LIBRI: Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review

Editorial Board

Owned by

Prof. Dr. Murat ARSLAN, Akdeniz University

Editor-in-Chief

Em. Prof. Dr. A. Vedat ÇELGİN, İstanbul University

Editors

Prof. Dr. Hamdi ŞAHİN, İstanbul University
Doç. Dr. Burak TAKMER, Akdeniz University
Doç. Dr. Filiz CLUZEAU, İstanbul University
 Doç. Dr. Nuray GÖKALP ÖZDİL, Akdeniz University
Doç. Dr. Bülent ÖZTÜRK, Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar University

Advisory Board

Prof. Dr. François de CALLATAY, Royal Library of Belgium
Prof. Dr. Serra DURUGÖNÜL, Mersin University
Prof. Dr. Burcu ERCİYAS, Middle East Technical University
Prof. Dr. Peter Franz MITTAG, Universität zu Köln
Prof. Dr. Owen DOONAN, California State University

Assistant Editor

Dr. Şenkal KİLECİ

Proofreaders

Em. Lecturer T. Mikail P. DUGGAN – English
Markus SCHRIJER, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin – German

Multimedia and Web Design

Res. Asst. Dr. Aykan AKÇAY, Akdeniz University

Aim and Scope

LIBRI: Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review is an international, peer-reviewed and online review journal and does not have any affiliation with any institution or organization. The journal which is prepared by a group of the historians of Ancient History and idealist academics does not look after any interest. It is an open access and non-profit periodical. It may not be sold.

The journal is not the product of an instant enthusiasm or a popular trend. It is a small step in order to compensate the deficiency of the translations of the ancient sources and to increase the quality level of the reviews which are not at the desired level in our country.

LIBRI aims to to identify and disseminate epigraphic materials in ancient Greek and Latin pertaining to the geography of ancient Anatolia and to introduce them to the scientific community. In this manner, newly discovered inscriptions recovered from surveys conducted by academics in various regions of Anatolia and excavations in ancient cities are presented to the scientific community and the public by academics. Articles from other disciplines related to ancient studies cannot be published in our journal, which is distinctive in terms of subject and scope.

While the journal’s primary focus is on epigraphy, its stated objectives, as outlined in its title, encompass two main areas of interest. The first objective is to translate ancient Greek and Latin sources, which are currently lacking in our country and have not yet reached the desired level of accuracy, into our language. Secondly, for academics, students and intellectuals interested in antiquity, the journal aims to publish informative book introductions and reviews by experts on books published in recent years about the Mediterranean Basin and civilisations in our country and in the world, with the aim of creating academic awareness.

In accordance with the objectives of the journal, translations from ancient Greek and Latin are confined to works from the ancient and late antiquity periods. This policy also extends to book reviews and notices.

When reviewing and promoting books published in different disciplines (history, historical geography, archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, etc.) on the Ancient and Late Antiquity of Anatolia, the preferred period of acceptance is for field-specific books published within the last 1-2 years. However, due to the fact that our journal is limited to the disciplines of Ancient History and Ancient and Late Antiquity, and due to the limited number of original publications and translations in these fields in our country, this period may sometimes be extended.

In this respect, our journal aims to raise awareness and provide social benefits to academics, students and intellectuals interested in antiquity by publishing informative book introductions and reviews by experts on books published in recent years on the Mediterranean and civilisations in our country and the world. At the same time, it aims to contribute to the development of analytical evaluation and dissertation writing skills by encouraging undergraduate students who wish to pursue an academic career or graduate and doctoral students who are new to academic life.

It is important to note that translations and introductions published in our journal should not be regarded as articles. They differ in terms of subject matter, methodology, and perspective, as well as in their scope and purpose. Abstracts and keywords in Turkish or other languages are not provided for each publication due to the specialized nature of the content and the generally accepted standards within the respective fields.

The users can read, freely download, distribute and print the articles in full text, as well as giving link to the articles with reference, without requiring any permission from the publisher or the author(s).

The notices, reviews and translations, process of which are completed is published on the web site of the journal (libridergi.org) within the relevant issue (Volume V: January-December 2019) throughout the year. The issue of the relevant year is completed at the end of the month of December. The authors are responsible for the content of their work.

Statement of Editorial Policy

BOOK NOTICE

Subject, Method and Period

The book notices submitted in order to be published in LIBRI: Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review should only contain the objective evaluations of the works (monography, manual, biography, catalogue of coins, edited books, thematic books, ancient sources, translation of works in the modern literature and commentaries) within the scope of the Ancient / Late Ancient history and other related field of study.

Not only the selected works to be introduced but the notices written by the reviewer should possess academic and scientific quality. The book notices should be prepared without subjective considerations in a simple, comprehensible and objective style by not adopting an account based on comments.    The account should be parallel to the content of the book. Notices should be in 2 or 3 or maximum 4 pages.

The expected work from the writer of the book notice is not an article but a clear evaluation. Footnotes, abstracts, or keywords in any language are not used in this respect. However; the name of the book/article and the page may be stated in brief (APA citation style) when considered necessary by the author of the notice.

THE CITATION OF THE TAG OF THE BOOK NOTICE

Turkish Copyrighted Works (Book Notice)

The tag of the book notice (author, title, publisher information, number of pages, ISBN, book noticer) needs to be presented in accordance with the principles of journal writing. In line with this, the heading structure which needs to be followed, should be as set out below:

Only the initials of the name / names, as well as the surname in full of the author, should be written in capital letters, and this should be followed by a comma, and the name of the book, in italics, with the first letter of each word in capitals and the remainder of the letters written in small letters. A full stop should be placed at the end. The place where the work was published, followed by a space, and then the year it was published, should be written after the full stop, and another full stop placed after these. Next should be the name of the publishing house, where the work was published, followed by a coma, and then the number of pages. If there are any images, maps, drawings, graphics, etc., in the work, these should be stated in brackets, with the numbers of each also specified. There should be a full stop after the brackets. The tag section should be concluded by stating the ISBN, without any hyphens between the numbers.

The name(s) of the author(s) who are introducing the book should be written immediately underneath the tag. Again, the initials should be in capital letters, with the remainder of the letters written in small letters. The surname should be fully in capital letters and followed by an asterisk. If the author is an academician working at a university, or a doctorate, master’s or bachelor’s degree student at a university, the names of the university, faculty and department, as well as a current e-mail address, GSM number and ORCID number, should also be provided in full.

Lastly, once the author or authors who are introducing the book have arranged the visuals for the covers of the work they are introducing, in a manner where they will be a minimum of 850 pixels and in colour, they should send it to the editor, in jpeg format.

