Epigraphic Culture and the Epigraphic Mode

Over the past half century the field of epigraphic studies has shifted away from a quasi-exclusive focus on the editing and interpretation of ancient Greek and Latin inscriptions to broader consideration of the place of inscribed writing in classical culture. Discussions of an “epigraphic habit” and of the relevance of inscriptions for evaluating ancient levels and types of literacy have developed independently and have followed different courses, to the extent that the very definition of “inscription” has once again been opened. This paper proposes a new way of assessing the “epigraphic” quality of any type of ancient writing along a scale of modality measured by the degree to which it takes advantage visually of its location, material support, language, writing technique, layout, or register of expression to enhance its meaning for its targeted audience. Various types of the form are illustrated, exempli gratia, with inscriptions drawn predominantly from Pompeii

Art · Epigraphy · Epistemology · Inscribed figure · Linguistics · Literacy · Literature · Sociology · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Mathematics · Philosophy