The iconography on coins of Ainos as a manifestation of education and social communication in an ancient city

Abstract

Aim. The aim of the research was to analyze ancient coins minted in Ainos in the period 480-200 BCE, primarily with regard to their function as a carrier of information about political and economic changes in the city.

Materials and method. Changes observed in the system of weighing minted coins were analyzed in the context of economic and political changes taking place in the Aegean Sea zone, emphasizing the importance of these changes for specific social groups in the city. An analysis of the depictions of deities and clerical signs on coins was carried out, explaining their role as a means of social communication. A stylistic and comparative analysis of coins from other areas of Greece was also carried out in order to determine the significance and scope of changes observed in the issuance of Ainos coins.

Results. The research enabled a confirmation of the thesis assuming that the variability of ancient coins was the result of not only the natural evolution and improvement of minting skills, but also a reflection of political or commercial changes in a given region of Greece and, at the same time, of internal changes in economic policies.

Conclusions. The results of the research confirmed the importance of coin interpretation in the context of the reconstruction and evaluation of political and economic changes taking place in Greek cities. Coin analyses are also a valuable resource for determining the chronology and dynamics of those changes. The research proves the role of coins as a factor integrating the society of a given Greek city, showing that the iconography contained in them is a testimony and, at the same time, a message of the civic community of its inhabitants.