In this thesis, I look at the use of inscriptions on stone in the Lycian peninsula during the fourth and third centuries BC, considering the effect of internal and external events on the production of inscriptions in the area, and looking at aspects of continuity and change across the two centuries. In Chapter 1, I discuss the development of the Lycian alphabet, arguing that origins of the alphabet are far more complex than has usually been believed, and involved elements of both organic development and conscious devising of letters forms. Building on the work of earlier scholars, I consider the alteration of certain letters-forms over time, and use these - and other available indications of date - to allocated number of inscriptions from different sites to 'early' or 'later' periods; the results of this work are presented in the 'harts' at the back of my thesis. In the subsequent chapters, I build on my conclusions from the first chapter to discuss certain aspects of the epigraphy of Lycia in a broadly chronological fashion, first setting out the what we know about the historical background of each period under discussion, and then considering inscriptions of particular interest. In Chapter 2, dealing with the late-fifth and early-fourth century, I look at the earliest of the Lycian epitaphs, as well as the uniquely long inscriptions of the rulers of Xanthos. I consider the development and structure of the 'building formula' which is so common in Lycian inscriptions, and how this relates to other Anatolian epigraphy. Chapter 3 looks at the effect of the internal strife in early-third century Lycia, and particularly the figure of Perikle, on the epigraphic culture of Lycia, with particular discussion of the ẽnẽ ... Xñtawata 'ruler formula', while Chapter 4 discusses the changes brought about by Hekatomnid rule over Lycia, and the beginnings of the use of Greek in private epigraphy. Finally, Chapter 5 looks at the beginning of the Ptolemaic period, arguing that Lycian continued to be used in both official and private inscriptions, and discussing the ways in which official epigraphy became more similar to that of other Greek poleis - while retaining specifically Lycian features.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:719841 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Rix, Emma May |
| Contributors | Crowther, Charles ; Ma, John |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:2b7c5f23-4779-4165-817e-675c52b05b12 |
Page generated in 0.0023 seconds