Forme e funzioni della disposizione testuale nelle epigrafi del Mediterraneo antico

Forms and functions of textual layout in ancient Mediterranean inscriptions · This article employs the framework of graphic semiology to revisit the earliest Latin inscriptions from a new perspective, be- ginning with the question : what criteria govern the arrangement of text on an inscribed surface ? These criteria can be categorized as either internal – relating to the physical and formal characteristics of the object – or external, concerning the text’s intended use and legibility. The latter includes punctuation, which in archaic Latin contexts appears primarily in public inscriptions. An analysis of text layout on the inscribed medium opens the way for broader comparative reflection, extending to a selection of epigraphic documents from the Aegean world. Particular attention is given to spiral inscriptions – a distinctive ductus that is only sporadically attested in ancient Italy, with a few known examples in Etruscan and South Picene contexts. This typology reaches a notable development on the Latin inscription from Tivoli, where features of the South Picene tradition merge with formal conventions of Latin public inscriptions. The result is a transformation of the spiral into a meander, illustrating how text arrangement was an integral part of the scribal repertoire and a reflection of broader cultural and communicative practices.