Papers by Livia Briasco
L'archivio di Patermouthis. Scrivere documenti nella Syene tardoantica, 2024
Available in free open access on the website of the publisher: https://www.storiaeletteratura.it/... more Available in free open access on the website of the publisher: https://www.storiaeletteratura.it/catalogo/larchivio-di-patermouthis/20984
The present volume focuses on Greek documents of the Patermouthis’ archive (Syene, late 5th -early 7th century), involving many soldiers of the garrison of Syene as contracting parties but also as scribes and subscribers. These documents, already studied by scholars because of their interesting content, are exhaustively analysed here in terms of their material and formal aspects, with particular attention to the choices made regarding handwriting, format, layout, and the use of signs and symbols. Firstly, an introduction sets forth the methodological premises of the two authors’ work, situating it within the context of ERC NOTAE, of which it is a result; two main sections follow. The first section, dedicated to palaeography, analyses the handwriting of the documents’ drafters within the wider context of Byzantine cursive production during an important transitional phase in the history of Greek handwriting; graphic analysis leads also to identifying which and how many individuals were involved in the different sections of documents. In addition, the section analyses the level of literacy of the various subscribers and attempts to reconstruct the network of individuals involved in producing documents at Syene. The second section, dedicated to diplomatics, analyses the architecture of documents, following the order of the sections presented in a cheirographon, which is virtually the only type of document to appear in this archive. It lays stress on the format and layout of the documents and the role of signs and symbols (including blank spaces) in the organisation and management of the page, taking also into account the implications of these strategies as regards the creation and reading of documents. The two approaches applied here (paleographical and diplomatic) are in constant dialogue with one another, and constant reference is made also to documents coming from other places in Egypt and elsewhere in the late antique Mediterranean.
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«Archivio storico italiano», 2017
Il bifoglio di guardia del ms. Vat. lat. 773 è il residuo di un protocollo notarile, di cui era s... more Il bifoglio di guardia del ms. Vat. lat. 773 è il residuo di un protocollo notarile, di cui era sicura finora soltanto la provenienza fiorentina. Esso appartenne a ser Iacopo di ser Alberto Amizzini ed è databile agli anni 1289-1292,: oltre a questi due principali risultati, il saggio ricostruisce l’attività professionale di ser Iacopo, discute il contesto di trasmissione del frammento e dà in appendice l’edizione delle 26 imbreviature superstiti: in una di queste agiscono due figli di ser Brunetto Latini, uno dei quali finora sconosciuto agli studi.
The two guard sheets of the ms. Vat. Lat. 773 are a fragment of a Florentine notarial register. The bifolium belonged to ser Iacopo, son of ser Alberto Amizzini, and is datable between 1289 and 1292; these are the main findings of this paper, which also reconstructs the professional activity of ser Iacopo, discusses the transmission of the fragment and gives, in the Appendix, the edition of the 26 extant contracts.
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E. Bernasconi, M. Boccuzzi, L. Briasco, T. Catarci, F. Leotta, M. Mecella, A. Monte, N. Sietis, S. Veneruso, Z. Ziran, NOTAE: NOT A writtEn word but graphic symbols, in J. Araujo et alii (eds.), Joint Proceedings of RCIS 2022 Workshops and Research Projects Track, May 17-20, 2022. CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org), 2022
The paper is published in:
Joint Proceedings of RCIS 2022 Workshops and Research Projects Trac... more The paper is published in:
Joint Proceedings of RCIS 2022 Workshops and Research Projects Track, co-located with the 16th International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS 2022) Barcelona, Spain, May 17-20, 2022.
Edited by: Joao Araujo, Jose Luis de la Vara, Isabel Sofia Brito, Nelly Condori-Fernandez, Leticia Duboc, Giovanni Giachetti, Beatriz Marín, Estefania Serral, Alessandra Bagnato, Lidia Lopez
Submitted by: Jose Luis de la Vara
Published on CEUR-WS: 29-May-2022
****
The paper presents the project NOTAE, which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Advanced Grant 2017, GA n. 786572, PI Antonella Ghignoli).
