Programme

The course provides an introduction to the scholarly study of ancient Latin inscriptions. Latin epigraphy is a well-established discipline founded on a rigorous methodology, which students will be introduced to in order to develop the skills needed to read and interpret inscriptions independently, as well as to navigate the modern scholarly literature, whose highly technical nature makes it difficult to approach without appropriate guidance. To this end, the course will present the history of the discipline and introduce the principal tools and resources available for the documentation and study of inscriptions. It will also examine the distinctive features of the epigraphic mode of expression and highlight the value of inscriptions as primary evidence for the history of the Latin language, Roman society, and Roman institutions.