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Papers by Peter Kruschwitz
Secretis bene uiuere siluis Studies in Latin Literature in Honour of Robert Maltby (ed. Stratis Kyriakidis, Charilaos Michalopoulos) Newcastle, 2024
A study of the verse inscriptions in the Roman elegiac poets, considering social implications and... more A study of the verse inscriptions in the Roman elegiac poets, considering social implications and perspectives of verse commemoration.
L. Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, R. Ardevan, R. Varga, F. Matei-Popescu, O. Țentea (eds.), Studia epigraphica et historica in honorem Ioannis Pisonis, Wiesbaden , 2024
L. Buzoianu, V. Lungu, D. Hălmagi (eds.) Aux sources des connaissances historiques. Épigraphie, textes littéreaires et documents archéologiques. Volume dédié à la mémoire de Alexandru Avram (Pontica 56 Supplementum X), Constanța, 2023
The present paper treats the topic of the Trojan Horse and its imaginary inscription as relevant ... more The present paper treats the topic of the Trojan Horse and its imaginary
inscription as relevant to Greco-Roman epigraphy.
Gymnasium. Zeitschrift für Kultur der Antike und Humanistische Bildung, 2023
Migration und Fremdheit waren ständige, ethnisch-kulturell komplexe sowie auch sozio-ökonomisch v... more Migration und Fremdheit waren ständige, ethnisch-kulturell komplexe sowie auch sozio-ökonomisch vielschichtige Erfahrungen im griechisch-römisch geprägten Altertum, die in den letzten Jahrzehnten – nicht zuletzt auch aufgrund zeitgeschichtlicher Ereignisse – in den Mittelpunkt der altertumswissenschaftlichen Forschung gerückt sind. Zu einem umfassenden Verständnis dieser Erfahrungen gehört neben der makro-historischen Aufarbeitung auch der sorgsame Umgang mit Mikro-Narrativen derjenigen, deren Einzelschicksale in der Summe die Makrohistorie überhaupt erst ergeben. Ausgehend von einem der bekanntesten und am besten dokumentierten Fälle von Fremdheitserfahrung – Ovid in Tomis – werden in diesem Aufsatz dem berühmten Beispiel weitere Fälle aus demselben geographischen Kontext an die Seite gestellt und erörtert. All diesen Texten ist dabei gemeinsam, dass das Erfahrene poetisch reflektiert und verarbeitet wird. Es eröffnet sich solchermaßen ein reiches Spektrum an Einzelschicksalen, die in der Gesamtschau einen differenzierten Einblick in die unmittelbaren Schwierigkeiten ebenso wie in die langfristigen Herausforderungen der Fremdheitserfahrungen im Tomis der römischen Kaiserzeit gestatten.
Electrum 31, 2024
Each unit of the Roman army constituted a major logistic operation that cannot be reduced to the ... more Each unit of the Roman army constituted a major logistic operation that cannot be reduced to the fighting men who formed their core and purpose. While camp followers are depicted in literary sources especially as an hindrance to war operations, inscriptions provide a different picture of the world that gravitated around the military forts and fortresses. In the military settlements that guarded the limes, the presence of paramilitary and non-military personnel did not represent a burden, but an important part of the military economy, which in some cases even led to the emergence of a new business class. In this paper, we provide an anthology of verse inscriptions dedicated by, or to, camp followers, with a view to showcase how their everyday interactions with the army were conceptualised and verbalised, ultimately contributing to a richer picture of the limes social ecosystem.
Sylloge Epigraphica Barcinonensis XIX, 2021
This paper provides a synoptic discussion of the verse inscriptions that are mentioned in Vitruvi... more This paper provides a synoptic discussion of the verse inscriptions that are mentioned in Vitruvius’ De architectura as well as some additional notes on Vitruvius’ use of inscriptions more generally. The author argues that Vitruvius demonstrates a clear understanding of epigraphic space-monument-text interactions (and definitions) in which verse, especially in its upper-class uses, like other forms of the creative arts, serves a decorative as well as an educational function, whereas contrasting prose translations are provided for a more general audience.