All the authors are currently team members or affiliated researchers of the project.
See also: http://www.notae-project.eu.
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Conference Presentations by Livia Briasco
As is well known, a key role in the authentication of legal documents is played by the signatures... more As is well known, a key role in the authentication of legal documents is played by the signatures of the issuing party(ies) and the witness(es), who testify that the contract or legal transaction took place as stated in the text and approve it in all its content, and by the drafter’s subscription, with which he state having carried out all his legal duties. In Late Antique Egypt the authenticity of legal instruments was assured through the participation,
as drafter, of a state licensed notary (tabellio). As has been noticed from the very beginning, notarial signatures’ position and form clearly distinguish them from the other parts of the document. Signatures’ stylization, obtained through different graphic features and the use of specific signs and symbols, contributes to the validation of the document, becoming a distinctive element of a single notary and acting as confirmation of his identity. Besides the official notaries, however, other individuals are known for having played the role of drafters and signatories of documents; those scribes, of which sometimes we know the profession or status, clearly were familiar with legal practice and were able to provide their services to the community. While notarial activity and signatures are well studied, less attention has been given to those scribes who did not identify themselves as notaries in their final subscriptions. This paper, as a result of my research activity within the ERC granted project NOTAE (Not A WrittEn Word but graphic symbols) will analyze non-notarial signatures, in order to outline which strategies, in terms of graphic choices, were followed by non professional scribes to support the validation of documents, not forgetting the role of signs and symbols, main object of the project.
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This paper analyzes from a new perspective the case of the most prolific scribe and drafter attes... more This paper analyzes from a new perspective the case of the most prolific scribe and drafter attested in the well-known Patermouthis Archive, Marcus son of Apa Dios, whose name appears in the completio or hypographe of twelve documents dating between 577 and 586. An in-depth study of Marcus' handwriting, inserted in the broader context of the evolution of the Greek Cursive, will give the opportunity to make some methodological considerations on the difficulties of graphic identifications in documentary papyri, and in particular on the limits of formal approach applied to non-stylized scripts, and on the possible solutions. Moreover, the analysis of the layout and structure of the documents signed by Marcus, focused on signs and graphic symbols and carried out in comparison with the ones drafted by other scribes in Syene, will also allow to reflect on the expedients of organizing the text on the page, as tools for orienting the readers and giving emphasis to the different sections of a document. Hopefully the following remarks will contribute to increase our knowledge of the mechanisms of production and use of documents in Late Antique Egypt. The analysis of the particular sign system designed by Marcus will also help to highlight the potential support given by these non-verbal elements in the attempts of graphic identification and, consequently, on the potential of a complex tool such as the NOTAE System, primary product of the project, that will provide a large census of signs and symbols in pragmatical literature from the 5th to the 8th Century.
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Abstracts of the Free Communications, Thematic Sessions, Round Tables and Posters. The 24th International Congress of Byzantine Studies, 2022
Abstract of the paper presented on August 24 2022 as part of the Thematic Session "On the Twelfth... more Abstract of the paper presented on August 24 2022 as part of the Thematic Session "On the Twelfth Century: Researching a multifaced Reality" (TS 10) within the framework of the 24th International Congress of Byzantine Studies "Byzantium – Bridge Between Worlds" held in Venice and Padua from the 22nd until the 27th of August 2022. Full volume of abstracts available here: http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-634-3.
