Alessandro Magnani | Università di Bologna (original) (raw)
Papers by Alessandro Magnani
Ricerche Ellenistiche, 2024
Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus (133/2-63 BCE) was a ruler who caused significant trouble for th... more Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus (133/2-63 BCE) was a ruler who caused significant trouble for the Roman Republic during the 1st century BCE. The three wars that he fought with Rome are well documented, although there are only a few contemporary sources, and one must rely on a good number of authors writing centuries after the events. Accordingly, these sources produced a literary output with multiple layers of interpretations regarding the intentions of those who overthrew the ruler, as well as propagandistic themes and stereotypes associated with the Persian and Achaemenid world. The aim of this paper is to assess the reliability of the data concerning the ruler’s army and to determine if they are influenced by biases passed on by the sources. The analysis aims to identify the elements that require careful evaluation for historical reconstruction. Firstly, it will examine the armaments, troops and strategies employed on the battlefield. Then, it will consider the reported figures on the size of forces, casualties, and populations enrolled by the ruler in the conflicts. Finally, the roles of mercenaries and pirates will be evaluated to determine if they were manipulated by ancient authors to serve their own interests.
Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 30, Issue 1, 2024
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. The paper st... more This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. The paper studies a copper coin type issued during the reign of the Kuṣāṇ king Kujūla Kadphises (ca. 40/50–90 AD) called “Roman Emperor Type”. These coins, dated towards the end of the first century AD, present on the obverse the image of a ruler recalling the imperial iconography of the Julio-Claudian period, and on the reverse Kujūla himself seated. The coin is a real innovation in the history of ancient Indian numismatics and can be the starting point to understand the political choices of Kujūla in a context still embryonic for the Kuṣāṇs. This paper, through the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources at our disposal, aims to demonstrate that the issuing was influenced not only by the halo of authority that the Romans had in India, but mainly by the economic and religious context of the city of Taxila, which the sovereign used as a place of experimentation for this particular hybrid type of coin.
Quaderni Asiatici 136, 2021
The Chinese digest Taiping Yulan from the Song era (10th century AD) contains a curious record of... more The Chinese digest Taiping Yulan from the Song era (10th century AD) contains a curious record of international horse trade during the Kushana Empire (1st-3rd centuries AD). Taking this unusual testimony as a starting point, the article proposes a brief reflection on some economic issues between Central Asia, India and South-East Asia. First of all, it will analyse issues related to a maritime market that is scarcely attested by the sources for the Kushana period, the problem of departure ports, the route taken by merchants and the dubious destination of these horses, in order to reconstruct international trade relations at that time. Subsequently, Chinese sources will be examined, with the aim of highlighting how important the horse was in the context of commercial development, and not only, of the Central Asian chessboard, as suggested by the adoption of this animal as a constant reference point in Kushana iconography.
Conference Presentations by Alessandro Magnani
by Associazione culturale Rodopis, Alessandro Magnani, Generoso Cefalo, Marco Ferrario, Filippo Gerace, Olivia Merli, Sam Blankenship, Eleonora Franco, Vincenzo Parisi, Matteo Montano, and Riccardo Francia
Ricerche a Confronto XIX. Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, a cura di Gene... more Ricerche a Confronto XIX. Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, a cura di Generoso Cefalo, Alessandro Magnani, Matteo Zaccarini e Associazione Culturale Rodopis – Experience Ancient History
(26-27 NOVEMBRE 2024)
UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA, DIPARTIMENTO DI BENI CULTURALI (RAVENNA), VIA DEGLI ARIANI 1 SALA CONFERENZE (III PIANO)
Ricerche a Confronto XVIII - Università di Siena - “Archeologia: problemi e soluzioni”, 2023
The aim of this paper is to shed light on the general building policy of Diocletian (284-305 CE) ... more The aim of this paper is to shed light on the general building policy of Diocletian (284-305 CE) and to see if it is possible, by cross-referencing sources, to determine when certain military buildings were constructed.
The starting point is the preliminary results of research into Diocletian's building policy, with the aim of cataloguing the types of buildings from the early tetrarchy and the milestones bearing the ruler's imperial titles. The cataloguing was carried out by consulting various categories of sources, mainly archaeological, thanks to the building catalogues and excavation reports for the territories under the emperor's jurisdiction. With due caution, literary and administrative sources also testify to the frenetic building activity of the emperor, as evidenced by some epigraphic documents. The collection of data has yielded 108 buildings and 184 milestones, which may make it possible to study the movements of the sovereign and the investment of imperial resources in tetrarchic prerogatives. Stay tuned for the forthcoming paper!!!
