Hispania Epigraphica 14

Slightly delayed (the Global Crisis has also hit us), the Archivo Epigráfico de Hispania (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) announces a new issue of Hispania Epigraphica (ISSN 1132-6875), a cooperative effort of several Spanish and Portuguese scholars who list and comment new epigraphic finding and bibliography from Roman Spain.

The serial’s 14th annual issue (2008) deals with inscriptions published during the year 2005, although it also includes some selected pieces published in following years. This issue contains 462 references to new or revised inscriptions (mostly Latin but also some written in Greek and in several Paleohispanic languages), sorted by modern place of finding; in total, 51 documents from Portugal and 411 from Spain, to which the editors often add comments, amends or further bibliography.

As in previous issues, this one digests several recent corpora: milestones from the Valencia region, carmina epigraphica found in Cádiz and the full list of epigraphic findings from Castellón and Segovia provinces; finally, it also comments on a fresh examination of John D. Breval’s travel carnets; this British gentleman toured extensively Southern Spain and Portugal at the beginning of the XVIIIth Century and had a keen interest for ancient inscriptions and other antiquities; surprisingly, Hübner made little of Breval’s record, which is now pronounced to be rather trustworthy.

Previously concealed evidence could be gleaned from several inscriptions : the provincia Baetica, styled as inmunis , honored Volusianus in Ecija, SE (nn. 313-314) and an unattested vicarius Hispaniarum (n. 34) did the same for Gratian in Mérida, BA; two worthy local women, probably mother and daughter, were celebrated in a double pedestal from Córdoba (n. 158); a slate found in Grandas de Salime, O (n. 21) contains what looks like a rustic census (but see the corresponding comment); a new exsactor is attested in an epitaph from La Coruña (n. 166; shown on the above picture); and a lead ingot (n. 69) from a shipwreck off Menorca, PM (but produced in Castulo mining district) carries Agrippa’s seal. Among the sacra, HEp 14 registers three almost contemporary studies of an altar of Mithra found in Lugo and set up by a centurio leg. VII Antoninianae p.f. honoring the local statio (n. 206, cf. HEp 9, 1999, 418); and a new dedication to Nabia carved on a rock outcrop nearby Ferro, Covilhã, CAS (n. 423), gives what seems to be an unknown name of the goddess.

Paleohispanic inscriptions deserve special consideration since they often contribute fresh evidence. Noteworthy in this issue are four lead lamellae found respectively in Alicante (n.4), Castejón de Iniesta, CU (n. 163), San Esteban de Litera, TE (n. 188), and Sagunto, V (n. 378) and written in different peninsular scripts ; the document from Castejón de Iniesta contains an epistula, the first found in Celtiberian and is deemed as the utmost important finding in this field in recent years.

As usual, HEp 14 includes an exhaustive index designed to facilitate searching as quickly and completely as possible.

This issue may be bought or suscribed to; details on both here. It’s also available via publication exchange;  write to: buc_canje ARROBA buc.ucm.es (Watch for the spelling!)

You may also order previous issues of the serial, which are still available in limited quantities; for out-of-print issues, follow this link to the UCM journal server, where there are downloadable PDFs, which usually are made available just before a new printed issue is forthcoming.

The Archivo Epigráfico de Hispania is open to scholars and people with an interest in ancient inscriptions. We keep complete and up-to-date files on more 24,000 inscriptions from Portugal and Spain, which are partially available in Hispania Epigraphica Online.

We’re located at:
Escuela Universitaria de Estadística,
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n,
E- 28040 Madrid.

Phone +34 913 943 953

e-mail:ivelaz ARROBA filol.ucm.es (Watch for the spelling!)

P.S. Prof. Clauss has kindly informed me that he had already uploaded  all HEp 14 material and cross references in EDCS .