Copyrighted Works Translated from a Foreign Language (Book Notice)

The tag of the book notice (author, title, publisher information, number of pages, ISBN, noticer) needs to be presented in accordance with the principles of journal writing. In line with this, the heading structure which needs to be followed, should be as set out below:

Only the initials of the name / names, as well as the surname in full of the author, should be written in capital letters, and this should be followed by a comma, and the name of the book, in italics, with the first letter of each word in capitals and the remainder of the letters written in small letters. A full stop should be placed at the end. The place where the work was published, followed by a space, and then the year it was published, should be written after the full stop, and another full stop placed after these. Next should be the name of the publishing house, where the work was published, followed by a coma, and then the number of pages. If there are any images, maps, drawings, graphics, etc., in the work, these should be stated in brackets, with the numbers of each also specified. There should be a full stop after the brackets. This should be followed by the initials and surname of the translator who has transcribed the book – in small letters, and then a full stop. The tag section should be concluded by stating the ISBN, without any hyphens between the numbers.

The name(s) of the author(s) who are introducing the book should be written immediately underneath the tag. Again, the initials should be in capital letters, with the remainder of the letters written in small letters. The surname should be fully in capital letters and followed by an asterisk. If the author is an academician working at a university, or a doctorate, master’s or bachelor’s degree student at a university, the names of the university, faculty and department, as well as a current e-mail address, GSM number and ORCID number, should also be provided in full.

Lastly, once the author or authors who are introducing the book have arranged the visuals for the covers of the work they are introducing, in a manner where they will be a minimum of 850 pixels and in colour, they should send it to the editor, in jpeg format.

Monography heading and the tag presentation of the person introducing the book:

BOOK NOTICES

After the tag of the work has been presented in full, the order needs to be the sections contained within the work, section headings, section sub-headings and any further sub-headings, under the sub-headings, in the contents section. The pages (beginning and end) of all the headings and sub-headings stated in the notice should also be set out in brackets. The other sections, which are not among the chapters, such as the Contents, Preface, Presentation and Thanks (Introduction) and Appendix, Bibliography and Index, Conclusion sections should be presented in a manner which is parallel to the contents. When the notice is being written, what is expected from he author is an assessment of the book and its sections, rather than a summary.

In the event that the notice is being written in a language which differs from the language in which the book was published, each type of heading should first be written in italics, in the language of the notice, followed by the original language in brackets. The pages (beginning and end) of the section should also be provided in square brackets (within the same brackets as the name of the section in the original language). The pages of the section should be set out in square brackets, and the square brackets closed before the brackets.

The Points which Authors need to pay attention to when writing Book Notices

The comments and analyses of the author of the author of the book notice, about the following areas of the work which is being introduced, is expected: the subject of the book, its purpose, the command and competence of the author in the subject, the target audience of the book, how the subject was dealt with by the author and the accord between headings and content, the methodology used by the author when dealing with the subject, the points which he or she draws attention to, the organisation structure of the book, the list of contents, the chapters, the quality of the drawings, maps and photographs, the consistency of the information – reference notes used, the structure of the bibliography and the sufficiency and validity of the sources used as a reference, as well as, if present, the index and glossary.

BOOK REVIEWS

The most important point which needs to be paid attention to concerning the book / article, which is to be reviewed, is the academic competence of the person who is to review the study, on the relevant subject.

The reviewer is expected to read the book from the point of view of a revisionist, define, scrutinise and question its problematic and put it through the filter of analysis. The review he or she writes should contain opinions which are able to contribute to the author of the book which has been reviewed, as well as its readers. An author, who reviews a book or article, may be either of the same opinion as, or opposed to the opinions set out or claimed in the study. However, she or she must prove every matter and inference which he / she has stated, to readers, with examples. He / She may show the aspects of the book, which may constitute examples of the definitions, information, inferences and judgments set out by the book, as well as the areas which are deficient. However, when doing this, it will be necessary for him/her to support the views he/she puts forward with examples, by referring to similar books and studies, related to the subject matter [written under the same title].

The Points which Authors need to pay attention to when writing Book Reviews

• First of all, there should be an introduction, where the purpose, subject and problematic of the book is discussed and where the reader will be able to form an opinion on the book which has been reviewed.

As what is being presented here is not a book notice, it will not be correct for the reviewer to state all of the sections and sub-headings of the book, one by one. He / She needs to treat the sections and sub-headings as separate parts, and analyse them by comparing them. In other words, it will be better for the review to be shaped around the main argument of the book.

Example:
a) However, when doing this the reviewer should not get stuck in just one area, which he/she deems to be deficient, and concentrate only on that area.
b) It is necessary to move from the general to the specific, from the complete appearance of the work (panoptic), with an integral reading.

• The section where the root idea and construction of the book are dealt with should contain the academic contributions it makes to the discipline it belongs to, as well as possible objections. Emphasis may also be placed on the command and competence of the author, on the subject.

Example:
a) The conclusions reached by the book and its strong and weak points need to be stated. The areas of the matter, which remain in the dark, or which have been left lacking, should be perceived with a critical awareness, and evaluated in line with the opinions of the reviewer.
b) The methodological, conceptual, chronological, orthographic, and mistakes specific to the subject and area [if any], related to the claims set out by the book, should be stated. Further, the points where these mistakes are in conflict with the main theme of the book may also be emphasised.
c) The scientific / academic contribution made by the book to the discipline it is connected to, should be compared with the relevant literature and presented to the reader. In addition to this, views directed at whether all of the data and the key points, which constitute the principal problematic of the book, have been presented in a manner which is consistent with the context, within the book.

• References may be made to the physical content of the book, such as the visual materials and maps which have been used, the tables, list of contents, chapters, sub-headings, footnotes, final notes, bibliography and index and glossary (if any).

Example:
a) Considerations may be made as to whether the list of contents of the book complies with the title.
b) The index may be checked to see whether it is correct or not and an opinion stated as to whether it is at a sufficient level to cover the terms given in the book, or weak in this respect.
c) The information (footnotes, history, bibliography, etc.) given in the book may be verified.

• A series of catchy comments can be made as to whether the content of the book is appropriate for the target audience it is addressing, and the language and tone (rhetoric and semantic structure) it uses.

Example:
a) Comments can be made as to whether the book is well-written.
b) Objective comments can be made as to whether the main theme and problematic of the book has been presented to the reader at a sufficient level.
c) The persons, whom the book will be beneficial for, can be stated.

• The reviewer is expected to analyse the book, by avoiding reductionism and cynicism. He / She is not expected to state his / her own opinions, or how he / she thinks the author should have constructed or written the book.

Example:
a) It should not be overlooked that there is a style of both positive and negative reviews. Reviews are not a mechanism for praise or ridicule.
b) It is not recommended to display prejudice or to verge on areas, which are vigorously opposed, and drag the matter towards an ideological argument.
c) A great deal of citations from the text is not expected. Reviews should be set out in a manner which is short, to the point and easy to understand.

