Writing and Religious Traditions: A Multifaceted Relationship

This volume explores the interplay between epigraphy and religions across the ancient western Mediterranean, with particular emphasis on the role of inscriptions in sanctuaries. Originating from the convergence of two research projects, it brings together case studies from the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, offering new perspectives on how inscribed objects, ritual practices and sacred spaces intersected within indigenous societies and under Roman rule. The contributions highlight the significance of epigraphic evidence not only as a medium of communication between humans and divine entities, but also as a crucial source for reconstructing the archaeology of ritual and gesture. Inscriptions are considered alongside archaeological, iconographic, numismatic and literary sources, allowing for an interdisciplinary reconstruction of the cultic scene. Issues addressed include the organisation of sacrifices and ritual sequences, the management of offerings and sacred furnishings, the persistence or transformation of sanctuaries and the incorporation of local deities into broader panthea. A central concern of the volume is the negotiation of cultural and religious practices between Rome and indigenous communities. The collected studies reveal that Roman expansion was sustained not only by coercion, but also by accommodation and the voluntary adoption of external models by local actors, who functioned as autonomous agents of change. By combining a long-term historical perspective with fine-grained regional analysis, the volume reflects on the flexibility of ancient polytheisms, which envisaged sacred spaces as arenas for individual and collective dialogue. The outcome is a multifaceted picture of religious traditions and their entanglements, offering new insights into the dynamics of cults and society in the ancient Mediterranean.