved deeper, moreover, into the character of the economy and its peculiarities in Epirus and regions with which it had exchange. Finally, the volume is enhanced with presentations of Epirote coins that belong to public or private collections.
With the deeply productive studies of all the authors, a host of new factors are harvested, promoted and evaluated componentially. It would not be too much the volume of the Proceedings of the Conference in hand be characterized as a compendium for the numismatic and economic history of Epirus and the regions with which it had direct ties and, in any case, a challenge to further scholarly discussion.
This is the third monograpf of the series KERMA published by Lydia Lithos .
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