Sylloge Epigraphica Barcinonensis 21, pp. 145–163, 2023
Paper currently embargoed. Full version will become available early 2025. OA link included. If yo... more Paper currently embargoed. Full version will become available early 2025. OA link included. If you'd like to read it earlier, just get in touch.
Glaubitz, N. – Wesselmann, K. (edd.), Plurale Autorschaft. Formen der Zusammenarbeit in Schriftkultur, Kunst und Literatur (= LWU – literatur in wissenschaft und unterricht neue folge 2/2023), Würzburg, pp. 155–185., 2023
Paper currently embargoed. OA link included (available from late 2024): if you'd like a copy, get... more Paper currently embargoed. OA link included (available from late 2024): if you'd like a copy, get in touch.
Tyche: Beiträge zur Alten Geschichte Papyrologie und Epigraphik 36, 2021
Link to OA paper below
CUCD Bulletin, 2023
Obituary for Jane F. Gardner
Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 224, 2022
Chiron. Mitteilungen der Kommission für Alte Geschichte und Epigraphik des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 52 (2022) 181–199
This article provides an in-depth analysis and discussion of Plutarch, De curiositate ... more This article provides an in-depth analysis and discussion of Plutarch, De curiositate ch. 11, wherein the ancient author advises his readership against any in-depth engagement with written offerings of the lettered world that they inhabit. Reading inscriptions, Plutarch appears to argue, is a slippery slope towards meddlesome behaviour, and it ought to be avoided (especially since inscriptions have little to offer that is of profound interest). Careful analysis demonstrates, however, that Plutarch’s actual line of argument is rather more nuanced and subtle: purpose of interaction and focus of one’s activity are important aspects to consider. Based on the implication of Plutarch’s argument, namely that engaging with written texts (even when they are on public display) might be deemed somewhat intrusive, a number of relevant inscriptions that address such privacy-related matters, are also revisited.
Medieval Worlds, 2022
Notions, as well as realities, of foreignness, alienness, and not-belonging in the Roman world ha... more Notions, as well as realities, of foreignness, alienness, and not-belonging in the Roman world have received ample treatment, from a broad range of perspectives, in recent scholarship. An important aspect that has not been covered thus far is the question of how these experiences inscribed themselves in the history of the mentality, especially (but not only) of those affected, and how these deeply subjective and personal experiences extended into poetic environments beyond the literary canon. The present paper addresses this matter through a full-scale discussion of the terminology directly related to the terms barbarus and barbaricus as they are found in the Latin verse inscriptions. The body of evidence is of especial importance in this regard, as it reflects a cultural practice that spans the geographical, chronological, and social dimensions of the Roman empire. Starting with the earliest evidence of the term in the verse inscriptions of Pompeii, the paper then examines the remaining evidence which can be grouped in three main clusters: (i) mentions of barbarians as worthy opponents, (ii) references to barbarians as those who lack civilisation and refinement, and (iii) instances in which the term barbarus has been used in self-representation and self-description.
E. Cousins (ed.), Dynamic Epigraphy: New Approaches to Inscriptions , 2022
![Research paper thumbnail of Lack of Language, Lack of Power: Social Aspects of the Discourse about Communication Disorders in the Greco-Roman World (in: C. Laes (ed.), A Cultural History of Disability in Antiquity, London 2020, 101-115, 158-163 [with Abi Cousins])](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/112071740/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](A Cultural History of Disability in Antiquity, 2020
Habis, 2019
The late antique comedy Querolus (or Aulularia) makes a number of references to the ways in which... more The late antique comedy Querolus (or Aulularia) makes a number of references to the ways in which the text of an inscribed urn was read. This is important, hitherto neglected evidence for the way in which encounters and interactions with inscribed objects, especially from a funerary sphere, were imagined in the Roman world. Based on an in-depth discussion of relevant passages, initial conclusions are drawn and linked to related phrases and passages in surviving epigraphic evidence, giving reason to rethink the multi-layered, complex sensuous experience that is commonly just referred to as ‘reading inscriptions’.
Latinitas, 2019
It has been argued that there were groups of artists called poetae Vergiliani and poetae Ovidiani... more It has been argued that there were groups of artists called poetae Vergiliani and poetae Ovidiani. While this may be the case, re-examination of commonly adduced epigraphic evidence shows that these inscriptions cannot be used to support this view.
