PAST CRIMESBy the late third century, this form of cloak had become so sought after that it
actually received a mention in an Edict of Prices issued by the emperor
Diocletian inAD301. Representations of this form of cloak can be seen in the
figure of‘Winter’in a floor mosaic in the Roman villa at Chedworth, and in
carvings of three enigmatic figures standing together, known as the Genii
Cucullati, such as the example found at Housesteads fort on Hadrian’s Wall. The
cloaks were popular across the Empire, and were a major British export item.
In all, some 1500 curse tablets have been found; about 1000 were written in
Greek, and 500 in Latin, and about 250 of these Latin curses have been found
in Britain, most at Bath or the temple of Mercury at Uley, Glos.
Robbers and counterfeiters
More extreme forms of theft are also recorded. Roman soldiers were not
above doing some tomb robbing–as they marched through Italy and Greece
they found ancient and richly appointed tombs, which they broke open for the
bronze statues and antique pots inside. These were sold to antique collectors
back in Rome.^11 Eventually grave robbing was established as a crime in
Roman law, with the death penalty attached to it, as Cicero recorded.^12
Forgers were very active during the Roman period, and counterfeit coins
have been found throughout the region covered by the Roman Empire.
Many of the fake coins are in small denominations; they were designed to
fulfil a need, especially in the provinces. It was often the case that
insufficient amounts of small denomination coinage reached the provinces,
and so unofficial coins were struck or cast, often quite crude in their
execution, and clearly recognisable in comparison with the official issues.
They made ordinary commerce possible, allowing small change to be given so
that people could purchase smaller items, which cost below the value of gold
or silver coins.
This explanation probably accounts for the large groups of copperasses
(one of the smallest denominations) found in Roman Southwark dating from
the period of the emperor Claudius. In the years following the conquest of
Britain inAD43, it is probable that insufficient small change reached this far
flung province, so that the soldiers stationed here would have needed to be
supplied with some sort of small change in order to make everyday purchases.
As early as 81BC, forgery of silver coins had been made illegal, with
penalties including banishment or death. However, there was no mention of
copper or bronze coins in the law; in fact it is not untilAD438 that such a law
is recorded. Silver and gold coins were officially issued on behalf of the
emperor; the lower denominations were made in local centres more or less