Undergraduate Course: Inscribed Greek: Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic Epigraphy (GREE10048)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course is dedicated to the study of archaic, classical, and Hellenistic Greek inscriptions. By engaging with documents produced by a variety of social agents in the ancient Greek world over a long period of time, students will improve their proficiency in ancient Greek and become familiar with the development of Greek writing and the diversity of Greek dialects, |
| Course description |
This course introduces students to Greek epigraphy, the study of texts that were carved on durable materials and constitute our earliest and most direct evidence for written Greek. Students will examine inscriptions from the archaic, classical, and Hellenistic periods, gaining a concrete understanding of the development of the Greek script, the diversity of Greek dialects, and the material and visual features of inscribed texts. Through close engagement with original documents, the course complements the study of ancient Greek language, literature, history, and culture by foregrounding writings that are preserved outside the manuscript tradition.
Epigraphy offers a privileged perspective on ancient Greek history and society by providing access to documents produced by, or on behalf of, a wide range of agents, from individuals and local communities to civic and religious institutions. Laws, decrees, dedications, honorific texts, and epitaphs allow us to explore questions of class, inequality, power, and collective identity through the direct voices of actors who are often absent from the literary sources. Alongside developing their proficiency in ancient Greek, students will acquire methodological tools essential to the professional study of epigraphy, including paleography, inscriptional layout, and the use of digital resources.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics, History or Archaeology (at least 1 of which should be in Greek Language) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Read and translate Greek inscriptions and understand the peculiarities of the epigraphic language. Assessed via final exam.
- Analyze the material and paleographic features of Greek inscriptions. Assessed via final exam and coursework.
- Become familiar with the diversity of Greek dialects and scripts. Assessed via final exam and coursework.
- Interpret Greek inscriptions from a variety of regions and time periods and situate them in their historical and cultural context. Assessed via coursework.
- Improve their proficiency in ancient Greek. Assessed via final exam.
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Reading List
Bodel, J. (ed.) (2001). Epigraphic Evidence: Ancient History From Inscriptions. London.
Colvin, S. (2007). A Historical Greek Reader: Mycenaean to the Koiné. Oxford.
Effenterre, H. van, and Ruzé, F. (1994 -1995). Nomima. Recueil d'inscriptions politiques et juridiques de l'archaïsme grec. 2 Vols. Rome.
Gagarin, M. and Perlman, P.J. (2016). The Laws of Ancient Crete, c. 650 - 400 BCE. Oxford.
Guarducci, M. (1967 - 1978). Epigrafia greca. 4 Vols. Roma.
Jeffery, L.H. (1990). The Local Scripts of Archaic Greece: A Study of the Origin of the Greek Alphabet and Its Development from the Eighth to the Fifth Centuries B.C. Revised Edition with a Supplement by A.W. Johnston. Oxford.
Liddel, P. (2025). Greek Inscriptions (Ancient Scripts). Los Angeles.
McLean, B.H. (2002). An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman Periods from Alexander the Great down to the Reign of Constantine (323 BC - AD 337). Ann Arbor.
Meiggs, R. and Lewis, D. (1988). A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions to the End of the Fifth Century BC. Revised Edition. Oxford.
Osborne, R. and Rhodes, P.J. (2017). Greek Historical Inscriptions, 478 - 404 BC. Oxford.
Rhodes, P.J. and Osborne, R. (2003). Greek Historical Inscriptions: 404 - 323 BC. Oxford; New York.
Robert, L. (1961). 'Épigraphie', in C. Samaran (ed.), L'histoire et ses méthodes (Encyclopédie de la Pléiade). Paris, 453 - 497. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Ability to summarise, interpret, and critique the work of other scholars in oral and written form.
- Ability effectively to communicate personal views on a given topic in an academic context.
- Ability to read, translate, and interpret non-literary texts in ancient Greek.
- Ability to decipher Greek writing on epigraphic mediums. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Marco Santini
Tel:
Email: Marco.Santini@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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