Epigraphic Database Roma
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Type of site | Database of ancient Latin and Greek inscriptions |
|---|---|
| Available in | Italian and Latin (website interface) |
| Website | www |
| Current status | Active |
Epigraphic Database Roma (EDR) is an open-access online database devoted to the documentation and study of ancient Greek and Latin inscriptions from Rome, the Italian peninsula, Sicily and Sardinia. Based at Sapienza University of Rome, the project forms part of the international federation of epigraphic databases known as EAGLE (Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy).[1]
The database aims to provide comprehensive documentation of published inscriptions dating from antiquity to before the seventh century AD. It records epigraphic texts together with bibliographical references, information about the monuments on which they appear, and, where available, photographic documentation. Christian inscriptions, particularly those from Rome, fall primarily within the remit of the Epigraphic Database Bari (EDB).[1]
History
The origins of the Epigraphic Database Roma lie in initiatives undertaken during the late 1990s by the Commission on Epigraphy and Informatics (Épigraphie et Informatique) of the International Association of Greek and Latin Epigraphy (AIEGL). The commission, chaired by the epigraphist Silvio Panciera, sought to coordinate the development of digital resources for ancient inscriptions and establish common standards for their documentation.[1][2]
Between 1999 and 2003, an experimental epigraphic database was developed by a working group based at the Chair of Latin Epigraphy at Sapienza University of Rome. The project involved collaboration with the university's Centre for the Automation of Humanities Studies (CIDADU), the Epigraphic Database Heidelberg, the University of Bari, the University of Trieste and other institutions and scholars.[1]
In 2003, the participating institutions adopted a federated model consisting of separate but interconnected databases rather than a single centralised repository. This arrangement led to the establishment of EDR as an independent database and the creation of EAGLE (Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy), which initially brought together EDR, the Epigraphic Database Heidelberg (EDH) and the Epigraphic Database Bari (EDB). Hispania Epigraphica Online subsequently joined the federation.[2]
EDR developed into a collaborative research network involving universities, archaeological authorities, cultural institutions and individual researchers. Its central organisation remained at Sapienza University of Rome. Records are subject to scholarly review before publication in the database.[1]
The history, aims and organisation of EDR were described by Silvia Evangelisti in a chapter published in the volume Latin on Stone: Epigraphic Research and Electronic Archives (2010). The chapter examines the database's structure and search functions.[3]
Scope and contents
EDR is intended to provide systematic documentation of Greek and Latin inscriptions from ancient Italy, including Rome, Sicily and Sardinia. Its scope encompasses inscriptions of different types and functions, with attention both to their texts and to the material and archaeological contexts of the monuments.[1]
Individual records may include transcriptions of inscriptions, references to scholarly editions and publications, information on provenance and present location, descriptions of the inscribed support, and photographic images. The database allows searches by inscription text as well as by geographical, bibliographical and archaeological criteria.[3][4]
The compilation of EDR records involves the examination and assessment of previously published inscriptions. In some cases, this work results in revised readings, interpretations or bibliographical identifications. The database therefore serves not only as a digital index of inscriptions but also as a medium for publishing epigraphic research.[5]
International cooperation and digital data
EDR is a member of EAGLE, the international federation established in 2003 to facilitate cooperation and interoperability between epigraphic databases. The federation enables researchers to consult the participating databases individually or through a shared search infrastructure.[2]
Between 2013 and 2016, EAGLE participated in the European project Europeana network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy, which developed tools for aggregating and accessing epigraphic resources through a common portal and for making them available through Europeana. The project supported the harmonisation of data from participating institutions and the development of shared digital research tools.[2]
Part of the content of EDR has been converted into XML using EpiDoc, a standard for the digital encoding of ancient inscriptions. These exports have been deposited on Zenodo, making the data available for reuse and computational research. The deposited dataset includes successive releases, with an updated version published on 3 February 2026.[6]
Research applications
EDR is used as a research resource in classical archaeology, ancient history and epigraphy. The database is included among specialist online collections of inscriptions recommended by academic libraries, including the University of Chicago Library.[7]
The database has also been incorporated into research projects combining epigraphic evidence with archaeological and topographical information. One example is IN-ROME: The INscribed City, a project investigating the relationship between inscriptions, urban structures and social interaction in ancient Rome. As described by Barbara E. Borg and Eleonora Iacopini in 2024, the project aims to integrate approximately 50,000 inscriptions documented in EDR into a geographical information system, linking their recorded provenance with archaeological and historical evidence.[8]
The Italian Ministry of Culture has also organised training courses in the use of EDR in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome and national archaeological and cultural heritage institutions.[4]
Related publications
In 2017, the open-access publication Italia Epigrafica Digitale was established to disseminate scholarly records produced by contributors to EDR. The publication consists of geographically organised volumes containing epigraphic records, introductions and indices. Its purpose is to make the results of the database's continuing cataloguing and research activities available as identifiable scholarly publications.[9]
See also
- Epigraphy
- Latin epigraphy
- Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum
- EpiDoc
- Europeana
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Epigraphic Database Rome". EAGLE – Europeana network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Caldelli, Maria Letizia; Orlandi, Silvia (2020). "EAGLE: storia di un'idea dalle origini all'ingresso di EDF". DigItalia. 15 (2): 126–137. doi:10.36181/digitalia-00020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Evangelisti, Silvia (2010). "EDR: History, Purpose, and Structure". In Feraudi-Gruénais, Francisca. Latin on Stone: Epigraphic Research and Electronic Archives. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. pp. 119–134. ISBN 9780739145906. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Corsi di formazione EDR – Epigraphic Database Roma: modulo base e specialistico". Ministero della Cultura. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
- ↑ Orlandi, Silvia (2017). "Italia Epigrafica Digitale, un "periodico anomalo" come prodotto della ricerca per EDR". Colonie e municipi nell'era digitale. Documentazione epigrafica per la conoscenza delle città antiche. pp. 383–390.
- ↑ "EDR – Epigraphic Database Roma EpiDoc files". Zenodo. 3 February 2026. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18468635. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
- ↑ "Collections of Inscriptions". University of Chicago Library. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
- ↑ Borg, Barbara E.; Iacopini, Eleonora (2024). "IN-ROME – The INscribed city: urban structures and interaction in imperial Rome". Archeologia e Calcolatori. 35 (2): 343–354. doi:10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.36.
- ↑ "Sulla rivista". Italia Epigrafica Digitale. Sapienza University of Rome. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
Further reading
- Caldelli, Maria Letizia, and Silvia Orlandi. "EAGLE: storia di un'idea dalle origini all'ingresso di EDF." DigItalia 15, no. 2 (2020): 126–137. https://doi.org/10.36181/digitalia-00020.
- Evangelisti, Silvia. "EDR: History, Purpose, and Structure." In Francisca Feraudi-Gruénais (ed.), Latin on Stone: Epigraphic Research and Electronic Archives, 119–134. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2010.
- Orlandi, Silvia. "Italia Epigrafica Digitale, un 'periodico anomalo' come prodotto della ricerca per EDR." In Colonie e municipi nell'era digitale. Documentazione epigrafica per la conoscenza delle città antiche (2017): 383–390.
- Borg, Barbara E., and Eleonora Iacopini. "IN-ROME – The INscribed city: urban structures and interaction in imperial Rome." Archeologia e Calcolatori 35, no. 2 (2024): 343–354. https://doi.org/10.19282/ac.35.2.2024.36.
External links
- Official website of the Epigraphic Database Roma
- Epigraphic Database Roma at EAGLE
- Italia Epigrafica Digitale
- EDR EpiDoc dataset on Zenodo
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