Translations

The purpose of the translations we publish in our journal is to convert the Greek and Latin sources, which are the indispensable focal points of the studies into the ancient and late ancient periods, from their original languages into Turkish, and present them for the use of the different disciplines (archaeology, philology, ancient history, epigraphy, numismatics, etc.), which take an interest in antiquity. It is also to attempt to play a part in an increase in the accumulation of knowledge related to the ancient history, history, geography and archaeology of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin. On the other hand, it is aimed that the discipline of philology, which seems to have been forgotten and left to rot in our country, which a handful of idealist academicians are endeavouring to drive and which is extremely important from the cultural point of view, is revived. While doing this, it is necessary to understand the language and literary products of the ancient times, as well as translate them, and where necessary comment on them in a comparative manner (both in a linear and thematic manner). The said translations and commentaries may be published as a separate supplement to the journal, when deemed necessary.

In this way, it is to establish a platform, which will expand over the long term and which is open to the access of academicians and intellectuals, who wish to obtain information concerning the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins and the history of Mesopotamia (with specific reference to Anatolia), as well as the civilisations and cultures which took root and developed in these areas. In other words, it is to make a contribution to the spreading of the notion of acquiring universal knowledge, based on historic knowledge.

About the Translation Policy of the Journal

The impact of translation journals and their sustainability in a manner which sticks in the mind, are so short as to throw cold water on the eagerness of the editors and publishing houses, who wish to undertake these types of work. When the publishing houses which have published translation journals and prehistoric period translations, in Turkish, since the last quarter of the 20^th century, are looked at, after an initial glut of translations, which were started with eagerness (and unfortunately, the vast majority of these were transcriptions from the ‘so-called’ original language of ancient resources, which had previously been translated numerous times), it can be seen that they quickly gave up on this. The duplications or re-publications [these can be reproduced] of the works, which had already been translated previously, are lost without having an effect on almost anyone at all. These types of translations decorate the shelves of book sellers, book worms, intellectuals and certain scientists, in line with the existing academic and intellectual trends, for short periods, but display a vicious circle, whereby they are quickly replaced by new transcriptions, which are the repeats of each other.

We would like to underline once again, here, that, our journal is not the product of a momentary enthusiasm or a trend which has become popular in recent times. It is the platform of a group of idealist academicians, who have seen the lack of translations of ancient resources, which are not at a sufficient level in our country, and who have rolled up their sleeves to resolve this, without looking for anything in return. The aim of these academicians is to make a contribution to society and create awareness. Our aim is to convert the ancient resources, which shed a light on the ancient history of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin, from their Greek and Latin originals, into Turkish, in two languages. However, the transcriptions of works, which have been previously translated into Turkish, will not be published in our journal.

About the Methods of Translation of the Journal

The –dead/archaic- languages of the ancient times have their own specific characteristics, and due to these, the transfer of ancient resources to modern languages, without losing anything from their meaning and passing through the capsule of time in full, is a utopian endeavour, which requires a lot of hard work and skill.

• Due to conceptual and linguistic difficulties, or in other words, during the process of the informatic transfer of the text and ideas which reflect the scope of the meaning of its own era, from the source culture to the new culture, a freer method may sometimes be implemented, subject to remaining loyal to the strategy of fluidity.
• Instead of endeavouring to translate Greek and Latin statements and concepts into their equivalents in our own vocabulary, the text can be constructed in the form of a sequence of short and independent sentences, in order to write in a more flowing tone. However, these types of free translations, which aim to transfer the harmony and tone in the original language, was likened to women by Gilles Ménage, the sarcastic reviewer of 17^th Century France. Ménage alleged that those who are beautiful are not faithful (‘belles infidèles’), while those who are faithful are not beautiful.
• Like those who argue that the text should not have the air of a translation, while being transferred, in a relatively free manner, from one culture to another, a translation which distances it from the original and localises it ‘sensum ex­primere de sensu’ [from a translation of the meaning] can be implemented.
• It is also possible to adopt a rule based approach, which focuses on the source – process, by remaining faithful to the text as far as possible ‘verbum pro verbo’ [word for word], in line with the semiotic and structuralist method of resolution, in the face of the famous saying of Cicero, in De Optimo Genere Orato­rum (V. 14). While doing this, it is necessary to endeavour not to distance yourself from the structure of the sentences, in order not to overlook the formation of sentences, which are specific to the grammatical structure of Greek and Latin, in a philological manner, while on the other hand maintaining the comprehensibility and fluidity, while remaining faithful to the original spirit of the text. Just as stated by Horatius in Ars Poetica (str. 133-134), a vulgarised approach based on the source text can be exhibited (‘fidus interpres’ [translator who remains loyal to the original].

However, primitive ‘mot à mot’ translation practices, which adhere strictly to the words at the cost of losing meaning, which are a hostage to the text, going as far as to contain the same grammatical mistakes and incorrect information, which are comprised of the characterising adjectives of ‘good, correct, loyal’, and which are unscientific, need to be avoided. Again, as the modern language, syntax and terminology used by translators, even when they endeavour to be objective, is not so, there is no doubt that something always remains missing in the transcriptions of ancient sources. Indeed, when texts are translated, they pull away from the context of the culture, where they have come from, and are adopted to new contexts, by evolving at the degree whereby they have been understood and perceived. In other words, the differences in resonance and association, which are not present in ancient texts, can be connected anachronically to the text, by translators who are endeavouring to reflect the scope of meaning of their own era. As language mirrors the meaning of the culture, of which it is a part, with the clearest possible statement, this leads to extremely serious hermeneutic problems. To put it briefly, when translation based on knowledge is accepted as being an act of understanding, “Each translation is an interpretation; and this does not prejudice the rules you have”, as stated by Roger Munier, in the preface to his work entitled Les fragments d’Héraclite. (Fata Morgana 1991).

The translations published in our journal should be evaluated within the framework of this mentality.

LIBRI: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review

SECTION ONE

Aim

Article 1–

(1) This directive regulates the procedures and the principles relating to the aims, areas of activity, committees, the duties of the committees, the manner of working, scientific ethics and the time periods of Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review (eISSN: 2458-7826) which is published as an e-journal by a group of idealist academics in Akdeniz University and Akdeniz University Phaselis Research Center.

Scope

Article 2–

(1) This directive covers the provisions concerning the aims, areas of activity, committees, the duties of the committees, the way of working, scientific ethics and the time periods of Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review.

(2) Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review is published annually, in electronic format and in the status of a peer-reviewed journal since 2015.

• The articles to be published or the editorial evaluations are not charged any fees.
• The journal does not pay heed to the interests of any parties.
• The journal is published by a group of academics from Akdeniz University in the Phaselis Research Center.
• It is an open access journal and free of charge.
• It cannot be sold in exchange for money.
• The articles, the evaluation process of which has been completed, are published each year on the web page of the journal (libridergi.org) in the related volume (Volume VII: January – December 2021)
• The responsibility of the works published in the journal rests with their authors.

Legal Basis

Article 3–

In accordance with articles 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Press Legislation numbered 5187.

