The head adornments are directly linked to religion as they represent a connection to the divine. Many gods are depicted on these coins such as Sol, Roma, Athena, and Victory. Religion played a large role in Roman culture and is present in a lot of Roman art as well as these coins. These coins also represent centuries of Roman tradition and pride. Emperors began to focus on establishing military excellence and to document their achievements and agenda through propaganda. The military became so intertwined that all the attire of Roman senators, other wealthy members of society, and emperors were based on military uniform. The military played a large role in Roman society because it was so closely tied to the government as the Roman Empire was constantly expanding and conquering new lands. What better way to do this than to place propagandistic imagery on an object that is constantly being transferred from citizen to citizen? These coins pushed propaganda through establishing the power of both the Roman emperor and military, rallying public support. Most of the Roman public were illiterate, so the Roman leadership depended on images to spread their political propaganda. The message and political agenda behind these is as important as the coins' value in currency. These head adornments evolved substantially over the course of the Roman Empire, as emperors gained more power and prevalence in the Empire. As emperors gained more power their attire began to reflect their position and head adornments were reintroduced as wreaths. Rome still wanted to retain the idea of a Republic that represented the people even though they had an emperor. Initially emperors were cautious of using any terminology or attire that would connect them to the widely hated Etruscan monarchy, dressing as senators and wearing no head adornments. However, as the empire expanded and became more powerful the Republic became uneasy leading to Julius Caesar coming into power and becoming the first emperor. They ruled for only one year and they had relatively limited power. ![]() Swiftly following this was the appointing of two consuls that were elected by the legislative assemblies. The leading power was originally the Senate, lasting only from the Republics founding in 509 BCE until 494 BCE. Rome's wealthiest families slowly began to creep into power as the patricians, holding political and religious positions. Prior to the establishment of the role of emperor, the Roman people had a strong disdain for monarchies after the Etruscan monarchy was overthrown and the Republic was established. These adornments were adopted by the Romans from the Greeks and the Spartans, especially the Wreaths. Each of these head decorations hold their own cultural and traditional significance. There are a variety of Roman head decorations such as Corona Radiatas, Diadems, Pearl Diadems, Laurel Wreaths, and Helmets. Head adornments have been a symbol of royal dignity for centuries. A common theme shared among this collection of Ancient Roman coins is the display of head adornments. ![]() Roman coinage played a large in everyday Roman life and provide lots of insight into the Roman history and culture.
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