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Books by Livia Briasco
L’archivio di Patermouthis (fine V-inizi VII secolo), che coinvolge numerosi soldati dell’unità m... more L’archivio di Patermouthis (fine V-inizi VII secolo), che coinvolge numerosi soldati dell’unità militare dislocata a Syene non solo come attori delle transazioni registrate ma anche come scribi e sottoscrittori, ha già attirato l’attenzione degli studiosi. In questo volume, però, le autrici forniscono una analisi complessiva e per certi versi inedita dei documenti greci dell’archivio nei loro aspetti materiali e formali, con interesse specifico per le scelte relative a scrittura, formato, layout, uso di segni e simboli, non prive di implicazioni nella prassi documentaria. L’introduzione tiene conto delle premesse metodologiche del lavoro all’interno del progetto ERC NOTAE di cui questo volume è frutto, mentre le due successive sezioni si servono dell’approccio paleografico e diplomatistico in continuo dialogo tra di loro e nel confronto con la documentazione proveniente da altre località, più centrali, dell’Egitto e non.
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Papers by Livia Briasco
The present volume focuses on Greek documents of the Patermouthis’ archive (Syene, late 5th -early 7th century), involving many soldiers of the garrison of Syene as contracting parties but also as scribes and subscribers. These documents, already studied by scholars because of their interesting content, are exhaustively analysed here in terms of their material and formal aspects, with particular attention to the choices made regarding handwriting, format, layout, and the use of signs and symbols. Firstly, an introduction sets forth the methodological premises of the two authors’ work, situating it within the context of ERC NOTAE, of which it is a result; two main sections follow. The first section, dedicated to palaeography, analyses the handwriting of the documents’ drafters within the wider context of Byzantine cursive production during an important transitional phase in the history of Greek handwriting; graphic analysis leads also to identifying which and how many individuals were involved in the different sections of documents. In addition, the section analyses the level of literacy of the various subscribers and attempts to reconstruct the network of individuals involved in producing documents at Syene. The second section, dedicated to diplomatics, analyses the architecture of documents, following the order of the sections presented in a cheirographon, which is virtually the only type of document to appear in this archive. It lays stress on the format and layout of the documents and the role of signs and symbols (including blank spaces) in the organisation and management of the page, taking also into account the implications of these strategies as regards the creation and reading of documents. The two approaches applied here (paleographical and diplomatic) are in constant dialogue with one another, and constant reference is made also to documents coming from other places in Egypt and elsewhere in the late antique Mediterranean.
The two guard sheets of the ms. Vat. Lat. 773 are a fragment of a Florentine notarial register. The bifolium belonged to ser Iacopo, son of ser Alberto Amizzini, and is datable between 1289 and 1292; these are the main findings of this paper, which also reconstructs the professional activity of ser Iacopo, discusses the transmission of the fragment and gives, in the Appendix, the edition of the 26 extant contracts.
Joint Proceedings of RCIS 2022 Workshops and Research Projects Track, co-located with the 16th International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS 2022) Barcelona, Spain, May 17-20, 2022.
Edited by: Joao Araujo, Jose Luis de la Vara, Isabel Sofia Brito, Nelly Condori-Fernandez, Leticia Duboc, Giovanni Giachetti, Beatriz Marín, Estefania Serral, Alessandra Bagnato, Lidia Lopez
Submitted by: Jose Luis de la Vara
Published on CEUR-WS: 29-May-2022
****
The paper presents the project NOTAE, which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Advanced Grant 2017, GA n. 786572, PI Antonella Ghignoli).
All the authors are currently team members or affiliated researchers of the project.
See also: http://www.notae-project.eu.
Conference Presentations by Livia Briasco
as drafter, of a state licensed notary (tabellio). As has been noticed from the very beginning, notarial signatures’ position and form clearly distinguish them from the other parts of the document. Signatures’ stylization, obtained through different graphic features and the use of specific signs and symbols, contributes to the validation of the document, becoming a distinctive element of a single notary and acting as confirmation of his identity. Besides the official notaries, however, other individuals are known for having played the role of drafters and signatories of documents; those scribes, of which sometimes we know the profession or status, clearly were familiar with legal practice and were able to provide their services to the community. While notarial activity and signatures are well studied, less attention has been given to those scribes who did not identify themselves as notaries in their final subscriptions. This paper, as a result of my research activity within the ERC granted project NOTAE (Not A WrittEn Word but graphic symbols) will analyze non-notarial signatures, in order to outline which strategies, in terms of graphic choices, were followed by non professional scribes to support the validation of documents, not forgetting the role of signs and symbols, main object of the project.