Definitions

Article 4–

(1)The following terms carry the meanings set out below, in this directive:;

a) The Journal stands for Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review.

b) The Owner of the Publication stands for the owner of the Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review;

c) The Editor in Chief stands for the editor-in-chief of the Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review;

d) The Editor stands for the editor of the Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review;

 

SECTION TWO

The Aim of the Journal

Article 5–

(1) The aim of LIBRI: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review is to find the epigraphic documents in ancient Greek and Latin related to the geography of Anatolia in ancient times and to present these to the scientific community. The ‘new’ inscriptions, which have been obtained from the surface explorations and excavations in ancient cities by academics in different areas of Anatolia, are presented to the information of the scientific community and the public, by academics in this way. In this respect, no articles related to other disciplines in connection with research into ancient times may be published in the journal.

While the focus of the journal is epigraphy, it has two principal objectives, as expressed in the title of the journal. The first of these is to translate the ancient Greek and Latin sources, the lack of which is felt and which has yet to reach the desired levels in our country, and bring them into our language. Secondly, on the other hand, the aim is the publication of book presentations related to the informative books which have been published in recent years, both in our country and throughout the world, concerning the Mediterranean Basin, for the academics, students and intellectuals who are interested in antiquity, as well as the publication of book reviews by the experts on the subject and the raising of the awareness on the subject.

The Content of the Journal

Article 6–

(1) Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review is an interdisciplinary and international peer-reviewed journal which publishes articles in Turkish, English, German, and French. Journal accepts epigraphical articles in English, German, and French.

(2) The articles which are sent to the Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review should be in accordance with at least one of the criteria listed below:

a) The article should be prepared through appropriate research, method and models and be original so as to fill in a void in the area of the study.

b) It should be a study or research which evaluates a study which has been published previously, or which puts forward new and significant points of view.

c) It should be a study in which conceptual, methodical and theoretical approaches are examined in an original way.

d) It should be the translation of fundamental articles which have been published in other languages.

e) It should be the evaluation or review of a book which will contribute to the field of study.

(3) The articles sent to the journal for the review process should not have been previously published in any journals.

(4) The permissions relating to the artefacts presented for the first time in the article must be obtained from the head of the excavation/surface exploration research, the director of the museum or the Ministry of Culture and should be forwarded to the Editorial Committee of the Journal.

(5) The artefacts presented for the first time in the article should not belong to the collections of private individuals.

Organisation

Article 7–

(1) The administrative bodies of the journal are as follows:

a) The Owner of the Publication and his/her Duties

b) The Editor in Chief and his/her Duties

c) The Editors and their Duties

ç) The Advisory Board and its Duties

d) The Editors’ Assistants and their Duties

e) The Proof-readers and their Duties

The Duties and the Term of Office of the Owner of the Journal

Article 8–

(1) The owner will continue in office unless he/she requests otherwise. The founding owner will manage the journal independently, without any outside intervention. He/She is not subject to appointment. He/She cannot be replaced without his or her consent

(2) The owner will appoint the editor-in-chief who carries all scientific responsibility for the journal.

The Duties and the Term of Office of the Editor-in-Chief

Article 9–

(1) Editor-in-chief is appointed by the present or the last editor-in-chief from among the academics deemed suitable within the framework of criteria such as commitment to ethical rules, scientific qualifications and editorial experience in parallel with the aims of the journal.

(2) Only one editor-in-chief may serve in the Journal at any one time.

(3) The editor-in-chief is primarily responsible for the smooth execution of the work, the inspection and supervision of all activities and the publication of the journal.

(4) The editor-in-chief will determine the publication policy of the journal and obtain the contributions of the editors relating to this policy.

(5) The editor-in-chief is responsible for the publication of the journal in a timely manner and in complete scope from scientific and technical aspect.

(6) The editor-in-chief will take a close interest in all stages of the publication process and ensure that this process is conducted out in a speedy and meticulous manner in accordance with the ethical conception of the journal.

(7) The editor-in-chief will assemble the necessary committees to evaluate any suggestions for a special edition of the journal, solve problems related to the function of the journal, develop the vision of the journal and preside over these assemblies.

(8) The editor-in-chief will carry out the first evaluation of the articles submitted to the journal; he/she may include the article in the peer-review process after having examined it based on the conformity of the subject matter and the principles of the journal, or may reject it on deciding that it is not appropriate for the journal.

(9) The editor-in-chief examines the articles which have been accepted for publication in terms of their scientific validity, grammar, style and spelling and supervise the revisions carried out by the proof-readers.

(10) The editor-in-chief will appoint editors, assistant editors or field editors in; and he /she may change the members of committees where deemed necessary.

(11) The editor-in-chief will consult the committees of the journal on decisions related to the publication policies of the journal and make the final decision, taking into account general tendencies.

The Duties and Terms of Office of the Editors, Assistant Editors and Field Editors

Article 10–

(1) All editors are in charge of the execution of the works within the framework of the schedule determined by the editor-in-chief.

(2) Editors are responsible for assisting the editor-in-chief to ensure that the publication process is conducted out in a speedy and meticulous manner and in accordance with the ethical conception of the journal and that it is published in a timely manner and in full.

(3) Editors will discuss all assessments and suggestions related to the scientific flow and publication of the journal.

(4) They will present opinions and make suggestions within this framework.

(15) They will submit suggestions to the editor-in-chief for articles which are considered appropriate for the peer-review process.

(6) Editors are responsible for providing suggestions when determining the publication policy of the journal, its operation, publication principles and style guides, as well as for making decisions in these areas.

(7) No special privilege is conferred on any of the editors in terms of authority or responsibility due to differences in terms of their title, seniority, etc..

(8) The editor-in-chief will determine the term of office of each editor.

The Duties of the Advisory Board

Article 11–

(1) The Advisory Board will provide consultancy services to the journal relating to the appointment of suitable referees, the presentation of the journal in domestic and international platforms and other scientific and technical matters.

(2) It will provide suggestions in order to improve the scientific content and the quality of the journal.

(3) In line with this, it will make the necessary contacts to ensure quality applications are made to the journal.

(4) The members of the Advisory Board will be selected from among individuals who possess experience or are experts in the field of study of the journal, are committed to academic ethics and possess the potential to carry the journal to the international level.

(5) The editor-in-chief possesses the authority to select and change the members of this board.

The Duties of the Assistant Editor(s)

Article 12–

(1) The secretariat of the journal ensures the coordination between the various committees of the journal, assisting the synchronised operation of all of the units.

(2) The secretariat is required to read and respond to the e-mails sent to the e-mail address of the journal (libri@akdeniz.edu.tr) as well as making the necessary telephone calls.

(3) The secretariat will perform the filing, photocopying and other work within the scope of the secretaries and is responsible for ensuring that filing activities are carried out in full and in a timely manner which is transparent and open to inspection.

(4) The secretariat will make the necessary reminders to the referees who have not submitted their reports on time, or the authors who are late in making the necessary amendments in line with the publication principles.

(5) The editor-in-chief possesses the authority to select and the change the members of the secretariat.

