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YOU ARE HERE:>>General Information>>Ancient Greek and Latin reading sevice
ANCIENT GREEK AND LATIN
I offer a translation service, provided by an academic through me. This covers inscribed rings, seals, stele and the like.
Photographs Working from good pics is perfectly feasible: use a directional light, not overall overhead lighting as this is usually a better way to capture flat inscriptions. The light might need to be carefully directed at a very oblique angle to catch the inscription well. For inscriptions in intaglio an appropriately illuminated photo of the impression in plasticene would be helpful as well.
Authenticity. The authenticity of engraved stone or metal cannot be guaranteed merely because the inscription is internally consistent and correct but a badly bodged inscription on a fake often gives it away.
Prices
PLEASE NOTE: As from March 2008 I have been obliged to add 17.5% VAT to these fees for people within the EU. So, the prices shown in brackets here are inclusive of VAT for EU residents but the lower price is for the rest of the world.
VERY ABREVIATED VOTIVE INSCRIPTION ON RING, SEAL OR THE LIKE £30 (With VAT £35.25)
SHORT INSCRIPTION ON RING, SEAL, FRAGMENTARY STELE OR ROMAN MILITARY DIPLOMA OR THE THE LIKE Up to around 10 characters. £50. (With VAT £58.75)
SHORT OR FRAGMENTARY INSCRIPTION ON RING, SEAL, FRAGMENTARY ROMAN DIPOMA OR FRAGMENTARY STELE OR THE LIKE Up to around 10 words. £70. (With VAT £82.25) MEDIUM TO LONG or COMPLEX INSCRIPTION: you would get a quote for the work.
If your piece is thought to be fake by virtue of an incorrect inscription there would be some commentary on this.
How you can help
I would very much like to place some of the images of the pieces (or just the text parts, if collectors would prefer not to have their pieces shown) on my website along with the reading work. This would allow us to develop a database which would help us illiterates to start learning to recognise and read the commonly found types of inscriptions When you get in touch with me please let me know one way or the other. Attribution to you by name, by your membership ID or anonymously: whatever you prefer.
If you are interested in this sevice,
Readings by Ittai Gradel, D.Phil.
An example of what you can learn about a mere fragment, from this special service: take a fragment of Roman military diploma as an example:
.
. Here is a nice example of how much of the original text can be "restored" and understood from only a small fragment from a diploma. This fragment is only 40mm x 33mm.
. And yet...............
Part of a diploma issued under Antoninus Pius (138-61) to auxiliaries stationed in Moesia Superior, AD 158-59.
I have restored text to the point of textual overlap between obverse and reverse.
Tabella I extrinsecus (obverse):
[imp(erator) caes(ar) divi hadriani f(ilius) divi traiani] [part(hici) nepos divi ne]RVAE [pron(epos) t(itus) aelius] [hadrianus anto]NINVS AVG(ustus) PIVS [pont(ifex) max(imus) trib(unicia) pot(estate) xxii] IMP(erator) II CO(n)S(ul) IIII P(ater) P(atriae) [equitibus et peditibus qu]I MILIT(averunt) IN ALIS [ii quae appell(antur) i claudia] NOVA MISCELL(anea) [et gallorum flaviana et c]OHORT(ibus) X [v gallor(um) et v hispanor(um) et i mont]ANOR(um) [et i antioc(hensium) et i cretum et iii campest]R(is) [et ii gallor(um) et iii britton(um) et i lusitano]R(um) [et i pann(oniorum) et sunt in moesia sup(eriore)] etc
Tabella I intus (reverse):
[... et sunt in moesia superiore] [sub c]VRTI[o iusto leg(ato) xxv stip(endiis) emer(itis)] [dimis(sis) h]ON[est(a) mission(e) quor(um) nom(ina)] [subscr(ipta) s]VNT [civit(atem) Roman(am) qui eor(um) non] [hab(erent) d]EDIT ET [conub(ium) cum uxorib(us)] [qu]AS TVN[c habuis(sent) cum est civit(as) iis dat(a) aut cum iis] [q]VAC(sic!) POST(ea) [duxiss(ent)]
Cf CIL XVI, 111: Imp(erator) Caes(ar) divi [Hadriani f(ilius) divi Traiani] / Parth(ici) n(epos) divi Nervae [pronep(os) T(itus) Aelius Ha]/drianus Antoni[nus Aug(ustus) Pius pont(ifex) max(imus)] / tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) XXIII im[p(erator) II co(n)s(ul) IV p(ater) p(atriae)] / equit(ibus) et ped(itibus) qui mil(itaverunt) in [alis II quae appel(lantur) I Claud(ia)] / nov(a) miscel(lanea) et I Gall(orum) Fla[vian(a) et coh(ortibus) X V Gallor(um) et V] / Hisp(anorum) et I Mont(anorum) et I Antioc(hensium) [et I Cretum et III campestr(is)] / et II Gall(orum) et III Britton(um) et [I Lusit(anorum) et I Pann(oniorum)] / et sunt in Moesia sup(eriore) [sub Pontio Sabi]/no leg(ato) XXV stip(endiis) emer(itis) di[missis honest(a) mission(e) quor(um)] / nom(ina) subscr(ipta) sunt ci[vit(atem) Roman(am) qui eor(um) non] / hab(erent) ded(it) et conub(ium) [cum uxorib(us) quas tunc] / habuis(sent) cum est [civit(as) iis dat(a) aut cum iis] / quas post(ea) duxi[ss(ent) // Imp(erator) Caes(ar) divi Hadriani f(ilius) divi Tra/iani Parth(ici) nep(os) divi Nervae pronep(os) / T(itus) Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Aug(ustus) Pius / pont(ifex) max(imus) tr(ibunicia) pot(estate) XXIII imp(erator) II co(n)s(ul) IV p(ater) p(atriae) / equitib(us) et pedit(ibus) qui milit(averunt) in alis II quae / appel(lantur) I Claud(ia) nova miscel(lanea) et I Gallor(um) Fla/vian(a) et coh(ortibus) X V Gallor(um) et V Hispan(orum) et I / Montan(orum) et I Antioc(hensium) et I Cretum et III / campestr(is) et II Gallor(um) et III Britton(um) et / [I] Lusitan(orum) et I Pann(oniorum) et sunt in Moesia / [s]uper(iore) sub Pontio Sabino leg(ato) quin[q(ue)] / [et] vigint(i) stipend(iis) emerit(is) dim[is(sis) honest(a)] / [miss]ion(e) quor(um) nomin(a) sub[scr(ipta)] / [sunt c]ivitat(em) Roman(am) qui [eor(um) non] / [haber(ent) ded]it et conub(ium) [
By Ittai Gradel, D.Phil.
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