Duenos inscription: Difference between revisions

The inscription (CIL I 2nd 2, 4) is scratched along the side of the body of three vases made of dark brown ''[[bucchero]]'', connected with each other by short cylindric arms; the bird's-eye-view of the object thus resembles that of a [[fidget spinner]]. It is written from right to left spiralling downwards about {{frac|1|1|2}} times. The letters are written upside-down for a reader who looks at the inscription from a level position; this has been explained by Aldo Luigi Prosdocimi<ref>Aldo Luigi Prosdocimi, "Studi sul latino arcaico", in ''Studi Etruschi'', '''47''', 1979, pp. 173–221.</ref> as due to the fact that the inscription was meant to be read from above, not from a sideways position. Some letters are written in an archaic fashion that appears influenced by the [[Greek alphabet]].<ref>J. E. Sandys, S. G. Campbell, ''Latin Epigraphy: an Introduction to the study of Latin Inscriptions'' 1974, p. 40–41.</ref> There are signs of corrections in the two {{sc2|C}} or {{sc2|K}} of {{sc2|PAKARI}} and {{sc2|FECED}} and in the {{sc2|L}} of {{sc2|MALOS}}. Three distinct sections are individuated by spaces after {{sc2|SIED}} and {{sc2|VOIS}}. There are neither spaces delimiting words nor signs of interpunction. The earliest interpunction to appear was syllabic. As it appeared only in the 7th century BC, the inscription should be more ancient.<ref>Giuliano and Larissa Bonfante ''Lingua e cultura degli Etruschi'' Torino, 1985, p. 63.</ref>