Gymnasium, 2019
Antike Viten berichten, dass der erste dichterische Versuch Vergils ein Epigramm auf seinen Lehre... more Antike Viten berichten, dass der erste dichterische Versuch Vergils ein Epigramm auf seinen Lehrer Ballista gewesen sei. Ballista, des Nachts als Straßenräuber tätig, sei gesteinigt worden, was seinen bis dahin eher unscheinbaren Schüler dazu veranlasst habe, den Zwischenfall in poetischer Form zu verarbeiten. Der Text des Ballista-Epigramms ist dekontextualisert auch in weiteren Anthologien überliefert, und es existiert eine Anzahl antiker Inschriften, die auf diesen Text mehr oder weniger explizit Bezug zu nehmen scheinen. Aufbauend auf einer Analyse des Epigrammtexts selbst, aber auch durch den Vergleich mit den epigraphischen Parallelen soll gezeigt werden, wie in immer stärkerem Maß pseudobiographische und interpretatorischen Informationen in den Überlieferungskontext der Viten eingeflossen sind (und woher einige der besonders weitreichenden Interpretationen auch jenseits des Wortlautes stammen mögen). Dies mündet schließlich in Überlegungen zur römischen Dichtungskultur allgemein, in welcher die literarische Tradition nur eine von vielen Facetten darstellte.
Secretis bene uiuere siluis Studies in Latin Literature in Honour of Robert Maltby (ed. Stratis Kyriakidis, Charilaos Michalopoulos) Newcastle, 2024
A study of the verse inscriptions in the Roman elegiac poets, considering social implications and... more A study of the verse inscriptions in the Roman elegiac poets, considering social implications and perspectives of verse commemoration.
L. Mihăilescu-Bîrliba, R. Ardevan, R. Varga, F. Matei-Popescu, O. Țentea (eds.), Studia epigraphica et historica in honorem Ioannis Pisonis, Wiesbaden , 2024
L. Buzoianu, V. Lungu, D. Hălmagi (eds.) Aux sources des connaissances historiques. Épigraphie, textes littéreaires et documents archéologiques. Volume dédié à la mémoire de Alexandru Avram (Pontica 56 Supplementum X), Constanța, 2023
The present paper treats the topic of the Trojan Horse and its imaginary inscription as relevant ... more The present paper treats the topic of the Trojan Horse and its imaginary
inscription as relevant to Greco-Roman epigraphy.
Gymnasium. Zeitschrift für Kultur der Antike und Humanistische Bildung, 2023
Migration und Fremdheit waren ständige, ethnisch-kulturell komplexe sowie auch sozio-ökonomisch v... more Migration und Fremdheit waren ständige, ethnisch-kulturell komplexe sowie auch sozio-ökonomisch vielschichtige Erfahrungen im griechisch-römisch geprägten Altertum, die in den letzten Jahrzehnten – nicht zuletzt auch aufgrund zeitgeschichtlicher Ereignisse – in den Mittelpunkt der altertumswissenschaftlichen Forschung gerückt sind. Zu einem umfassenden Verständnis dieser Erfahrungen gehört neben der makro-historischen Aufarbeitung auch der sorgsame Umgang mit Mikro-Narrativen derjenigen, deren Einzelschicksale in der Summe die Makrohistorie überhaupt erst ergeben. Ausgehend von einem der bekanntesten und am besten dokumentierten Fälle von Fremdheitserfahrung – Ovid in Tomis – werden in diesem Aufsatz dem berühmten Beispiel weitere Fälle aus demselben geographischen Kontext an die Seite gestellt und erörtert. All diesen Texten ist dabei gemeinsam, dass das Erfahrene poetisch reflektiert und verarbeitet wird. Es eröffnet sich solchermaßen ein reiches Spektrum an Einzelschicksalen, die in der Gesamtschau einen differenzierten Einblick in die unmittelbaren Schwierigkeiten ebenso wie in die langfristigen Herausforderungen der Fremdheitserfahrungen im Tomis der römischen Kaiserzeit gestatten.
