A Variety of Greek Inscriptions Provide Insight into Ancient Greek Politics and Culture

Greek inscriptions—consisting of Greek alphabetic writing on durable surfaces—appear from the eighth century BCE onwards.

At that time, the Greek world was not a nation-state, but rather a collection of city-states with a shared language and culture. Most of inscriptions discussed were produced in Greece, southern Italy, and western Asia Minor, and they provide a crucially important understanding of the cultures of Greece and the Mediterranean in antiquity. They lend insight into the behavior of the people of the time, including clues about their mindsets and aspirations. These public records combine word and image in a multitude of ways and are rich in the insights they offer.

The inscriptions examined in Greek Inscriptions (J. Paul Getty Museum, $18.95) come from a range of objects on metal or stone that include laws, decrees, accounts and inventories, honorific texts, dedications to deities, and funerary epitaphs. They give a broad view of interstate relations, historical narratives, and the political administration of various city-states while also providing new perspectives on concepts such as democracy, citizenship, gender, ethnicity, religion, and the supernatural. Author Peter Liddel emphasizes the physical form of the texts alongside their importance in understanding ancient Greek culture. Accessible and insightful, Greek Inscriptions both highlights the significance and history of these artifacts and examines their reception in the modern world.