La conoscenza della scrittura e della lettura in epoca romana in area alpina

Purpose of this study is graffiti from the Roman period documented in the Alps. In the specific context of this work the graffiti have been interpreted as a primary source for the analysis of a much debated topic today that is related to the level of literacy of the population in Roman times. This theme , on which there is a vast literature , it has been repeatedly addressed by scholars who have made use of their interpretations of the many data supplied by trade literary , iconographic , epigraphic and archaeological led to two schools of thought diametrically opposed that recognize , respectively , a low and a high level of literacy in the society in Roman times. In an attempt to provide a contribution in the context of this vexed question you have chosen here to focus on a limited geographical area , but in many ways homogeneous , both in terms of the historical, cultural and morphological . The choice fell on the area alpine , because of its now recognized characteristics of homogeneity , it is increasingly the subject of specialized studies . The work that has been conducted does not have in its objectives then the critical edition and full of graffiti found in the alpine sites but a census of the same, through a cataloging of detail , with the aim to determine whether and how these testimonies recorded are widespread in this area in many ways be considered, since ancient device and backward compared to the rest of the empire. The study was divided into several sections, after a brief summary of the state of studies on the topic of literacy and the issue of graffiti, it is considered the Alpine region to highlight the features and historical events of this area. The next part was devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon of literacy in Roman times and the criteria for filing addressed. Then follows a commentary on part of the more general aspects that emerged from the filing of graffiti. The largest section is on the cards for each graffiti followed by the conclusions and bibliography.