The year 1853 marked a turning point for classical scholarship when Theodor Mommsen established the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum in Berlin. A committee formed shortly after to organize the scattered records of Latin inscriptions that scholars had described piecemeal over centuries. Mommsen led this initial effort with a vision to create a single authoritative source for all surviving epigraphy from the Roman Empire. He personally inspected sites and monuments across Europe to replicate original texts as accurately as possible. When an inscription could no longer be found, he compared published versions from previous authors to reconstruct accurate readings. His work on Italy became so extensive that he wrote several volumes himself. The first volume appeared in 1863, launching a project that would span generations.
Methodology And Scope
Inscriptions from Cáceres in Spain appear within Volume II of the collection, showing how geographic organization drives the entire structure. Each entry includes images of the original stone if available alongside drawings that show letters at their true size and position. Scholars reconstruct missing words and abbreviations while discussing specific issues or problems encountered during research. The language used throughout the publication remains Latin despite modern readership needs. This systematic approach allows researchers to trace public and private aspects of daily life under Roman rule. Descriptions cover everything from official decrees to personal dedications carved into walls. The method prioritizes visual documentation combined with linguistic analysis to preserve historical accuracy.Volume Structure And Geography
Thirteen supplementary volumes contain plates and special indices that support the main series of seventeen primary volumes. Volumes two through fourteen divide geographically according to regions where inscriptions were discovered across the empire. Volume seven covers Britain while volume eight focuses on Africa. Milestones receive their own dedicated space in volume seventeen published in 1986. Military diplomas occupy volume sixteen released in 1936. A planned volume eighteen will eventually house Carmina Latina Epigraphica containing verse inscriptions. An Index of Numbers correlating inscription identifiers with volume numbers appeared in 2003. These divisions ensure every region receives focused attention rather than being lost within a general catalog.