Electrum 31, 2024
Each unit of the Roman army constituted a major logistic operation that cannot be reduced to the ... more Each unit of the Roman army constituted a major logistic operation that cannot be reduced to the fighting men who formed their core and purpose. While camp followers are depicted in literary sources especially as an hindrance to war operations, inscriptions provide a different picture of the world that gravitated around the military forts and fortresses. In the military settlements that guarded the limes, the presence of paramilitary and non-military personnel did not represent a burden, but an important part of the military economy, which in some cases even led to the emergence of a new business class. In this paper, we provide an anthology of verse inscriptions dedicated by, or to, camp followers, with a view to showcase how their everyday interactions with the army were conceptualised and verbalised, ultimately contributing to a richer picture of the limes social ecosystem.
Sylloge Epigraphica Barcinonensis XIX, 2021
This paper provides a synoptic discussion of the verse inscriptions that are mentioned in Vitruvi... more This paper provides a synoptic discussion of the verse inscriptions that are mentioned in Vitruvius’ De architectura as well as some additional notes on Vitruvius’ use of inscriptions more generally. The author argues that Vitruvius demonstrates a clear understanding of epigraphic space-monument-text interactions (and definitions) in which verse, especially in its upper-class uses, like other forms of the creative arts, serves a decorative as well as an educational function, whereas contrasting prose translations are provided for a more general audience.
Sylloge Epigraphica Barcinonensis 21, pp. 145–163, 2023
Paper currently embargoed. Full version will become available early 2025. OA link included. If yo... more Paper currently embargoed. Full version will become available early 2025. OA link included. If you'd like to read it earlier, just get in touch.
Glaubitz, N. – Wesselmann, K. (edd.), Plurale Autorschaft. Formen der Zusammenarbeit in Schriftkultur, Kunst und Literatur (= LWU – literatur in wissenschaft und unterricht neue folge 2/2023), Würzburg, pp. 155–185., 2023
Paper currently embargoed. OA link included (available from late 2024): if you'd like a copy, get... more Paper currently embargoed. OA link included (available from late 2024): if you'd like a copy, get in touch.
Tyche: Beiträge zur Alten Geschichte Papyrologie und Epigraphik 36, 2021
Link to OA paper below
CUCD Bulletin, 2023
Obituary for Jane F. Gardner
Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 224, 2022
Chiron. Mitteilungen der Kommission für Alte Geschichte und Epigraphik des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 52 (2022) 181–199
This article provides an in-depth analysis and discussion of Plutarch, De curiositate ... more This article provides an in-depth analysis and discussion of Plutarch, De curiositate ch. 11, wherein the ancient author advises his readership against any in-depth engagement with written offerings of the lettered world that they inhabit. Reading inscriptions, Plutarch appears to argue, is a slippery slope towards meddlesome behaviour, and it ought to be avoided (especially since inscriptions have little to offer that is of profound interest). Careful analysis demonstrates, however, that Plutarch’s actual line of argument is rather more nuanced and subtle: purpose of interaction and focus of one’s activity are important aspects to consider. Based on the implication of Plutarch’s argument, namely that engaging with written texts (even when they are on public display) might be deemed somewhat intrusive, a number of relevant inscriptions that address such privacy-related matters, are also revisited.
Medieval Worlds, 2022
Notions, as well as realities, of foreignness, alienness, and not-belonging in the Roman world ha... more Notions, as well as realities, of foreignness, alienness, and not-belonging in the Roman world have received ample treatment, from a broad range of perspectives, in recent scholarship. An important aspect that has not been covered thus far is the question of how these experiences inscribed themselves in the history of the mentality, especially (but not only) of those affected, and how these deeply subjective and personal experiences extended into poetic environments beyond the literary canon. The present paper addresses this matter through a full-scale discussion of the terminology directly related to the terms barbarus and barbaricus as they are found in the Latin verse inscriptions. The body of evidence is of especial importance in this regard, as it reflects a cultural practice that spans the geographical, chronological, and social dimensions of the Roman empire. Starting with the earliest evidence of the term in the verse inscriptions of Pompeii, the paper then examines the remaining evidence which can be grouped in three main clusters: (i) mentions of barbarians as worthy opponents, (ii) references to barbarians as those who lack civilisation and refinement, and (iii) instances in which the term barbarus has been used in self-representation and self-description.
