(in Polish) Introduction to Latin epigraphy - ZIP 2800-DKLATEPI-ZIP
The idea of an introductory class on the Latin Epigraphy is to provide a general and full coverage of the discipline and its use in the reconstruction of the Roman period history. The students will be able to read, translate and interpret the information provided by the inscriptions with not so difficult texts. They will be trained to use the inscriptions corpora and the internet data bases of inscriptions, to understand the signs used by the publication of the inscriptions. They will acquire knowledge in the field of epigraphy and the use of the discipline for better understanding of the Roman society of the early Empire. The classes will focus on practice of reading, translating and interpreting inscriptions of different type. The theory will be kept to the minimum, as the students will gathered their information through reading the inscriptions. Therefore, the
case studies will cover almost all the aspects of the Roman society seen through the epigraphic evidence: funerary rituals, religion, administrations, army, society, economy.
The classes will be devoted to topics such as:
1. A General introduction to Epigraphy, definition, place and relevance within the field of Roman archaeology and history
2. History and method of epigraphy
3. Methods of describing and reading a Latin inscription
4. Documentation methods, types of transcriptions, editing and publications, abbreviations.
5. Principal Types of Inscriptions: funerary, votive, honorary, official documents of all kinds
6. Principal Types of Monuments and supports bearing inscriptions: stelae, altars, statue bases, wooden tablets, bronze tablets, bricks and tiles, ceramic materials of all types
7. Introduction of the Roman public administration, Roman army and Roman society, seen through the epigraphic evidence
8. The Roman religion, seen through the epigraphic evidence
9. The Roman funerary practices, seen through the epigraphic evidence
10. The Roman economy, seen through the epigraphic evidence.
11. The Roman Emperor across the inscriptions – case studies: Antonine and Severan imperial inscriptions.
"This course is offered within the University of Warsaw Integrated Development Programme, co-financed from the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development 2014-2020, path 3.5."
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
Students will acquire critical knowledge of the way of using Epigraphy as a general method to
study the inscribed monuments of the Roman provinces (K_W03), acquire knowledge of
terminology and methods used in reading, documenting and interpretation in Latin epigraphy
(K_W05, K_W09, K_W10, K_W12), the place of Latin epigraphy in the field of archaeology
and ancient history (K_W06, K_W07), knowledge and understanding of methods of editing and
reading the publications of Latin inscribed texts (K_W11). They will develop the needed skills
to search, analyse and select information concerning Latin epigraphy using internet databases,
corpora and publications (K_U01), how to interpret most common types of Latin epigraphic
sources (K_U03), to acquire knowledge on how to learn about past language and to recognize
inscribed texts in Latin (K_U06, K_U08), recognize various types of monuments basing on the
text and shape of stone (K_U10), how to analyse and use Latin epigraphic evidence (K_U11) and
how to recognize, analyse and classify them (K_U12).
K_W02; K_W03; K_W04; K_W05; K_W08; K_W09; K_W11; K_W12; K_W14;
K_W15K_U01; K_U02; K_U03; K_U05; K_U09; K_U10; K_U11; K_U12; K_U13;
K_U15; K_U16; K_U17;K_U18;K_U19; K_U20K_K01; K_K02; K_K03; K_K04; K_K05;
K_K07
Assessment criteria
Students’ attendance is mandatory, since the classes will focus on reading and interpreting a selection of inscriptions with simple texts. Their knowledge will be assessed at the end of the semester during a short exam at end of the semester.
Bibliography
C. Bruun, J. Edmondson (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Roman Epigraphy, Oxford – New York, 2015.
R. Cagnat, Cours d’épigraphie latine, Paris, 1914 (4th edition).
A. E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of the Latin Epigraphy, Cambridge, 2012.
J.-M. Lassère, Manuel d’épigraphie romaine, Paris, 2005.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: