A contact zone in stone — Greek, Latin, Sikel, Elymian, Punic · 古代西西里之语言
Every inscription by its main language. Greek of the colonists and Latin of Rome dominate the record, but beneath them lie the indigenous Sikel and Elymian, the Punic of Carthage, the Oscan of the Mamertines, and a late-antique Hebrew.
Two views — the share of the record by century, and each language's attested lifespan. 两种视图。
The share of each language by century — read left to right and watch the island change hands. The indigenous tongues speak only in the archaic and classical columns; Punic falls silent at the Roman conquest; Greek runs throughout; Latin rises with the Empire. Each column is one century, scaled to its own height.
The attested span of every language — first to last dated inscription. The brevity of Elymian and Sikel is the loss of a world; the long bars of Greek and Latin, its overwriting.