E. Cousins (ed.), Dynamic Epigraphy: New Approaches to Inscriptions , 2022
A Cultural History of Disability in Antiquity, 2020
Habis, 2019
The late antique comedy Querolus (or Aulularia) makes a number of references to the ways in which... more The late antique comedy Querolus (or Aulularia) makes a number of references to the ways in which the text of an inscribed urn was read. This is important, hitherto neglected evidence for the way in which encounters and interactions with inscribed objects, especially from a funerary sphere, were imagined in the Roman world. Based on an in-depth discussion of relevant passages, initial conclusions are drawn and linked to related phrases and passages in surviving epigraphic evidence, giving reason to rethink the multi-layered, complex sensuous experience that is commonly just referred to as ‘reading inscriptions’.
Latinitas, 2019
It has been argued that there were groups of artists called poetae Vergiliani and poetae Ovidiani... more It has been argued that there were groups of artists called poetae Vergiliani and poetae Ovidiani. While this may be the case, re-examination of commonly adduced epigraphic evidence shows that these inscriptions cannot be used to support this view.
Gymnasium, 2019
Antike Viten berichten, dass der erste dichterische Versuch Vergils ein Epigramm auf seinen Lehre... more Antike Viten berichten, dass der erste dichterische Versuch Vergils ein Epigramm auf seinen Lehrer Ballista gewesen sei. Ballista, des Nachts als Straßenräuber tätig, sei gesteinigt worden, was seinen bis dahin eher unscheinbaren Schüler dazu veranlasst habe, den Zwischenfall in poetischer Form zu verarbeiten. Der Text des Ballista-Epigramms ist dekontextualisert auch in weiteren Anthologien überliefert, und es existiert eine Anzahl antiker Inschriften, die auf diesen Text mehr oder weniger explizit Bezug zu nehmen scheinen. Aufbauend auf einer Analyse des Epigrammtexts selbst, aber auch durch den Vergleich mit den epigraphischen Parallelen soll gezeigt werden, wie in immer stärkerem Maß pseudobiographische und interpretatorischen Informationen in den Überlieferungskontext der Viten eingeflossen sind (und woher einige der besonders weitreichenden Interpretationen auch jenseits des Wortlautes stammen mögen). Dies mündet schließlich in Überlegungen zur römischen Dichtungskultur allgemein, in welcher die literarische Tradition nur eine von vielen Facetten darstellte.
An anthology (with introduction, text, translation, brief discussion, and epilogue) of the Latin ... more An anthology (with introduction, text, translation, brief discussion, and epilogue) of the Latin inscriptions (ancient, medieval, and modern) on display in Reading (Berkshire, UK).
An anthology (introduction, edition, translation, and notes) of the Carmina Epigraphica of Roman ... more An anthology (introduction, edition, translation, and notes) of the Carmina Epigraphica of Roman Britain.
Edited volume; handbook on Roman Republican Verse Inscriptions.
Annotated compilation of the evidence for early Roman didactic poetry, including a pamphlet on t... more Annotated compilation of the evidence for early Roman didactic poetry, including a pamphlet on the nature and definition of the genre, challenging more traditional approaches.
Full-scale introduction to Terence.
Full-scale edition and commentary of the Latin verse inscriptions in the so-called Saturnian metr... more Full-scale edition and commentary of the Latin verse inscriptions in the so-called Saturnian metre (including e. g. the Scipionic epitaphs).
Translation & interpretation of Terence's Phormio for a wider audience.
This review was supposed to be published with Sehepunkte. They did not accept it, however, as the... more This review was supposed to be published with Sehepunkte. They did not accept it, however, as they were not flexible enough to accommodate an overlength review on their webpage. The review has thus remained unpublished.
Gnomon 81 (2009) 497–504.
A rough and ready discussion of CIL VI 21562 = CLE 520 as potential evidence for PTSD and rampage... more A rough and ready discussion of CIL VI 21562 = CLE 520 as potential evidence for PTSD and rampage killing/suicide-by-enemy-fire in the Roman Empire.
