Interpreting ancient Sicilian inscriptions
The W&S (Writing & Statues. Palaeographic analysis and historical perspectives on Greek and Latin honorary inscriptions from ancient Sicily (I BC - VII AD)) project collected Greek and Latin epigraphic documents carved on stone in Sicily in post-27 BC to 650 AD. The work represents a complete and exhaustive examination of the epigraphic material and its original context. Although Greek and Roman stone inscriptions from Sicily have been already published, what sets this work apart from the rest is that it does not focus exclusively on historical aspects. Instead, the interdisciplinary approach used included an analysis of the documents whereby the focus was on palaeographic, stylistic and historical aspects. Additionally, the relationship between words and images as a means to convey messages and values was examined. Only inscriptions that come from statue bases were used. It was found that they come primarily from the north-western part of Sicily and that the occurrences decrease during the 2nd and the 3rd centuries AD. This demonstrates that overcoming the separation of different areas of knowledge is crucial in reconstructing a more reliable framework of ancient Sicily. The results have been disseminated through publications and participations in seminars and workshops in Europe. Such an interdisciplinary approach gives way to a clearer and more reliable picture of the collection of Greek and Roman inscriptions from Sicily.
Keywords
Sicilian inscriptions, Roman Empire, epigraphic, ancient Sicily