The Duties and Term of Office of the Proof-Reading Committee

Article 13–

(1) The members of the proof-reading committee are selected from among the individuals who have command in the rules of grammar and spelling in the language of publication of the journal.

(2) The committee will review all articles accepted for publication in terms of their conformance with the rules of grammar and spelling and ensure that the necessary amendments are made.

(3) The committee is responsible for the preparation of the abstracts and the correction of any existing translations of the articles which have been accepted for publication.

(4) The editor-in-chief is authorised to appoint proof-readers and determine their terms of office.

Publishing Editors and their Duties

Article 14–

(1) The Publishing Editors are responsible for the preparation and publication of the issues of the journal from a technical aspect.

(2) They are responsible for ensuring that the articles which have been decided to be published, are published, and to notify the Editor-in-Chief of any issues which may result in a delay to or which may hinder the publishing process, together with any recommendations they have for solving the said issues, in a timely manner.

(3) They are responsible for updating the website of the journal.

(4) They are responsible for updating the indexes in which the journal is scanned and for the operation of the processes related to the indexes which are to make an application.

(5) The editor-in-chief is authorised to appoint Publishing Editors and determine their terms of office.

 

SECTION THREE

Admission of the Article, Publication Process and the Committees of Academic Ethics

Article 15–

(1) The articles which are to be submitted to the journal should be original so as to fill in a void in the area of the study, a methodological study including new founding and approaches, a research evaluating the studies published previously or an analytic study proposing significant ideas about the subject.

(2 The works which have been sent to the journal must not have been published and applications for their publications in any other journals/books must not have been made, in order for these works to be published in the journal. The articles which have been sent to the journal should have been prepared in line with the editing rules of the journal.

(3) The responsibility of the articles published in the journal, from a scientific and linguistic point of view, rests with the authors and they may not hold the journal or its editors responsible in this respect. The articles included in the journal are open to the use of everyone and all types of citations may be made subject to showing sources. No fees will be sought in any manner whatsoever for the articles sent to the journal.

Publication Principles

Article 16–

(1) The article submitted to Libri should be unpublished and should follow the publishing guidelines of the journal accessible from the Journal’s web site. The text should be written in 12 point Cardo (for PC and for Macintosh), the footnotes should be written in 10 point.

(2) Please use the Cardo font for ancient Greek.

(3) Footnotes should be placed at the foot of the page, employing continuous numbering.

(4) For all photo­graphs, drawings and maps, only the abbreviation (fig.) should be employed in continuous numbering. The plate numbers will be given by the editors. For this reason, remarks such as plate, picture, drawing, graphic, chart, plan, map other word or abbreviation should not be used, only fig. followed by the consecutive number.

(5) Figures (tables, images, graphs, photographs, pictures, drawings and maps) should be included in a manner which will not prejudice the integrity of the text or the pages. Any text related to the figures should be placed under the figures, in italics and should be type size 10.

(6) The article should be sent as an e-mail to libri@akdeniz.edu.tr or submitted as a printed copy on A4 paper together with a CD/DVD copy of the article.

(7) Any visual images in the article should be in .jpeg or .tiff format with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

(8) An abstract should consist of a 150 to 200 word summary of the article. It should contain the reasons why the author(s) felt the study was needed, a literature review, methods, findings and a conclusion, as well as a description of the sub-headings and contents of the study.

(9) An abstract is required with a list of 4 to 6 keywords.

(10) An article in Turkish is to have its abstract in both Turkish and English and an article in other languages is to have an abstract in both the language of the article and in Turkish.

(11) The submission form requires the author’s name, surname, academic title, institution, address, ORCID, e-mail address, telephone number and/or fax number.

(12) Abbreviations of any work cited should be given at the end of the article.

(13) References used in the text should be written in accordance with the reference system of the journal which is form based on Harvard style (author’s name-surname, publication date, page number, plate/figure no. if there is any) in abbreviated form. Same principle is applied to the references used once. ( Publication Principles on the web page).

(14) Both the name of the publication and the author which are written in non-Latin alphabet should be written in the original script of the publication

(15) Subtitles in an article should be written in small letters and all initial letters of words should be written in bold.

(16) An author who has several cited articles published within the same year should have the reference marked a., b., c., etc. in both the footnotes and in the bibliography.

(17) Roman numerals are to be used when referring to centuries prior to and including the X century A.D. (IV century B.C., etc.). After the X century A.D. Arabic numerals are to be used e.g. 19th century.

(18) Each article submitted for publication is examined by the editor-in-chief, the journal’s editor and field editors.

(19) The article will be evaluated by at least two referees. Decision concerning publication will be conveyed to the author within a month of the submission of an article to Libri.

(20) Any unethical publication act such as copying a part of his/her works (book/MA-PhD thesis) or another book or article, paraphrasing a significant part of an article without citation, or or adopting others’ works, or withdrawal of articles publishing process of which are still continuing, cannot be accepted. On such a situation is encountered, the aforesaid author is declared as not to be suited to apply Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review for publication for 5 years.

(21) Should an article be produced through a thesis, it should certainly be expressed in the first footnote of the article stating through which thesis the said article is produced. In articles based on Master’s and Doctoral theses, the author of the thesis should be listed first, in accordance with ethical guidelines.

(22) It has been decreed that no special issue will be published within the scope of the journal.

(23) The epigraphical text should not exceed nearly 7.500 words (app. 20 pages) excluding title, abstract and bibliography.

(24) The title and the subject of the article should be in accordance with its method, scope and main problem.

(25) Article should be written in line with scientific principles and ethical rules which are commonly accepted.

(26) The ideas and conclusions are the personal remarks of the author and cannot be considered as the journal’s arguments.

(27) Book presentations, which are submitted to the editorial committee to be published in the journal should only contain objective assessments of publications (monographies, guides, biographies, catalogues [coins], books with editors, compilations / thematic books, ancient sources, translations of and commentaries on modern literature, etc.) belonging to disciplines, which cover different subjects related to the history of the Prehistoric period and the Late Ancient period and the learning ancillary to these.

(28) Both the works which are being assessed and the presentation articles written by the author in the selection of the subject matter and the book, in book presentations, should possess academic/scientific attributes. Book presentations should be prepared objectively and with simple and easy to understand wording, without adopting a turn of phrase which contains subjective evaluations and comments on the works. Narratives should be fully directly proportional with the content of the book. Presentation articles should be between 2 – 3 pages and should not exceed 4 pages.

(29) The works to be selected in book presentations should be works which have been published in the last 1-2 years.

(30) What is expected in book presentations is a clear assessment by the author rather than an article. Thus, footnotes and end notes should not be used. However, where deemed necessary, the author who has penned the presentation may state the title of the book/article and the relevant page number, in short, in brackets within the sentence (APA citation style).

