The Language of Ruins: Greek and Latin Inscriptions on the Memnon Colossus

In the first century BCE, worshippers traveled to the Memnon Colossus to receive what they perceived as divine blessing, leaving behind inscriptions memorializing their visit, desires, and life details on the gigantic statue. The Language of Ruins (Oxford University Press) examines the 107 inscriptions found on the statue, and what they reveal about Greco-Roman life two millennia ago.