Broken stelae, fallen stones. Neglect, deterioration, and disruption of the epigraphic landscape

Over the centuries, the cities of ancient Greece produced numerous texts on stone and metal, and nowhere more so than in ancient Athens. However, when an inscription outlived its purpose, the problem of reuse arose. Dedications to the gods in stone and bronze, as sacred objects, presented difficulties in terms of removal. The result was a landscape of broken stelae and damaged inscriptions alongside new texts. The rules against damaging inscriptions in the Archaic and Classical periods partly explain this situation. However, two specific epigraphic documents shed light on this coexistence: an inventory from the Athenian Acropolis and an inscription from Larisa. By analysing these texts, the article explores their methodological implications for the reconstruction of the inscribed landscape. By comparing the situations that led to their publication, the article examines whether the interest in documenting sacred sites was the sole motivation and whether restoration initiatives followed. The considerations presented may improve our understanding of the development of the epigraphic landscape in general and the Athenian landscape in particular. Indeed, the neglect of older inscriptions is presented here as a significant factor in the formation of the epigraphic landscape, challenging the prevailing view that it was solely the result of deliberate decisions by the polis.