sehepunkte 25 (2025), Nr. 10

Elisabeth Rathmayr / Veronika Scheibelreiter-Gail: Inschriften in Wohnhäusern 1

This substantial monograph represents a ground-breaking contribution to the field of ancient epigraphy and domestic archaeology, offering the first comprehensive examination of inscriptions found within residential contexts across Greece and the Balkans. Rathmayr and Scheibelreiter-Gail, both established scholars in classical epigraphy, have produced a meticulously researched work that fills a significant lacuna in our understanding of private inscriptional practices in the ancient world.

The volume's primary strength lies in its innovative methodological approach. Rather than treating inscriptions as isolated textual artifacts, the authors employ rigorous contextual analysis to examine how epigraphic evidence functioned within the lived spaces of upper-class households. Examining spatial distribution across all areas of the household - external spaces, entrances, courtyards and peristyles, interior rooms, distribution areas, baths, latrines, upper floors -, this contextual framework allows them to reconstruct not merely what inscriptions said, but how they operated as integral components of domestic environments from approximately 400 BCE to late antiquity.

The geographical scope is impressive, encompassing mainland Greece and the broader Balkan region. The authors demonstrate remarkable command of diverse epigraphic traditions across this expansive area, successfully synthesizing material that has previously been scattered across numerous regional studies. Their systematic cataloguing and analysis of inscriptions found on architectural elements - facades, door frames, columns - as well as those integrated into mosaic floors, wall paintings, and sculptural displays, provides scholars with an invaluable research tool. Particularly noteworthy is the authors' treatment of different inscription types, including both formal dipinti and informal graffiti, successfully bridging the gap between formal epigraphic studies and social history.

The work's theoretical framework is sophisticated, drawing on recent developments in spatial archaeology and domestic studies. The authors successfully demonstrate how inscriptions functioned as markers of social status, religious devotion and cult practice, and cultural identity within private spaces. Their analysis of how textual and visual elements were integrated in domestic decoration provides important insights into ancient aesthetic practices and the semiotics of elite housing.

The volume's extensive length (965 pages of text) - 14 topical chapters, including technical chapters on epigraphy, synthetic chapters on religion and cult, freed and enslaved persons, and women, and summary chapters in German and English (1-312), an extensive geographical catalogue (311-918), a concordance of inscriptions (919-940), indices (941-965) and a series of 243 plates keyed to the text - reflects its comprehensive nature. While methodologically sound, the detailed cataloguing might have overwhelmed the analytical narrative. Fortunately, the work benefits from the inclusion of synthetic chapters that draw broader conclusions from the rich empirical data.

This volume represents a major scholarly achievement. Rathmayr and Scheibelreiter-Gail have not only assembled an impressive corpus of material but have also developed new interpretative frameworks for understanding domestic epigraphy. Their work will undoubtedly become a standard reference for scholars of ancient inscriptions, domestic archaeology, and social history. So, too, the publication establishes important precedents for future research in domestic epigraphy and suggests promising avenues for comparative studies beyond the Greek world. This first volume promises to be followed by additional regional studies, creating what will likely become the definitive reference work on inscriptions in ancient residential contexts.