Aspetti istituzionali e sociali delle colonie latine dell'Apulia e Calabria

Luceria, Venusia, Brundisium, the three Latin colonies founded in Apulia and Calabria, struck exclusively bronze coins, in the third century B.C., (Brindisi also in II century B.C.), with legend in Latin. The study of the coins legends can enrich the core of our informations about social and institutional aspects of the colonies. The case of Brundisium is of particular interest because of the large presence on the coins of acronyms and abbreviated names, probably related to the quaestores of the colonia. It is a significant sample which you can add other nomina gentilicia present on the oldest local production of amphorae (second century B.C.) and some names of 'proxenoi' active in the second century B.C. The result is a picture of a colonial society with a clear dominance of the Latin names: but they remain clear signs of enrollment among the settlers of local elemnts, but their onomastic identity seem somewhat obscured.