This chapter looks at cases where those subject to Roman hegemony attempted to throw off Roman control and also where the power of individuals within the state became so contested that it threatened the constitutional integrity of the republic.In the first half coin evidence is used to look at South Italian communities that sided with Hannibal during the Second Punic War, uprisings of enslaved peoples and Roman responses, and the failed attempt by Rome’s former Italian allies to set up a rival federal state.The second half examines what numismatic evidence can tell us about the autocratic ambitions of Marius, Sulla, and Pompey and ends with a close look at how Sulla’s memory was used during the period of Pompey’s ascendency.

This chapter provides answers to some basic questions: when did Rome start making coins, and why did they make them?What caused the coinage to change?And what are the limits of our quantification of the coin evidence that survives? Answering these questions gives new insights into Rome’s relationship with her regional neighbors in the third century, especially the Pyrrhic War and the wars with Carthage. Attention is given to legends and designs that advertise the purpose of a specific issue, as well as changing weight standards, denomination systems, and retariffing of the denarius.The final section reviews the application of statistics to estimate the size of issues and to compare hoards, and interpret coin weights and metallurgical tests.