European Academy of Religion Annual Conference 2024 Palermo; panel: Shifting Perspectives on Otherness: Representations (and Uses) of Enemies in the Ancient World, 2024
Euthydemos I of Bactria (c. 230 200 BCE), according to a passage in Polybius Hist . 11, 34 negoti... more Euthydemos I of Bactria (c. 230 200 BCE), according to a passage in Polybius Hist . 11, 34 negotiated the independence of the Bactrian kingdom with Antiochos III, citing the pressure of nomads from the north as his motivation. He positioned himself as a defender of borders and
Greekness, and thus as the last bastion against barbarization.
After less than a century, the stronghold of Aï Khanoum (Eucratidia?) fell around ca. 145 BCE , marking the failure both of the military containment policy of the Greco Bactrian rulers and of the potential dialectic with the nomads, who eventually replaced the last vestiges of Greek culture in
the East. Central Asia, once a region that valued Greek culture, underwent a paradigm shift as various non Greek groups (the otherness) gained power. These groups then clashed with Parthian rulers and expanded southward towards the Hindukush and Gujarat in India.
What remains of the Hellenistic legacy in the wake of these changes? Were Euthydemus concerns justified, or were they based on a dialectic that perceived diversity as a threat to Greek values?
This paper explores how Greekness, defined as the values transmitted to Central Asia by Alexander's heirs, gradually disappeared as it was appropriated and reworked by the invaders into something new and original, analyzing literary documentation, archaeological data, and numismatic and epigraphic sources from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. In this manner, individuals who were previously viewed as opponents of traditional values have now become their advocates,
representing a paradigm shift far from the typical focus of classical studies. Stay tuned for the paper!
HCARN 5 conference: “Whose custom is it anyway? Empire, cities and people through archaeology, art and written sources in Hellenistic Central Asia”, Paris Nanterre University , 2024
The Kuṣāṇ ruler Vima Kadphises (105/113-127 AD) did not leave us much historical data, but a larg... more The Kuṣāṇ ruler Vima Kadphises (105/113-127 AD) did not leave us much historical data, but a large amount of coins found throughout his domains from Bactria to India. In fact, he introduced gold coins in to the economic structure of his domain and created a bimetallic system with copper coinage, until then the only currency adopted by his predecessors, Kujūla Kadphises and Vima Takto. The royal iconography adopted by the ruler on the obverse of gold and copper coins introduces six different typologies of image in the former, while a different one in the latter.
Why did the ruler decide to adopt this double language towards his subjects ? May it be a propagandistic choice tailored to the audience?
The symbols depicted on the gold coins are cultured complex and rooted in the Central Asian religious milieu - for example the ruler sitting on the rocks and holding a club; the fire behind his shoulders; the left hand covered by the sleeve. On the other hand the iconography of copper coinage is limited to a single image, depicting the ruler performing a sacrifice in front of a small fire burner, a well known iconographic model of royalty throughout coeval Central Asia. This double language may reflect the intention of Vima Kadphises to address different audiences in his vast dominion. Gold coins, bearing sophisticated symbols, address the cultured and educated élites, but also the merchants, in the light of the recent development of international markets. The simple straightforward image on copper coins could, instead, convey the idea of a law abiding sovereign, an essential requirement for a Central Asian ruler, especially in India.
Talks by Alessandro Magnani
Oriental Numismatic Society - UK meeting at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford., 2023
This paper delves into the study of a distinct copper coin typology known as the 'Roman Emperor T... more This paper delves into the study of a distinct copper coin typology known as the 'Roman Emperor Type,' minted during the reign of the Kuṣāṇ king Kujūla Kadphises (circa 40/50-90 AD). Dated to the latter part of the first century AD, this coin features on the obverse an image reminiscent of the imperial iconography of the Julio-Claudian period, while depicting Kujūla himself seated on the reverse. This numismatic innovation stands out in the annals of ancient Indian coinage, offering a glimpse into Kujūla's political strategies within the still nascent Kuṣāṇ realm. Drawing upon literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this paper seeks to demonstrate that the issue of this coin typology was not solely influenced by the Roman aura of authority in India, but was also shaped by economic and religious considerations within the city, along with the local coinage, serving as a platform for the sovereign's experimentation with this unique hybrid coinage.
Call for papers by Alessandro Magnani
L’Associazione Culturale Rodopis, in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Un... more L’Associazione Culturale Rodopis, in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna – Campus di Ravenna, organizza il XIX ciclo di seminari Ricerche a Confronto, dal titolo Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, che avrà luogo presso il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali nella sede di Palazzo Corradini (via Angelo Mariani 5) in data 26-27 novembre 2024. L’obiettivo è quello di promuovere l’incontro e il confronto tra giovani antichiste e antichisti di diversi interessi e formazione.
