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Teaching History and Classics with Inscriptions

Organized by the SCS Committee on Ancient History

Georgia Tsouvala, Illinois State University, Organizer

Inscriptions are one of the main literary sources for studying and reconstructing the history and culture of an ancient civilization. While epigraphists are responsible for reconstructing, translating, and dating an inscription, and for finding any relevant circumstances, historians determine and interpret the events recorded in the inscription. Often epigraphy and history, or epigraphy and classics are skills and fields practiced by the same person.

This panel will demonstrate the accessibility and importance of epigraphy to non-specialists. The presentations will consider both Greek and Latin epigraphy and will discuss successful methods for incorporating inscriptions into history, civilization, language, and literature courses.

  1. Glenn Bugh, Virginia Tech, "Hellenistic Inscriptions: When History Fails Us."
  2. Joseph Day, Wabash College, "The Lithic Muse: Inscribed Greek Poetry in the Classroom."
  3. Tom Elliott, ISAW, New York University, "Digital Epigraphic Resources for Research and Teaching."
  4. John Bodel, Brown University, "Teaching (with) Epigraphy in the Digital Age."