In this seminar we analyze social compliance and the willingness to accept regulation or instruction, delivered person to person or by systemic prescription. We investigate what the consequences of the various results of such assessment may be for our understanding of social cohesion (or its weaknesses) and political stability (or lack thereof). How 'biddable' were the millions of inhabitants of 'the ancient world'? And how much did the level of their consent to direction by others matter for the purposes of community solidarity and continuity?

A seminar covering the basic methodology of numismatics, including die, hoard and archaeological analysis as well as a survey of pre-modern coinages. The Western coinage tradition is covered, from its origins in the Greco-Persian world through classical and Hellenistic Greek coinage, Roman imperial and provincial issues, Parthian and Sasanian issues, the coinage of Byzantium, the Islamic world, and medieval and renaissance Europe. Students research and report on problems involving coinages related to their own areas of specialization. Open to undergraduates by permission of the instructor.