(31) The reviewer is expected to have read the book or article with a revisionist point of view, defined its problematic, scrutinised and questioned it, put it through the filter of analysis and the review he/she has penned is expected to contain opinions to a degree which will contribute both to the readers and the author of the book/article, in book or article reviews which have been submitted to the editorial committee to be published in the journal. A writer who has peened a review of a book or article may hold the same or opposing opinions as that put forward by the study. However, he/she must evidence each point and inference he/she has set out to readers, with examples. He/She may show the aspects which epitomise the definitions, information, inferences and evaluations set out by the book or article, or any parts where it has fallen short in this respect. However, while doing this, he/she should refer to similar books and studies related to the subject [penned under the same title] and support any opinions he/she has put forward with examples.

(32) The reviewer is expected to analyse the book without resorting to reductionism and cynicism; he/she is not expected to set out his/her own opinions or how the author has constructed and penned the book!

(33) The purpose of the translations we publish in our journal is to bring the ancient Greek and Latin sources, which are the essential reference focus points of studies into the ancient and late ancient periods, into Turkish from their original languages, and present them to the use of the different disciplines interested in antiquity (archaeology, philology, ancient history, epigraphy, numismatics, etc.). It is also an attempt to contribute to an increase in the accumulation of knowledge related to the ancient history, historic geography and archaeology of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin. On the other hand, there is also an aim to revive the discipline of philology, which seems to have gone mouldy and been forgotten in our country, which just a handful of idealist academics are endeavouring to perform but which also stands at an extremely important point from a cultural perspective. What is necessary when doing this is to understand and translate the language and literary works of the ancient period, and where necessary to re-interpret / comment on them (both in a linear and thematic manner) through comparisons. The said translations and commentaries can also be published separately, as supplements to the journal, where deemed necessary.
An accessible platform (developing in the long term) for academics and intellectuals, who wish to obtain information concerning the history of the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins and Mesopotamia, specific to Anatolia and the civilisations and cultures, which laid down their roots and developed in these regions, is being created in this way. In other words, the aim is to contribute to making the notion of acquiring universal knowledge based on historic information more widespread.

(34) The translation mission of the Libri Journal is to translate the ancient sources which shed light on the ancient history of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin, from their ancient Greek and Latin originals, into Turkish and publish them in both languages. However, the transcriptions of works which have been previously translated into Turkish may not be published in our journal.

(35) Anyone employed in the journal (including the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial team) may not publish anything in the edition of the relevant year.

Enforcement and Executing

Article 17–

(1) This hereby directive come into force after the approval of the owner of the Libri: The Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review. It can only be abolished by the decision of the owner of the journal.

(2) The founder of the journal charges editor-in-chief and editorial board in order that the publication process and the running of the journal can be carried out in a smooth and scientific manner.

(3) The journal is not the product of a momentary whim or a trend which has become popular in recent times. It is a small step taken in order to alleviate the lack in the areas of epigraphic publications, translations and accounts, which are not present at the desired levels in our country.

The aim of the journal is to find the epigraphic documents in ancient Greek and Latin related to the geography of Anatolia in ancient times and to present these to the scientific community. The ‘new’ inscriptions, which have been obtained from the surface explorations and excavations in ancient cities by academics in different areas of Anatolia, are presented to the information of the scientific community and the public, by academics in this way. No articles related to other disciplines in connection with research into ancient times may be published in our journal, which is authentic in respect of its subject matter and scope.

While the focus of the journal is epigraphy, it has two principal objectives, as expressed in the title of the journal. The first of these is to translate the ancient Greek and Latin sources, the lack of which is felt and which has yet to reach the desired levels in our country, and bring them into our language. Secondly, on the other hand, the aim is the publication of book presentations related to the informative books which have been published in recent years, both in our country and throughout the world, concerning the Mediterranean Basin, for the academics, students and intellectuals who are interested in antiquity, as well as the publication of book reviews by the experts on the subject and the raising of the awareness on the subject.

The translations brought into our own language from the ancient Greek and Latin in line with the aims of our journal, are restricted to the ancient and late ancient ages. The similar is also true for book reviews and presentations.

Books which have been published within the last 1-2 years are preferred when accepting the reviews and presentations of the books published on different disciplines (history, historical, geography, archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, etc.) related to the ancient and late ancient periods of Anatolia. However, due to the fact that our journal is restricted to the disciplines of the ancient periods in terms of subject matter and the ancient and late ancient periods in terms of chronology, and the fact that the numbers of the originals and translations published in our country in the said fields is limited, this period of time may, from time to time, become more flexible. In this way, our journal aims to raise awareness by publishing informative book presentations on the books and book reviews penned by experts in the area, which have been published in recent years related to the Mediterranean Basin and its civilisations, both in Turkey and throughout the world, and provide benefit to society. While doing this, we also aim to encourage undergraduate students who desire an academic career or graduate and doctorate students who have just started their academic careers, and contribute to the development of their analytical assessment and thesis writing skills.

A point which should not be overlooked is that the translations, reviews and presentations published in our journal should not be evaluated as articles. Their subject matters, methods and points of view are different and their boundaries and objectives are also separate. Due to their scope and the generally accepted content of the areas they are tied to, no publications will contain any substance in Turkish or abstracts and key words in any foreign languages.

(4) User will be free to read the full text of the works in the journal, download, distribute and print them and provide links to the publications by citing them as references, without the need to obtain permission from the publisher and author(s)..

(5) All responsibility and the management of the journal is performed by editor-in-chief on behalf of the owner of the journal.

(6) The journal is a scientific and open access publication. Administration and the running of the publication process is under the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.

Article 18–

(1) The provisions of the directive are executed by the Publication owner of the Libri.

(2) This hereby directive is issued on the Internet page.

Statement of Editorial Policy

BOOK NOTICE

Subject, Method and Period

The book notices submitted in order to be published in LIBRI: Journal of Epigraphy, Translation and Review should only contain the objective evaluations of the works (monography, manual, biography, catalogue of coins, edited books, thematic books, ancient sources, translation of works in the modern literature and commentaries) within the scope of the Ancient / Late Ancient history and other related field of study.

Not only the selected works to be introduced but the notices written by the reviewer should possess academic and scientific quality. The book notices should be prepared without subjective considerations in a simple, comprehensible and objective style by not adopting an account based on comments.    The account should be parallel to the content of the book. Notices should be in 2 or 3 or maximum 4 pages.

The expected work from the writer of the book notice is not an article but a clear evaluation. Thus, footnotes or endnotes should not be used. However; the name of the book/article and the page may be stated in brief (APA citation style) when considered necessary by the author of the notice.

THE CITATION OF THE TAG OF THE BOOK NOTICE

Turkish Copyrighted Works (Book Notice)

The tag of the book notice (author, title, publisher information, number of pages, ISBN, book noticer) needs to be presented in accordance with the principles of journal writing. In line with this, the heading structure which needs to be followed, should be as set out below:

Only the initials of the name / names, as well as the surname in full of the author, should be written in capital letters, and this should be followed by a comma, and the name of the book, in italics, with the first letter of each word in capitals and the remainder of the letters written in small letters. A full stop should be placed at the end. The place where the work was published, followed by a space, and then the year it was published, should be written after the full stop, and another full stop placed after these. Next should be the name of the publishing house, where the work was published, followed by a coma, and then the number of pages. If there are any images, maps, drawings, graphics, etc., in the work, these should be stated in brackets, with the numbers of each also specified. There should be a full stop after the brackets. The tag section should be concluded by stating the ISBN, without any hyphens between the numbers.

