Patrimonium servare. Forme e prassi per la conservazione del denaro dalla Tarda Antichità a Bisanzio

In ancient societies, the safekeeping of money was a practice of the outmost importance, transversal to the whole population, which was performed by means of specific forms and modes depending on different times and contexts. During Late Antiquity, written, archaeological and iconographic sources allow reconstructing well-differentiated practices for the conservation and transport of money. The typology of containers varied not only according to the preciousness of the amounts kept, but also in relation to the social level of the users. A certain continuity can be traced in the Middle and Late Byzantine period referring to specific practices, such as the sealing of bags of coins not only in the ceremonial context but also in daily life. Despite the clear prevalence of attestations referring to élite contexts, it is also possible to ascertain the persistence of definite practices for the conservation of money within a more stratified and heterogeneous social structure thanks to archaeological and iconographic documentation.

Il contributo analizza il tema della conservazione del denaro tra la tarda antichità e l'età bizantina tramite le informazioni desunte dalle fonti scritte, archeologiche ed iconografiche.