Laudator Temporis Acti

Goethe, Italian Journey (Sicily, April 12, 1787; tr. W.H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer):

Today we were shown Prince Torremuzza's collection of coins. I went there almost reluctantly. I understand too little about this field, and a merely inquisitive tourist is the bane of the true connoisseur. But after all, one has to begin somewhere, so I relented and derived great pleasure and some profit from our visit.

The ancient world was dotted with cities and even the smallest of them has left us, in its precious coins, a record, if not of the whole course of art history, at least of some epochs of it. An eternal spring of art's immortal fruits and flowers smiled up at us out of these drawers, telling of a craftsmanship perfected and practised over a lifetime, and of much else besides.

Alas, we others possessed in our youth nothing but family medals which say nothing and coins bearing the portraits of emperors in which the same profile is repeated ad nauseam, of overlords who cannot be regarded as paragons of humanity. It makes me sad to think that in my youth my historical knowledge was limited to Palestine, which had no images at all, and Rome, which had far too many. Sicily and Magna Graecia have given me hope of a new life.

The fact that I indulge in general reflections on these objects is proof that I still know precious little about them; but I hope I shall gradually improve in this, as in everything else.

Coin from Syracuse, 212-214 B.C. (Athena obverse, Artemis reverse):


See David R. Sear, Greek Coins and Their Values, Vol. I: Europe (London: Seaby, 1978), p. 105, number 997.