The evolving numismatic representations of Augustan women: accessing the <i>Res Publica </i>through numismatic propaganda

<p dir="ltr">The late Republican and early imperial periods of Rome (c. 43 BC-AD 37) featured highly transformative forms of material culture. Coins in particular exhibited significant development as they evolved from purely financial instruments into forms of persuasive media. This development included the increasing representation of Roman women on numismatic propaganda, as their domestic roles were shifted into the public sphere. The central aim of this thesis is to consider what the imagery on the coinage of this period may reveal about the evolving positions of women of the first imperial <i>domus</i>, outlining the transition of female influence from a force derived from male connections and associations to actions individually and independently exercised. This involves the identification of numismatic representations which indicated positions of female influence and the consideration of the effect the transforming imagery may have had on the users of the coins. This will be achieved through an analysis of a select group of numismatic evidence featuring women of the Augustan household (Octavia, Julia and Livia), using criteria informed by gender-focused and feminist historians in conjunction with an object agency perspective. The use of coinage in this manner will allow for certain conclusions to arise regarding the significance of these depictions, the correspondence of the increasingly prominent numismatic representations with women’s evolving positions within the <i>Res Publica</i>, and the possible effects on Roman society’s perception of the relationship between gender and power.</p>