The Strategies of Legitimation of Alexander and the Diadochoi: Continuities and Discontinuities (original) (raw)

Coinage as propaganda: Alexander and his Successors

Alexander the Great and Propaganda, 2021

The coinage of Alexander the Great primarily served a practical economic purpose, as might be expected of any currency in circulation, both ancient and modern. Armies had to be paid, and ambitious campaigns required financing. But this functionality aside, coins remain an indispensable form of evidence for the study of history for what they can reveal about the issuing authorities' policies and ambitions. One of the most interesting aspects of coinage is how a ruler might employ it as a tool to convey important aspects of their leadership they wish to promote, essentially using coinage as a form of propaganda. Due to their portable nature and the fact that coins have the potential to circulate widely and reach a varied audience, these objects are especially suited to this task. The term 'propaganda' often has particularly negative connotations. It usually describes a political use of deliberately misleading and biased information promulgated for the benefit of a political party. In the present context, the term is used more in the sense of presenting a carefully cultivated public royal image. Alexander was well aware of how to present such an image and took steps to ensure that he could exert as much control as possible over how he was perceived by his subjects. 1 Coinage is just one of the tools Alexander employed towards these ends, and his approach here is consistent with his actions and policies across other mediums, which could be employed similarly towards the creation and maintenance of an ideal royal persona. This was achieved most obviously through artistic formats such as sculptures or paintings but was complimentary to Alexander's behaviour, affectations, and public acts, all of which were deliberately intended to invoke positive ideas about Alexander as a leader. A study of Alexander's numismatic policy forms part of this story and is especially interesting as it reflects Alexander's position and political intentions, with certain changes corresponding to developments in his status and ambitions as his reign progressed. This chapter aims to discuss some of the ways in which Alexander used coinage in order to promote associations that were useful to the image of his kingship, as well as the general ways in which the control and Chapter 10