Getting Started
This page is intended to provide a click-by-click tutorial on how to use Eagle MediaWiki, the tool which allows to edit records of inscriptions and add translations into modern languages.
Although it may seem complicated at first, users will soon realise that the whole procedure is much simpler than it looks! It is, actually, only a matter of getting accustomed with the Wiki environment.
In particular, by accessing the Eagle MediaWiki one can:
- create a new record of an inscription
- add a translation to an existing record in the wiki or via Perseids
- add an authored or published translations
Alongside the step by step explanation of the procedure, there are also suggested Guidelines for Translators of Greek and Roman inscriptions. Should you wish to insert more of them, please let us know writing to the Translation's Working Group Mailing List.
Contents
Registration and Login
The recommended way to enter translations in the EAGLE mediawiki is via Perseids.
You might nevertheless want to enter texts directly in the wiki, in which case, note that:
it is not possible to create your account by yourself, so as a first step please request an account provided with the rights to edit:
Once you have your username and password:
- Log in by clicking the "LOG IN" button on top right corner
- Set the language to English, by clicking the button on top right corner. Note that at present the system only works in this language.
Remember: in order to edit or add items you need to log in every time!
Your profile page should have a "babel" template, which is a string of information regarding your profile. To create it:
- Click on your name on top right corner
- Click Edit on your profile page: you can enter any information about yourself here.
- Type in there also the babel string of information, e.g.: {{#Babel:en|it|la|el|de|fr|}}
- Click the save page button, as in any wikipedia page
Add inscriptions and translations
If you wish to add a translation, you have to check whether the relative Latin/Greek inscription is already in the database. To look for the inscription, you can either:
- use the "SEARCH" box
- browse with the lists: by provider, by identifier, by language.
It is preferable to use the search engine, typing the TM, idest, EDH, EDR, EDB Identification Number (Trismegistos, Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg, Epigraphic Database Roma, Epigraphic Database Bari), or the traditional bibliographical abbreviation with which the inscription is usually identified, according to the following standards:
- 156006 (Trismegistos)
- http://ides.io/browse/ides:t00002vz (ides)
- HD001006 (Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg)
- EDR100024 (Epigraphic Database Roma)
- EDB19680 (Epigraphic Database Bari)
- AE 1973, 0425
- CIL 13, 05282
- HEp 1
- iAph120016
- ICVR IV, 9558
- IG II² 362
- IRT050
- RIB 10
Please refer to the EAGLE MediaWiki "main page" for the updated list of contents.
If you do not know the EDH, EDR, EDB etc identification number, please search the single databases and retrieve it.
- EDH - Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg - for Roman provinces outside Italy
- EDR - Epigraphic Database Roma - for Rome and Italy
- EDB - Epigraphic Database Bari - for Christian inscriptions from Rome
- HEp - Hispania Epigraphica - for Iberian Peninsula
- iAph2007 - Inscriptions of Aphrodisias
- IRT - Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania - for modern Libya except Cyrenaica
- RIB - Roman Inscriptions of Britain
- Attic Inscriptions online
- Last Statues of Antiquity - for late antique honorary monuments
- Ubi erat Lupa - for stone monuments covered by the work of this project
Then:
- If the inscription you want to translate is not yet in the EAGLE database, go to step Add a translation of a new text.
- If the inscription you want to translate is already in the EAGLE database and does NOT have a Trismegistos Identifier or a idest Identifier go to Add a translation in EAGLE MediaWiki.
- If the inscription you want to translate is already in the EAGLE database and has a Trismegistos Identifier or a idest identifier then use the PREFERRED way to enter translations, via Perseids.
Other ways to contribute
Some Translations have been entered without any identifier. this needs to be fixed, and if you want to do it, here is the list of translations in need.
Not to do
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER EMPTY ITEMS. IF YOU CREATE ONE, COMPLETE IT.
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER TEXTS WHICH DO NOT HAVE AN ONLINE RECORD. ASK INSTEAD THE RELEVANT DATABASES TO ADD IT BEFORE.
- If you want to add a translation of an inscription from Italy which is not yet in EDR, ask EDR to add it;
- If you wish to add a translation of an inscription from Hispania which is not yet in Hispania Epigraphica, ask HEpOnline to add it;
- If you wish to add a translation of an inscription from Rome of christian commision which is not yet in EDB, ask EDB to add it
- it you wish to add a translation of an inscription from the Roman provinces, which is not yet in EDH, ask EDH to add it
