New Monuments of Minor Epigraphy of the Northern Black Sea Region

Abstract

Among the newly discovered examples of minor epigraphy from the Northern Black Sea region, originating from private collections, particular attention is drawn to a proposed reconstruction of a banquet graffiti from Borysthenida: λάλοι διυ〈πνίζουσι〉 – “the talkative ones wake (disturb)”. This graffiti aligns with the widespread discussion of loquacity in ancient literature (Aristotle, Plutarch, Theophrastus, Maximus of Tyre, and others). It is not impossible that the author of the graffiti was familiar with the works of some of these writers. Another proposed reconstruction concerns a gift graffiti from Nymphaeum: [νηπ]ί̣αχος νάν[νος] – “a foolish little child”. A graffiti from the chora of Olbia containing a monogram interpreted as the name Ἑκατέων represents a universal Greek grapheme, this graffiti should be included in the Collection of all-Greek graffiti.