ABSTRACT
The two most politically important and widespread languages of literacy in the ancient Mediterranean world were Greek and Latin, but other languages with literate traditions included Egyptian, Punic, Etruscan, Italic languages, Aramaic, Hebrew and a host of other languages whose written record is confined to only a few brief texts. Several recent volumes set the agenda for Classical translation studies. The early-twenty-first century has seen a growth in the study of ancient multilingualism, and translation has naturally received renewed attention as part of this trend. Only a small percentage of translations, as of all written texts, produced in the ancient Mediterranean world survive. The Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, Mauryan Empire and Roman Empire, among others, all erected inscriptions bearing the text of decrees in more than one language. Examining the political contexts of these inscriptions, and the translation techniques used in them, enables us to shed light on both the contemporary geopolitical and sociolinguistic situation.
