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Within Byzantine literature epigrams, which can be of considerable length, play an important role. A considerable amount is still preserved in situ. The second volume within the series “Byzantinische Epigramme in inschriftlicher Überlieferung” [“Byzantine epigrams on objects”] is devoted to Byzantine epigrams on icons and objects of minor arts. 67 icons, 115 metal objects, 34 ivories, 9 wooden objects, 4 steatites and 11 textiles belonging to the period 600 A. D. – 1500 A. D. are known. The present volume also contains Addenda to volume 1 (Byzantinische Epigramme auf Fresken und Mosaiken [Byzantine epigrams on frescoes and mosaics]), altogether 33 numbers. In the introduction reference is made to the specifics of the epigrams on the mentioned objects. Questions concerning authorship, metrics and prosody, language, palaeography, and the interaction of word, image and beholder are discussed. The main part of the book consists of the critical editions of all epigrams, their German translation, as well as a commentary focusing on philological, linguistical and historical matters. At the end of the volume indices of the beginnings of the epigrams, Greek words, biblical, ancient and Byzantine references and a general index are provided. Besides, images (colour and black and white) of almost all epigrams are presented in the tables. On the basis of the discussed material the importance of inscriptional epigrams for Byzantine culture is once more underlined.
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