From the moment that written language was created, it has been put to use in public places. The best known texts are often those used to decorate monuments, often written by or for the elite, describing their feats and showing off their status. But not all epigraphy was used in places such as temples, palaces, and tombs: there is also a large amount of graffiti, dipinti, and stamps that come from objects such as walls, floors, doors, and movable objects such as ceramics.

 

This part of the online exhibition will focus on these types of epigraphy, specifically those from Byzantine Athens. The different types noted above will be presented, and their functions will be discussed.

 

There are five different sections in this exhibition: the first introduces the epigraphy on ceramic material found in Athens, after which graffiti, dipinti and stamps will be explained, followed by a short conclusion.