Inscription Text Tutorial

In order to use the information that inscriptions contain you need to be able to answer several questions about its contents.

The first of these questions is where was it discovered. We provide you with this information in the info box which tells you where the inscription was found and where the text was published.

The second question is what language was it originally written in. We will provide you with the language along with other important information in the info box above the text of the inscription:

Number	A007	This is the unique identifier for the inscription.
Title	Lucius Valerius Pudens	This is only a descriptor for the inscription usually only including the person's name.
Language	Latin

The third question is what shape is the text in? Many inscriptions do not survive intact. Sometimes we are able to restore inscriptions on the basis of parallels with other texts or on the basis of information surviving on the surface. Restorations are always placed in brackets []. Places where no safe restoration can be made are indicated by dots within brackets: [......]. You should be very careful not to build conclusions based upon things that are in brackets. We restore these words to make the overall sense of the text clearer and to make it easier to read, use them as guides, but no more than that. For Example, inscription A 005b:

The final result with reconstructions
and editors marks:
[To Lucius A]elius, freedman of Augustus, [Aur]elius Apolaustus, [pa]ntomime, quinquennalis [Aug]ustalis, the [prem]ier victor at the sacred games in his age. The [Col]onia Aurelia [Au]gusta Pia of Canusium set this up by decree of the decurions.