Discussion of CIL XI 4634 cf. p. 1371 = CLE 1846 = ILCV 4812.
A rough and ready discussion of Latin poems discussion traffic fatalities.
A discussion of epigraphical evidence for Roman domestic violence.
A quick discussion of Sammonicus, Liber medicinalis 931–9 (mentioning the phrase 'abracadabra') a... more A quick discussion of Sammonicus, Liber medicinalis 931–9 (mentioning the phrase 'abracadabra') and principles of text layout.
Discussion of a Latin verse inscription (epitaph) for a dog called Margarita (CIL VI 29896 cf. p.... more Discussion of a Latin verse inscription (epitaph) for a dog called Margarita (CIL VI 29896 cf. p. 3734 = CLE 1175).
A discussion of select ancient Latin poems that, in one way or another, conceptualise the idea of... more A discussion of select ancient Latin poems that, in one way or another, conceptualise the idea of human flight.
A discussion of AE 1931.112 = CLE Zarker 48, arguing against the (demonstrably false) common view... more A discussion of AE 1931.112 = CLE Zarker 48, arguing against the (demonstrably false) common view that this text provides evidence for the existence of epigraphic manuals in the Roman world.
A discussion of evidence for nominative determinism ('nomen est omen') in Latin Verse Inscriptions.
A discussion of CIL IX 4599 as potential evidence for solar/lunar eclipses and folk religion in t... more A discussion of CIL IX 4599 as potential evidence for solar/lunar eclipses and folk religion in the Roman world.
Discussion of CIL VI 15493 cf. p. 3517. 3913 = CLE 1123 = ILS 7994.
A discussion of monumental, inscribed curses in Latin epigraphy.
A comment on the events in the Museum of Mosul, where IS fighters damaged and destroyed ancient a... more A comment on the events in the Museum of Mosul, where IS fighters damaged and destroyed ancient artefacts.
Discussion of CLE 38 (Communem nummum diuidendum censio est).
A brief discussion of two Latin Inscriptions that mention the myth of Europa (RIB 2448.10 and the... more A brief discussion of two Latin Inscriptions that mention the myth of Europa (RIB 2448.10 and the label on Pompeii's famous ship Europa).
A collection of Latin Verse Inscriptions that relate to the issue of poverty in ancient Rome
Discussion of a Latin Verse Inscription that mentions Saint Valentione.
A discussion of Republican and Augustan poets mentioning seahorses
A discussion of the Pythagorean/Early Christian idea of the human body as a prison-house or tomb,... more A discussion of the Pythagorean/Early Christian idea of the human body as a prison-house or tomb, focusing on Plato's Gorgias, a selection of Carmina Latina Epigraphica, and William Cowper's poem Buried Above Ground.
This paper was given at the University of Rostock, Germany, on the occasion of a commemorative ev... more This paper was given at the University of Rostock, Germany, on the occasion of a commemorative event for Prof. Werner Krenkel (1926-2015). It covers questions of the Roman satirist Lucilius, his satirical interventions against other, contemporary writers (Albucius and Accius), his libel proceedings against an unknown mime actor, and on satire, public insults, and freedom of speech in more general.
Quintilian suggests that 'Of the lyric poets, Horace is almost the only one worth reading: he can... more Quintilian suggests that 'Of the lyric poets, Horace is almost the only one worth reading: he can be lofty sometimes, and yet he is also full of charm and grace, versatile in his figures, and felicitously daring in his choice of words. If anyone is to be added, it will be Caesius Bassus, whom we had with us not long ago; but some living talents far surpass him' (Quint. inst. 10.1.96, transl. D.A.Russell). But what if Quintilian is not a neutral, objective source? Is it thinkable that the process of canonisation of Roman (and European) literary history could have worked our rather differently? The paradigm of the Roman lyric poet Laevius helps to establish a much clearer understanding of the normative force of canonisation processes, its randomness, and the destructive potential that these bring.
Paper presented at the STONE-MASTERS kickoff workshop on 24 October 2022 at the University of Warsaw