Appearance is everything

The phrase ‘appearance is everything’ clearly applies to the ancient Romans. The use of clothing and hairstyles, as well as symbols and attributes that amount to modern-day accessories, are an important factor for the provincial and adventus coin series of Hadrian. They allow for a distinction of who is being depicted, and this is important when we think about the aim of Hadrian’s message. As will be explained in the next step, the lack of audience targeting meant that Hadrian mostly likely wanted people from all over the empire to understand the message Hobley, Andrew Stephen, "An Examination of Roman Bronze Coin Distribution in the Western Empire A.D. 81-192." Order No. 10105703, University of London, University College London (United Kingdom), 143.. The personified provinces are depicted with native attributes and native dress. These attributes are used to distinguish the personifications to the user of the coin, who may not have been literate and thus unable to read the text. For example, one of the most striking examples are the African coins, in which we see the figure of Africa with a headdress of an elephant, as well as the presence of a lion (Figure 1). The occurrence of this motif was found in early and also domestic artwork such as the painting in the House of Meleager in Pompeii (Figure 2 ) in which we can see the elephant headdress again.

Not only does the use of these signifiers emphasize the differences, but it has also been suggested that it emphasized the importance of the provinces to the empire. This idea, Toynbee argues, is based on Grecian traditions rather than Roman principle. Toynbee, Jocelyn. ‘Britannia on Roman Coins’. The Journal of Roman Studies Vol 14 (1924), 142-157, 142-3 . This can also be seen on other monuments such as at the Temple of the Divine Hadrian dedicated by Antoninus Pius. For Egypt, we might take the sheaf of grain to be a suggestion of the productivity of Egypt and its importance in feeding the empire. With Africa, we have the inclusion of the lion which could be connected with the presence of lions in Africa but also the importance of the import of African lions for amphitheater games. With Asia, it has been suggested that the pruning hook and her standing on the prow of a ship reflects the maritime and agricultural importance of the province.R.Rodgers. ‘Female representations in Roman Art: Feminising the Provincial Other’. Inside: Roman Imperialism and Provincial Art. In: ​​Webster and Scott. Scott, S, and J. Webster. Roman Imperialism and Provincial Art. (New York, 2003)

With these coins and depictions the productivity, the contribution and overall importance of the provinces to the peaceful empire of Hadrian finds its artistic expression.