The narrative of Roman history has been largely shaped by the surviving literary sources, augmented in places by material culture. The numerous surviving coins can, however, provide new information on the distant past. This accessible but authoritative guide introduces the student of ancient history to the various ways in which they can help us understand the history of the Roman republic, with fresh insights on early Roman-Italian relations, Roman imperialism, urban politics, constitutional history, the rise of powerful generals and much more. The text is accompanied by over 200 illustrations of coins, with detailed captions, as well as maps and diagrams so that it also functions as a sourcebook of the key coins every student of the period should know. Throughout, it demystifies the more technical aspects of the field of numismatics and ends with a how-to guide for further research for non-specialists.

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This introductory chapter situates the work of Peter Derow and the chapters in this volume, which respond to his views on Roman imperialism, within broad currents of thought on the nature of Roman military activity and foreign policy. Specific reference is made to a rather different approach, recently championed by Arthur Eckstein, to show the relevance of Derow's own work and the importance of the debate both for ancient history, and for contemporary political theory and, potentially, practice.

This chapter considers the evidence for the use of boards of ten commissions in the period after 146 bc and compares these later instances with those better know legations of the late third and early second centuries. It concludes that there is no strong break in Roman constitutional practice, but instead that the institution was adapted throughout its history to suit individual circumstances. The evidence from Cicero, Plutarch, and Cassius Dio regarding the legates sent to Lucullus during the Mithridatic War is central to the arguement. The lex Rupilia as presented in Cicero's Verrines further illustrates the Romans own conception of the institution.