The name(s) of the author(s) who are introducing the book should be written immediately underneath the tag. Again, the initials should be in capital letters, with the remainder of the letters written in small letters. The surname should be fully in capital letters and followed by an asterisk. If the author is an academician working at a university, or a doctorate, master’s or bachelor’s degree student at a university, the names of the university, faculty and department, as well as a current e-mail address, GSM number and ORCID number, should also be provided in full.

Lastly, once the author or authors who are introducing the book have arranged the visuals for the covers of the work they are introducing, in a manner where they will be a minimum of 850 pixels and in colour, they should send it to the editor, in jpeg format.

Copyrighted Works Translated from a Foreign Language (Book Notice)

The tag of the book notice (author, title, publisher information, number of pages, ISBN, noticer) needs to be presented in accordance with the principles of journal writing. In line with this, the heading structure which needs to be followed, should be as set out below:

Only the initials of the name / names, as well as the surname in full of the author, should be written in capital letters, and this should be followed by a comma, and the name of the book, in italics, with the first letter of each word in capitals and the remainder of the letters written in small letters. A full stop should be placed at the end. The place where the work was published, followed by a space, and then the year it was published, should be written after the full stop, and another full stop placed after these. Next should be the name of the publishing house, where the work was published, followed by a coma, and then the number of pages. If there are any images, maps, drawings, graphics, etc., in the work, these should be stated in brackets, with the numbers of each also specified. There should be a full stop after the brackets. This should be followed by the initials and surname of the translator who has transcribed the book – in small letters, and then a full stop. The tag section should be concluded by stating the ISBN, without any hyphens between the numbers.

The name(s) of the author(s) who are introducing the book should be written immediately underneath the tag. Again, the initials should be in capital letters, with the remainder of the letters written in small letters. The surname should be fully in capital letters and followed by an asterisk. If the author is an academician working at a university, or a doctorate, master’s or bachelor’s degree student at a university, the names of the university, faculty and department, as well as a current e-mail address, GSM number and ORCID number, should also be provided in full.

Lastly, once the author or authors who are introducing the book have arranged the visuals for the covers of the work they are introducing, in a manner where they will be a minimum of 850 pixels and in colour, they should send it to the editor, in jpeg format.

Monography heading and the tag presentation of the person introducing the book:

BOOK NOTICES

After the tag of the work has been presented in full, the order needs to be the sections contained within the work, section headings, section sub-headings and any further sub-headings, under the sub-headings, in the contents section. The pages (beginning and end) of all the headings and sub-headings stated in the notice should also be set out in brackets. The other sections, which are not among the chapters, such as the Contents, Preface, Presentation and Thanks (Introduction) and Appendix, Bibliography and Index, Conclusion sections should be presented in a manner which is parallel to the contents. When the notice is being written, what is expected from he author is an assessment of the book and its sections, rather than a summary.

In the event that the notice is being written in a language which differs from the language in which the book was published, each type of heading should first be written in italics, in the language of the notice, followed by the original language in brackets. The pages (beginning and end) of the section should also be provided in square brackets (within the same brackets as the name of the section in the original language). The pages of the section should be set out in square brackets, and the square brackets closed before the brackets.

The Points which Authors need to pay attention to when writing Book Notices

The comments and analyses of the author of the author of the book notice, about the following areas of the work which is being introduced, is expected: the subject of the book, its purpose, the command and competence of the author in the subject, the target audience of the book, how the subject was dealt with by the author and the accord between headings and content, the methodology used by the author when dealing with the subject, the points which he or she draws attention to, the organisation structure of the book, the list of contents, the chapters, the quality of the drawings, maps and photographs, the consistency of the information – reference notes used, the structure of the bibliography and the sufficiency and validity of the sources used as a reference, as well as, if present, the index and glossary.

BOOK REVIEWS

The most important point which needs to be paid attention to concerning the book / article, which is to be reviewed, is the academic competence of the person who is to review the study, on the relevant subject.

The reviewer is expected to read the book from the point of view of a revisionist, define, scrutinise and question its problematic and put it through the filter of analysis. The review he or she writes should contain opinions which are able to contribute to the author of the book which has been reviewed, as well as its readers. An author, who reviews a book or article, may be either of the same opinion as, or opposed to the opinions set out or claimed in the study. However, she or she must prove every matter and inference which he / she has stated, to readers, with examples. He / She may show the aspects of the book, which may constitute examples of the definitions, information, inferences and judgments set out by the book, as well as the areas which are deficient. However, when doing this, it will be necessary for him/her to support the views he/she puts forward with examples, by referring to similar books and studies, related to the subject matter [written under the same title].

The Points which Authors need to pay attention to when writing Book Reviews

• First of all, there should be an introduction, where the purpose, subject and problematic of the book is discussed and where the reader will be able to form an opinion on the book which has been reviewed.

As what is being presented here is not a book notice, it will not be correct for the reviewer to state all of the sections and sub-headings of the book, one by one. He / She needs to treat the sections and sub-headings as separate parts, and analyse them by comparing them. In other words, it will be better for the review to be shaped around the main argument of the book.

Example:
a) However, when doing this the reviewer should not get stuck in just one area, which he/she deems to be deficient, and concentrate only on that area.
b) It is necessary to move from the general to the specific, from the complete appearance of the work (panoptic), with an integral reading.

• The section where the root idea and construction of the book are dealt with should contain the academic contributions it makes to the discipline it belongs to, as well as possible objections. Emphasis may also be placed on the command and competence of the author, on the subject.

Example:
a) The conclusions reached by the book and its strong and weak points need to be stated. The areas of the matter, which remain in the dark, or which have been left lacking, should be perceived with a critical awareness, and evaluated in line with the opinions of the reviewer.
b) The methodological, conceptual, chronological, orthographic, and mistakes specific to the subject and area [if any], related to the claims set out by the book, should be stated. Further, the points where these mistakes are in conflict with the main theme of the book may also be emphasised.
c) The scientific / academic contribution made by the book to the discipline it is connected to, should be compared with the relevant literature and presented to the reader. In addition to this, views directed at whether all of the data and the key points, which constitute the principal problematic of the book, have been presented in a manner which is consistent with the context, within the book.

• References may be made to the physical content of the book, such as the visual materials and maps which have been used, the tables, list of contents, chapters, sub-headings, footnotes, final notes, bibliography and index and glossary (if any).

Example:
a) Considerations may be made as to whether the list of contents of the book complies with the title.
b) The index may be checked to see whether it is correct or not and an opinion stated as to whether it is at a sufficient level to cover the terms given in the book, or weak in this respect.
c) The information (footnotes, history, bibliography, etc.) given in the book may be verified.