Ricerche Ellenistiche, 2024
Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus (133/2-63 BCE) was a ruler who caused significant trouble for th... more Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus (133/2-63 BCE) was a ruler who caused significant trouble for the Roman Republic during the 1st century BCE. The three wars that he fought with Rome are well documented, although there are only a few contemporary sources, and one must rely on a good number of authors writing centuries after the events. Accordingly, these sources produced a literary output with multiple layers of interpretations regarding the intentions of those who overthrew the ruler, as well as propagandistic themes and stereotypes associated with the Persian and Achaemenid world. The aim of this paper is to assess the reliability of the data concerning the ruler’s army and to determine if they are influenced by biases passed on by the sources. The analysis aims to identify the elements that require careful evaluation for historical reconstruction. Firstly, it will examine the armaments, troops and strategies employed on the battlefield. Then, it will consider the reported figures on the size of forces, casualties, and populations enrolled by the ruler in the conflicts. Finally, the roles of mercenaries and pirates will be evaluated to determine if they were manipulated by ancient authors to serve their own interests.
Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 30, Issue 1, 2024
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. The paper st... more This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. The paper studies a copper coin type issued during the reign of the Kuṣāṇ king Kujūla Kadphises (ca. 40/50–90 AD) called “Roman Emperor Type”. These coins, dated towards the end of the first century AD, present on the obverse the image of a ruler recalling the imperial iconography of the Julio-Claudian period, and on the reverse Kujūla himself seated. The coin is a real innovation in the history of ancient Indian numismatics and can be the starting point to understand the political choices of Kujūla in a context still embryonic for the Kuṣāṇs. This paper, through the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources at our disposal, aims to demonstrate that the issuing was influenced not only by the halo of authority that the Romans had in India, but mainly by the economic and religious context of the city of Taxila, which the sovereign used as a place of experimentation for this particular hybrid type of coin.
Quaderni Asiatici 136, 2021
The Chinese digest Taiping Yulan from the Song era (10th century AD) contains a curious record of... more The Chinese digest Taiping Yulan from the Song era (10th century AD) contains a curious record of international horse trade during the Kushana Empire (1st-3rd centuries AD). Taking this unusual testimony as a starting point, the article proposes a brief reflection on some economic issues between Central Asia, India and South-East Asia. First of all, it will analyse issues related to a maritime market that is scarcely attested by the sources for the Kushana period, the problem of departure ports, the route taken by merchants and the dubious destination of these horses, in order to reconstruct international trade relations at that time. Subsequently, Chinese sources will be examined, with the aim of highlighting how important the horse was in the context of commercial development, and not only, of the Central Asian chessboard, as suggested by the adoption of this animal as a constant reference point in Kushana iconography.
by Associazione culturale Rodopis, Alessandro Magnani, Generoso Cefalo, Marco Ferrario, Filippo Gerace, Olivia Merli, Sam Blankenship, Eleonora Franco, Vincenzo Parisi, Matteo Montano, and Riccardo Francia
Ricerche a Confronto XIX. Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, a cura di Gene... more Ricerche a Confronto XIX. Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, a cura di Generoso Cefalo, Alessandro Magnani, Matteo Zaccarini e Associazione Culturale Rodopis – Experience Ancient History
(26-27 NOVEMBRE 2024)
UNIVERSITÀ DI BOLOGNA, DIPARTIMENTO DI BENI CULTURALI (RAVENNA), VIA DEGLI ARIANI 1 SALA CONFERENZE (III PIANO)
Ricerche a Confronto XVIII - Università di Siena - “Archeologia: problemi e soluzioni”, 2023
The aim of this paper is to shed light on the general building policy of Diocletian (284-305 CE) ... more The aim of this paper is to shed light on the general building policy of Diocletian (284-305 CE) and to see if it is possible, by cross-referencing sources, to determine when certain military buildings were constructed.
The starting point is the preliminary results of research into Diocletian's building policy, with the aim of cataloguing the types of buildings from the early tetrarchy and the milestones bearing the ruler's imperial titles. The cataloguing was carried out by consulting various categories of sources, mainly archaeological, thanks to the building catalogues and excavation reports for the territories under the emperor's jurisdiction. With due caution, literary and administrative sources also testify to the frenetic building activity of the emperor, as evidenced by some epigraphic documents. The collection of data has yielded 108 buildings and 184 milestones, which may make it possible to study the movements of the sovereign and the investment of imperial resources in tetrarchic prerogatives. Stay tuned for the forthcoming paper!!!
