Byzantinische Epigramme in inschriftlicher Überlieferung

Epigrams play a vital role within Byzantine literature. A considerable amount (more than 1000) of them is still preserved in situ, namely on frescoes, mosaics, portable icons and on objects of minor arts. Besides, inscriptional epigrams are also transmitted in manuscripts where they are used as margins of miniatures or figure poems. The present first volume of the series "Byzantinische Epigramme in inschriftlicher Überlieferung" is devoted to epigrams on frescoes and mosaics. More than 250 epigrams on frescoes and almost 20 epigrams on mosaics belonging to the period 600 - 1500 A.D. are preserved. All of them are situated in churches where they are either painted on the scrolls of depicted saints or above the main entrance when they serve as dedicatory inscriptions. In a detailed introduction reference is made to questions of the definition, the history and the form of Byzantine epigrams; in addition to that attention is given to questions concerning the characteristics of epigrams on frescoes and mosaics. 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, photographs of almost all epigrams are presented in the tables.