• A series of catchy comments can be made as to whether the content of the book is appropriate for the target audience it is addressing, and the language and tone (rhetoric and semantic structure) it uses.

Example:
a) Comments can be made as to whether the book is well-written.
b) Objective comments can be made as to whether the main theme and problematic of the book has been presented to the reader at a sufficient level.
c) The persons, whom the book will be beneficial for, can be stated.

• The reviewer is expected to analyse the book, by avoiding reductionism and cynicism. He / She is not expected to state his / her own opinions, or how he / she thinks the author should have constructed or written the book.

Example:
a) It should not be overlooked that there is a style of both positive and negative reviews. Reviews are not a mechanism for praise or ridicule.
b) It is not recommended to display prejudice or to verge on areas, which are vigorously opposed, and drag the matter towards an ideological argument.
c) A great deal of citations from the text is not expected. Reviews should be set out in a manner which is short, to the point and easy to understand.

Translations

The purpose of the translations we publish in our journal is to convert the Greek and Latin sources, which are the indispensable focal points of the studies into the ancient and late ancient periods, from their original languages into Turkish, and present them for the use of the different disciplines (archaeology, philology, ancient history, epigraphy, numismatics, etc.), which take an interest in antiquity. It is also to attempt to play a part in an increase in the accumulation of knowledge related to the ancient history, history, geography and archaeology of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin. On the other hand, it is aimed that the discipline of philology, which seems to have been forgotten and left to rot in our country, which a handful of idealist academicians are endeavouring to drive and which is extremely important from the cultural point of view, is revived. While doing this, it is necessary to understand the language and literary products of the ancient times, as well as translate them, and where necessary comment on them in a comparative manner (both in a linear and thematic manner). The said translations and commentaries may be published as a separate supplement to the journal, when deemed necessary.

In this way, it is to establish a platform, which will expand over the long term and which is open to the access of academicians and intellectuals, who wish to obtain information concerning the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins and the history of Mesopotamia (with specific reference to Anatolia), as well as the civilisations and cultures which took root and developed in these areas. In other words, it is to make a contribution to the spreading of the notion of acquiring universal knowledge, based on historic knowledge.

About the Translation Policy of the Journal

The impact of translation journals and their sustainability in a manner which sticks in the mind, are so short as to throw cold water on the eagerness of the editors and publishing houses, who wish to undertake these types of work. When the publishing houses which have published translation journals and prehistoric period translations, in Turkish, since the last quarter of the 20^th century, are looked at, after an initial glut of translations, which were started with eagerness (and unfortunately, the vast majority of these were transcriptions from the ‘so-called’ original language of ancient resources, which had previously been translated numerous times), it can be seen that they quickly gave up on this. The duplications or re-publications [these can be reproduced] of the works, which had already been translated previously, are lost without having an effect on almost anyone at all. These types of translations decorate the shelves of book sellers, book worms, intellectuals and certain scientists, in line with the existing academic and intellectual trends, for short periods, but display a vicious circle, whereby they are quickly replaced by new transcriptions, which are the repeats of each other.

We would like to underline once again, here, that, our journal is not the product of a momentary enthusiasm or a trend which has become popular in recent times. It is the platform of a group of idealist academicians, who have seen the lack of translations of ancient resources, which are not at a sufficient level in our country, and who have rolled up their sleeves to resolve this, without looking for anything in return. The aim of these academicians is to make a contribution to society and create awareness. Our aim is to convert the ancient resources, which shed a light on the ancient history of Anatolia and the Mediterranean Basin, from their Greek and Latin originals, into Turkish, in two languages. However, the transcriptions of works, which have been previously translated into Turkish, will not be published in our journal.

About the Methods of Translation of the Journal

The –dead/archaic- languages of the ancient times have their own specific characteristics, and due to these, the transfer of ancient resources to modern languages, without losing anything from their meaning and passing through the capsule of time in full, is a utopian endeavour, which requires a lot of hard work and skill.

• Due to conceptual and linguistic difficulties, or in other words, during the process of the informatic transfer of the text and ideas which reflect the scope of the meaning of its own era, from the source culture to the new culture, a freer method may sometimes be implemented, subject to remaining loyal to the strategy of fluidity.
• Instead of endeavouring to translate Greek and Latin statements and concepts into their equivalents in our own vocabulary, the text can be constructed in the form of a sequence of short and independent sentences, in order to write in a more flowing tone. However, these types of free translations, which aim to transfer the harmony and tone in the original language, was likened to women by Gilles Ménage, the sarcastic reviewer of 17^th Century France. Ménage alleged that those who are beautiful are not faithful (‘belles infidèles’), while those who are faithful are not beautiful.
• Like those who argue that the text should not have the air of a translation, while being transferred, in a relatively free manner, from one culture to another, a translation which distances it from the original and localises it ‘sensum ex­primere de sensu’ [from a translation of the meaning] can be implemented.
• It is also possible to adopt a rule based approach, which focuses on the source – process, by remaining faithful to the text as far as possible ‘verbum pro verbo’ [word for word], in line with the semiotic and structuralist method of resolution, in the face of the famous saying of Cicero, in De Optimo Genere Orato­rum (V. 14). While doing this, it is necessary to endeavour not to distance yourself from the structure of the sentences, in order not to overlook the formation of sentences, which are specific to the grammatical structure of Greek and Latin, in a philological manner, while on the other hand maintaining the comprehensibility and fluidity, while remaining faithful to the original spirit of the text. Just as stated by Horatius in Ars Poetica (str. 133-134), a vulgarised approach based on the source text can be exhibited (‘fidus interpres’ [translator who remains loyal to the original].

However, primitive ‘mot à mot’ translation practices, which adhere strictly to the words at the cost of losing meaning, which are a hostage to the text, going as far as to contain the same grammatical mistakes and incorrect information, which are comprised of the characterising adjectives of ‘good, correct, loyal’, and which are unscientific, need to be avoided. Again, as the modern language, syntax and terminology used by translators, even when they endeavour to be objective, is not so, there is no doubt that something always remains missing in the transcriptions of ancient sources. Indeed, when texts are translated, they pull away from the context of the culture, where they have come from, and are adopted to new contexts, by evolving at the degree whereby they have been understood and perceived. In other words, the differences in resonance and association, which are not present in ancient texts, can be connected anachronically to the text, by translators who are endeavouring to reflect the scope of meaning of their own era. As language mirrors the meaning of the culture, of which it is a part, with the clearest possible statement, this leads to extremely serious hermeneutic problems. To put it briefly, when translation based on knowledge is accepted as being an act of understanding, “Each translation is an interpretation; and this does not prejudice the rules you have”, as stated by Roger Munier, in the preface to his work entitled Les fragments d’Héraclite. (Fata Morgana 1991).

The translations published in our journal should be evaluated within the framework of this mentality.