Moneta
A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins
Published on 9. May 2024
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-1-84792-750-7 (ISBN)
Description
* A Financial Times Book of the Year 2024 * A Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday Summer Read of 2024*
The extraordinary story of ancient Rome, history's greatest superpower, as told through humankind's most universal object: the coin.
'Fantastic' CONN IGGULDEN, author of Nero
'Brilliant' EMMA SOUTHON, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Woman
'Wonderful' CHRISTOPHER HADLEY, author of The Road
Moneta traces ancient Rome's unstoppable rise, from a few huts on an Italian hilltop to an all-conquering empire spanning three continents, through the fascinating lives of twelve remarkable coins. In these handcrafted pieces of ancient art we witness Caesar's bloody assassination, follow the legions to the edge of the known world, take a seat in the packed Colosseum, and ultimately, watch as barbarian armies mass at the gates.
The Romans saw coins as far more than just money - these were metal canvases on which they immortalised their sacred gods, mighty emperors, towering monuments, and brutal battles of conquest. Revealed in those intricate designs struck in gold, silver, and bronze was the epic history of the Roman world.
Hold the glory and the infamy of ancient Rome in the palm of your hand.
The extraordinary story of ancient Rome, history's greatest superpower, as told through humankind's most universal object: the coin.
'Fantastic' CONN IGGULDEN, author of Nero
'Brilliant' EMMA SOUTHON, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Woman
'Wonderful' CHRISTOPHER HADLEY, author of The Road
Moneta traces ancient Rome's unstoppable rise, from a few huts on an Italian hilltop to an all-conquering empire spanning three continents, through the fascinating lives of twelve remarkable coins. In these handcrafted pieces of ancient art we witness Caesar's bloody assassination, follow the legions to the edge of the known world, take a seat in the packed Colosseum, and ultimately, watch as barbarian armies mass at the gates.
The Romans saw coins as far more than just money - these were metal canvases on which they immortalised their sacred gods, mighty emperors, towering monuments, and brutal battles of conquest. Revealed in those intricate designs struck in gold, silver, and bronze was the epic history of the Roman world.
Hold the glory and the infamy of ancient Rome in the palm of your hand.
Reviews / Votes
Riveting ... An utterly original history of Rome that compels from start to finish. A wonderful read * Mail on Sunday * In this delightful book, Harney, a historian and coin collector, tells the story of ancient Rome from founding to collapse, through the medium of its coinage. The result is fascinating, orginal and fun. The story of Rome is of course extraordinary. But the way it is told by Harney brings it to life. It is a book to enjoy, but also one from which both young and old can learn much * Financial Times, Book of the Year 2024 * An excellent 1,000 year history of Rome told through 12 coins... This book is well worth a few denarii * Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2024* * A wonderfully evocative history of the Roman Empire * Mail on Sunday, *Summer Reads of 2024* * From Caesar's hubris to the daily pay of a Roman soldier, this excellent history whizzes through one thousand years of history ... For those who want an enjoyable potted history of 1,000 years of Rome told in an engaging new way, Harney's book is well worth a few denarii * The Times * [Harney] deploys the coins skilfully to underpin and illustrate his history ... an effective and appropriate strategy because Roman coins really are exceptional in the range of their design ... a rich resource for talking about Roman power * Times Literary Supplement * Fantastic. Moneta is a brilliant combination of history and expert storytelling - if anyone reads the first five pages, they'll be up all night with it -- CONN IGGULDEN, bestselling author of the Emperor series Gareth Harvey's Moneta offers an original and ingenious means of recounting the rise and fall of Rome's empire, though twelve coins. The result is both exciting and enjoyable, filled with fascinating and illuminating details -- MATTHEW KNEALE, author of Rome A novel and highly readable approach to Roman history. The author's enthusiasm shines through on every page -- PHILIP MATYSZAK, author of A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives Extremely enjoyable. A brilliant combination of entertaining and educational Roman history that makes numismatics vivid and exciting -- EMMA SOUTHON, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 WomenMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
614 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84792-750-7 (9781847927507)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gareth Harney is a historian and coin collector striving to bring the wonders of the ancient world to a wider audience. For two decades he has explored the ruins of the Roman Empire, from the rugged landscapes of Hadrian's Wall to the desert sands of the Sahara, all the while celebrating every aspect of ancient Rome with his large online following. Tweeting @OptimoPrincipi he combines rigorous historical research with thrilling storytelling to make classical history vital and relatable. Having built his own ancient coin collection since childhood, he now uses his website, blog, and high-definition coin photography to promote the joys of the hobby to a whole new generation.