Iscrizioni analleniche di Sicilia

Upon the arrival of the Greek "colonisers" in Sicily, in the 8th century BC, in addition to the Sicels or Sikeloi of the eastern area and the Sicani or Sicanians of the centre-west, according to historical sources there was a third local population residing in the extreme north-western tip of the island, that of the Elymians or Elymoi, with Segesta and Erice as their major cities. On their origin (whether they came from Italy or, rather, from Anatolia) the traditions are irreconcilable. Their language, documented by a series of very short and mostly fragmentary inscriptions on ceramics and by a few coin inscriptions, has been the subject of intense debate since at least the late decades of the 19th century. This essay (Elymian Inscriptions) dates back to 1977 and has served as a reference text ever since. After over forty years, in this Appendix the author presents updates to the volume's various sections: from those dedicated to epigraphic materials, to the various chapters focusing on the composition of the corpus, on handwriting, on text analysis, and on language reconstruction.