Contents

Outputs
Search criteria

The project consists of several outputs:

1. digitization of the rubbings;
2. encoding the inscriptions from which the rubbings were made in TEI EpiDoc (the epigraphic records are based on Inglese 2008 for both the edition and commentary);
3. creation of a dynamic map to display the location of the inscriptions;
4. a new updated archaeological map of the area.

In the list of inscriptions and rubbings it is possible to filter by:

• Theonym or Epithet
• Anthroponym
• Archaeological sector
• Chronology
• Type of inscription
• Contextual element
• Palaeography

The archaeological sectors in which the inscriptions are located are five: (1) the Temple of Apollo Karneios, (2) the perimeter walls, (3) the horseshoe-shaped enclosed area, (4) the rocky promontory of the Karnea, and (5) the area near the break in the great terrace wall (Gymnasium of the Ephebes).

As Jeffery noted, it is not possible to provide an absolute chronology for the development of Thera's epigraphy, and it is necessary to maintain caution in assigning dates. The archaic inscriptions of Thera are dated mainly between the 7th and 6th centuries BCE, with some earlier examples from the late 8th century and a few later ones extending into the 5th century BCE. Many of the texts can be broadly attributed to the "Archaic period," conventionally defined as spanning from the 8th century to approximately 490 BCE. However, this dating should be understood as approximate.

The inscriptions from the Agora of the Gods in Thera fall into typological and functional categories that are peculiar. As such, it is difficult to label them indiscriminately as either 'votive' inscriptions without oversimplifying their content. The typological categorization we propose takes into account the recent classifications developed by the EAGLE epigraphists group and FAIR Epigraphy, while adopting its own framework:

Anthroponyms: Male names or sequences of names, often accompanied by adjectives, usually in the nominative case and inscribed by different hands. Some are accompanied by figurative graffiti.

Theonyms and Epithets: Typically inscribed on a single line, often in the nominative case, and occasionally followed by the name of the dedicator in the genitive. They can be interpreted as cultic inscriptions.

Erotic Graffiti: Identified by the use of the verb οἴφω (cf. EAGLE vocabularies and FAIR ontologies).

Some of the inscriptions of the Agora of the Gods contain drawings, symbols or other elements which sometimes seem to be complementary to the text itself. We have marked them in the inscriptions so that it is possible to filter by types, i.e.: figure, frame, recess, symbol, and traces of drawings.

Palaeographic documentation represents one of the main tools for analysing and classifying the inscriptions from the Agora of the Gods. The inscriptions have been described considering letterforms, graphic variants, and executional features relevant for the chronological and cultural interpretation of the texts. The palaeographic types and letter drawings used in the database are derived from the repertory of the Poinikastas project, devoted to the study of early Greek alphabetic writing.