Inscribing Texts in Hellenistic Cyprus
Epigraphic Habit as a Tool for the Study of Social Interactions Under Ptolemaic Rule
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the role of epigraphic habit(s) in the definition of a mixed society in Cyprus during the Hellenistic period. Like many areas of the Hellenistic world, Cyprus has experienced great changes in the way of inscribing and erecting texts in civic and religious space from the late fourth century BC onwards. In this paper, we will try to answer questions related to the connection between social contacts of Cypriot communities with foreign agents and the development and use of inscribed texts in the context of Ptolemaic rule. In doing so, we will examine the changes occurring in the making and use of inscriptions in Cyprus from the fourth century BC until the last decades of the first century BC and explore the role of local traditions in the shaping of some hybrid epigraphic practices.
Submitted: Jan. 23, 2025 | Accepted: March 10, 2025 | Published July 24, 2025 | Language: en
Keywords Ptolemaic administration • Greek inscriptions • Intercultural contacts • Epigraphic habit • Multilingual inscriptions • Hellenistic History • Materiality of texts • Cultural history • Writing systems • Cypriot society • History of literacy
Copyright © 2025 Anaïs Michel. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-917-7/004