Books by Livia Briasco
The present volume focuses on Greek documents of the Patermouthis’ archive (Syene, late 5th -early 7th century), involving many soldiers of the garrison of Syene as contracting parties but also as scribes and subscribers. These documents, already studied by scholars because of their interesting content, are exhaustively analysed here in terms of their material and formal aspects, with particular attention to the choices made regarding handwriting, format, layout, and the use of signs and symbols. Firstly, an introduction sets forth the methodological premises of the two authors’ work, situating it within the context of ERC NOTAE, of which it is a result; two main sections follow. The first section, dedicated to palaeography, analyses the handwriting of the documents’ drafters within the wider context of Byzantine cursive production during an important transitional phase in the history of Greek handwriting; graphic analysis leads also to identifying which and how many individuals were involved in the different sections of documents. In addition, the section analyses the level of literacy of the various subscribers and attempts to reconstruct the network of individuals involved in producing documents at Syene. The second section, dedicated to diplomatics, analyses the architecture of documents, following the order of the sections presented in a cheirographon, which is virtually the only type of document to appear in this archive. It lays stress on the format and layout of the documents and the role of signs and symbols (including blank spaces) in the organisation and management of the page, taking also into account the implications of these strategies as regards the creation and reading of documents. The two approaches applied here (paleographical and diplomatic) are in constant dialogue with one another, and constant reference is made also to documents coming from other places in Egypt and elsewhere in the late antique Mediterranean.
The two guard sheets of the ms. Vat. Lat. 773 are a fragment of a Florentine notarial register. The bifolium belonged to ser Iacopo, son of ser Alberto Amizzini, and is datable between 1289 and 1292; these are the main findings of this paper, which also reconstructs the professional activity of ser Iacopo, discusses the transmission of the fragment and gives, in the Appendix, the edition of the 26 extant contracts.
Joint Proceedings of RCIS 2022 Workshops and Research Projects Track, co-located with the 16th International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS 2022) Barcelona, Spain, May 17-20, 2022.
Edited by: Joao Araujo, Jose Luis de la Vara, Isabel Sofia Brito, Nelly Condori-Fernandez, Leticia Duboc, Giovanni Giachetti, Beatriz Marín, Estefania Serral, Alessandra Bagnato, Lidia Lopez
Submitted by: Jose Luis de la Vara
Published on CEUR-WS: 29-May-2022
****
The paper presents the project NOTAE, which has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Advanced Grant 2017, GA n. 786572, PI Antonella Ghignoli).
All the authors are currently team members or affiliated researchers of the project.
See also: http://www.notae-project.eu.
as drafter, of a state licensed notary (tabellio). As has been noticed from the very beginning, notarial signatures’ position and form clearly distinguish them from the other parts of the document. Signatures’ stylization, obtained through different graphic features and the use of specific signs and symbols, contributes to the validation of the document, becoming a distinctive element of a single notary and acting as confirmation of his identity. Besides the official notaries, however, other individuals are known for having played the role of drafters and signatories of documents; those scribes, of which sometimes we know the profession or status, clearly were familiar with legal practice and were able to provide their services to the community. While notarial activity and signatures are well studied, less attention has been given to those scribes who did not identify themselves as notaries in their final subscriptions. This paper, as a result of my research activity within the ERC granted project NOTAE (Not A WrittEn Word but graphic symbols) will analyze non-notarial signatures, in order to outline which strategies, in terms of graphic choices, were followed by non professional scribes to support the validation of documents, not forgetting the role of signs and symbols, main object of the project.