European Academy of Religion Annual Conference 2024 Palermo; panel: Shifting Perspectives on Otherness: Representations (and Uses) of Enemies in the Ancient World, 2024
Euthydemos I of Bactria (c. 230 200 BCE), according to a passage in Polybius Hist . 11, 34 negoti... more Euthydemos I of Bactria (c. 230 200 BCE), according to a passage in Polybius Hist . 11, 34 negotiated the independence of the Bactrian kingdom with Antiochos III, citing the pressure of nomads from the north as his motivation. He positioned himself as a defender of borders and
Greekness, and thus as the last bastion against barbarization.
After less than a century, the stronghold of Aï Khanoum (Eucratidia?) fell around ca. 145 BCE , marking the failure both of the military containment policy of the Greco Bactrian rulers and of the potential dialectic with the nomads, who eventually replaced the last vestiges of Greek culture in
the East. Central Asia, once a region that valued Greek culture, underwent a paradigm shift as various non Greek groups (the otherness) gained power. These groups then clashed with Parthian rulers and expanded southward towards the Hindukush and Gujarat in India.
What remains of the Hellenistic legacy in the wake of these changes? Were Euthydemus concerns justified, or were they based on a dialectic that perceived diversity as a threat to Greek values?
This paper explores how Greekness, defined as the values transmitted to Central Asia by Alexander's heirs, gradually disappeared as it was appropriated and reworked by the invaders into something new and original, analyzing literary documentation, archaeological data, and numismatic and epigraphic sources from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. In this manner, individuals who were previously viewed as opponents of traditional values have now become their advocates,
representing a paradigm shift far from the typical focus of classical studies. Stay tuned for the paper!
HCARN 5 conference: “Whose custom is it anyway? Empire, cities and people through archaeology, art and written sources in Hellenistic Central Asia”, Paris Nanterre University , 2024
The Kuṣāṇ ruler Vima Kadphises (105/113-127 AD) did not leave us much historical data, but a larg... more The Kuṣāṇ ruler Vima Kadphises (105/113-127 AD) did not leave us much historical data, but a large amount of coins found throughout his domains from Bactria to India. In fact, he introduced gold coins in to the economic structure of his domain and created a bimetallic system with copper coinage, until then the only currency adopted by his predecessors, Kujūla Kadphises and Vima Takto. The royal iconography adopted by the ruler on the obverse of gold and copper coins introduces six different typologies of image in the former, while a different one in the latter.
Why did the ruler decide to adopt this double language towards his subjects ? May it be a propagandistic choice tailored to the audience?
The symbols depicted on the gold coins are cultured complex and rooted in the Central Asian religious milieu - for example the ruler sitting on the rocks and holding a club; the fire behind his shoulders; the left hand covered by the sleeve. On the other hand the iconography of copper coinage is limited to a single image, depicting the ruler performing a sacrifice in front of a small fire burner, a well known iconographic model of royalty throughout coeval Central Asia. This double language may reflect the intention of Vima Kadphises to address different audiences in his vast dominion. Gold coins, bearing sophisticated symbols, address the cultured and educated élites, but also the merchants, in the light of the recent development of international markets. The simple straightforward image on copper coins could, instead, convey the idea of a law abiding sovereign, an essential requirement for a Central Asian ruler, especially in India.
Oriental Numismatic Society - UK meeting at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford., 2023
This paper delves into the study of a distinct copper coin typology known as the 'Roman Emperor T... more This paper delves into the study of a distinct copper coin typology known as the 'Roman Emperor Type,' minted during the reign of the Kuṣāṇ king Kujūla Kadphises (circa 40/50-90 AD). Dated to the latter part of the first century AD, this coin features on the obverse an image reminiscent of the imperial iconography of the Julio-Claudian period, while depicting Kujūla himself seated on the reverse. This numismatic innovation stands out in the annals of ancient Indian coinage, offering a glimpse into Kujūla's political strategies within the still nascent Kuṣāṇ realm. Drawing upon literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this paper seeks to demonstrate that the issue of this coin typology was not solely influenced by the Roman aura of authority in India, but was also shaped by economic and religious considerations within the city, along with the local coinage, serving as a platform for the sovereign's experimentation with this unique hybrid coinage.
L’Associazione Culturale Rodopis, in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Un... more L’Associazione Culturale Rodopis, in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali dell’Università di Bologna – Campus di Ravenna, organizza il XIX ciclo di seminari Ricerche a Confronto, dal titolo Le regalità ibride in Oriente da Alessandro ai Sasanidi, che avrà luogo presso il Dipartimento di Beni Culturali nella sede di Palazzo Corradini (via Angelo Mariani 5) in data 26-27 novembre 2024. L’obiettivo è quello di promuovere l’incontro e il confronto tra giovani antichiste e antichisti di diversi interessi e formazione.