A History of Ancient Greece in Twelve Coins

Nomos

Gareth Harney is a historian and coin collector striving to bring the wonders of the ancient world to a wider audience. For two decades he has explored the ruins of the Roman Empire, from the rugged landscapes of Hadrian’s Wall to the desert sands of the Sahara, all the while celebrating every aspect of ancient Rome with his large online following. Tweeting @OptimoPrincipi he combines rigorous historical research with thrilling storytelling to make classical history vital and relatable. Having built his own ancient coin collection since childhood, he now uses his website, blog, and high-definition coin photography to promote the joys of the hobby to a whole new generation.

Vivid and pacy storytelling, blending insightful scholarship with evocative narration – for readers of Tom Holland, Mary Beard and Bettany Hughes. 
 
It was the Greeks who invented money as we know it, striking the first coins in the seventh century BC. Before long this innovative idea of a portable metallic store of wealth spread across the waves of the Mediterranean. But these coins were more than simple units of exchange; they quickly became artistic masterpieces crafted in gold and silver and endure today as some of the most important surviving examples of Ancient Greek art. 
 
More important, they advertised the power and virtues of each polis with patriotic fervour; for the empire of Greece was not a single entity but a rich mosaic of wholly distinct city-states spread across three continents. Yet for all their unique identities and rivalries, these states were bonded by their shared worship of a colourful gallery of gods, their devotion to art, literature and philosophy, and the courage and skill of their citizen-soldiers. 
 
In this thrilling adventure Gareth Harney introduces us to twelve fascinating coins that provide the perfect introduction to Ancient Greece. We witness the birth of democracy on a sacred hilltop overlooking the Acropolis, battle invading Persians in an existential war on land and at sea, take part in the bitter conflict between Athens and Sparta, and march alongside Alexander the Great as he carries Greek culture all the way to India.

Gareth Harney

Riveting ... An utterly original history of Rome that compels from start to finish. A wonderful read

In this delightful book, Harney, a historian and coin collector, tells the story of ancient Rome from founding to collapse, through the medium of its coinage. The result is fascinating, orginal and fun. The story of Rome is of course extraordinary. But the way it is told by Harney brings it to life. It is a book to enjoy, but also one from which both young and old can learn much

An excellent 1,000 year history of Rome told through 12 coins… This book is well worth a few denarii

A wonderfully evocative history of the Roman Empire

From Caesar's hubris to the daily pay of a Roman soldier, this excellent history whizzes through one thousand years of history ... For those who want an enjoyable potted history of 1,000 years of Rome told in an engaging new way, Harney’s book is well worth a few denarii

[Harney] deploys the coins skilfully to underpin and illustrate his history … an effective and appropriate strategy because Roman coins really are exceptional in the range of their design … a rich resource for talking about Roman power

Fantastic. Moneta is a brilliant combination of history and expert storytelling – if anyone reads the first five pages, they’ll be up all night with it

CONN IGGULDEN, bestselling author of the Emperor series

Gareth Harvey’s Moneta offers an original and ingenious means of recounting the rise and fall of Rome’s empire, though twelve coins. The result is both exciting and enjoyable, filled with fascinating and illuminating details

A novel and highly readable approach to Roman history. The author's enthusiasm shines through on every page

PHILIP MATYSZAK, author of A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives

Extremely enjoyable. A brilliant combination of entertaining and educational Roman history that makes numismatics vivid and exciting

EMMA SOUTHON, author of A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women

Fast paced and vivid, Moneta makes more than a millennium of Roman history tangible, telling the story of the empire’s rise and fall through the thing that backed it all - cold hard cash. The coins in these pages funded wars, paid debts, and bought bread, but they also defined factions, declared beliefs, and forged the enduring images of some of history’s greatest men

HONOR CARGILL-MARTIN, author of Messalina

This vivid story of some 800 years of artistry, assassination and adventure makes it far more than a history of Roman coins, but it's that too, and if you weren't already fascinated by these tiny beautiful works of art and all we can learn from them, I promise that you will be by the time the barbarians are at the gate (and probably by end of the prologue). There are riches aplenty in these pages, and Gareth uses his wonderful hoard of coins to pay our fare back to the roar of the Colosseum and the Roman senate house, where he is waiting to describe the ancient past with learning and immediacy

A first-rate popular history written with verve and imagination

THOMAS J. T. WILLIAMS, author of Lost Realms

Genius. A beautifully written, fast-paced overview of Rome's history. By linking important events to coins - those tiny portable visual conveyors of information, news and propaganda - Harney has achieved something wonderful

CAROLINE LAWRENCE, author of The Roman Mysteries

An exhilarating journey through Rome’s rise and fall, told through the lens of history's most humble, yet powerful, artefact: the coin. Masterfully weaving vivid narratives with in-depth histories, Gareth Harney transforms these small, transient objects into the vibrant storytellers of an empire, bringing the story of money to life in a way that feels both thrilling and accessible. I have a new found respect for the humble coin after reading Harney's book. A fantastic read - I'll wager that readers will be gripped from the start

Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins

* A Financial Times Book of the Year * A Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday Summer Read * 
 
HOLD THE POWER AND GLORY OF ANCIENT ROME IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 
 
A wild she-wolf tenderly nurses infant twins Romulus and Remus. 
Marcus Junius Brutus looks out over chaos and conflict, flaunting the bloodied daggers with which he murdered Julius Caesar. 
Trumpets blare, crowds roar, gladiators enter the grand Colosseum. Let the games begin. 
 
Frescoes fade and books vanish, but the story of Rome’s epic rise and fall survives in scenes struck in gold, silver and bronze. Told through the lives of twelve remarkable coins, this is ancient Rome as you’ve never seen it before. 
 
* A Financial Times Book of the Year * A Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday Summer Read *

Gareth Harney

Praise for Moneta

Riveting ... An utterly original history of Rome that compels from start to finish. A wonderful read

In this delightful book, Harney, a historian and coin collector, tells the story of ancient Rome from founding to collapse, through the medium of its coinage. The result is fascinating, orginal and fun. The s ...

An excellent 1,000 year history of Rome told through 12 coins… This book is well worth a few denarii

Riveting ... An utterly original history of Rome that compels from start to finish. A wonderful read

In this delightful book, Harney, a historian and coin collector, tells the story of ancient Rome from founding to collapse, through the medium of its coinage. The result is fascinating, orginal and fun. The s ...

An excellent 1,000 year history of Rome told through 12 coins… This book is well worth a few denarii

Riveting ... An utterly original history of Rome that compels from start to finish. A wonderful read

In this delightful book, Harney, a historian and coin collector, tells the story of ancient Rome from founding to collapse, through the medium of its coinage. The result is fascinating, orginal and fun. The s ...

An excellent 1,000 year history of Rome told through 12 coins… This book is well worth a few denarii

Books by Gareth Harney

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter