The world of Hellenistic Sicilian numismatics is becoming increasingly well-known. The publication in 2009 of Puglisi's compilation of coin finds across the island from Dionysius down to the end of the first century b.c. has certainly helped in this regard, albeit with a stronger focus on the earlier, rather than the later period. With Frey-Kupper's study of the Ietas coinage recently published, the murky world of late Hellenistic Sicilian numismatics is becoming somewhat clearer. Manganaro's new study of a series of coin hoards from 215 b.c. to a.d. 14 is, therefore, a welcome addition to a growing field of study, notwithstanding some notable caveats.
M. presents eighty-one hoards from seven periods of Sicily's numismatic history — titled Fascia monetale — set into the context of their surrounding history. These subdivisions follow the major social, political and military upheavals. The second chapter, ‘Dalla battaglia del Trasimeno a Claudio Marcello e Valerio Levino (217–207 a.C.)’, presents the Prima Fascia monetale, and is by far the longest chapter. It also includes the majority of the hoards considered, forty-eight in total. Each following Fascia follows a different historical period: ‘I sessantacinque anni di prosperità «turbata» della Sicilia’; ‘La rivolta antiromana della schiavo Eunous-Re Antioco’; ‘Incursioni servili nel 118–100 a.C. e la rivolta di Salvio-Tryphon e di Athenion’; ‘La Sicilia dal 90 al 46 a.C.’; the oddly titled ‘Il Bellum Servile di Sesto Pompeo’; and finally ‘Tra Antonio e Augusto’. While some of the hoards discussed are provided with clear descriptions of their contents, throughout the volume several suffer from very limited analysis or presentation of their contents. The monograph assumes a prior familiarity with IGCH, RRCH, or other publication of the hoards, and this does not always aid comprehension. The plates provided are generally of excellent quality, although the map on p. 119 seems to be rather incomplete.
Besides any specific points that can be made about the presentation of the hoards or the difficulty of finding specific reasons for their burial, some more serious points can be made. The first regards the periodization chosen. M.'s choice of historical periods is not unexpected, but the alignment of the Fascia monetale so closely with historical events provides some odd moments. A few examples will suffice. On p. 48 it is suggested that the hoards comprising the second Fascia during the first half of the second century b.c. were left because of looting by slave gangs, connected on p. 50 to the revolt under Eunus in the 130s. It seems problematic to argue this for hoards, such as XLIX in M.'s collection (RRCH, 124), that seem to be datable to the 150s. The third Fascia is placed during the revolts under Eunus in 136–131 b.c., but this only allows for two hoards in the phase, both only loosely, if at all, attributable to that event. The suggestion on p. 59 that a hoard from Syracuse which M. dates to after 136 b.c. could argue for rebel incursions against Syracuse in 138–136 b.c. is not convincing. It seems to this reviewer that placing hoard evidence into these kinds of divisions presupposes a link between hoard burial/non-recovery and major social, political or military events. It is not clear more generally that archaeological finds can relate so directly to historical events (as perceived through literary or epigraphic sources), or that the interpretation of archaeological finds should be driven from the historical perspective in the first place.
The second point regards the choice of material for study. A focus on coin hoards, as opposed to finds from a broader range of contexts, gives considerable prominence to Roman coinage throughout the volume. In those sites that are excavated well enough to give a good indication of the overall finds there, such as Morgantina and Ietas, Roman coinage does not appear to account for more than 20 per cent of the total finds. The important rôle played by coinage in defining civic identity, as well as the specific rôle it played in Sicily vis-à-vis Romano-Sicilian relations requires much more attention than it has received to date. By focusing so much on hoards and silver coinage, M. cannot address this important topic. In addition, the impossibility of defining exactly why some hoards were abandoned, or by whom they were buried, makes it very hard to make any authoritative statement about what these hoards can tell us about Sicily in this period at all.
In some ways, this monograph feels like a missed opportunity. M., one of the leading scholars of Sicily and well versed in epigraphy, numismatics and literature, is well placed to offer an integration of the numismatic evidence with the other scattered remains of Sicily's history in a way that offers compelling insights into how these sets of evidence can interact. In numismatics, the bronze coinages of Sicily appear to be the area most in need of work, and it is a disappointment that so little space was given to their study in this work. Even so, this monograph will be of benefit to readers in the contextualization of hoard finds within their surrounding history. M.'s use of epigraphic texts to broaden the historical discussions is especially welcome, not least because this is another important avenue for exploring Sicily in this period.
