Thesaurus Linguae Graecae

Thesaurus Linguae Graecae
Name	Thesaurus Linguae Graecae

Thesaurus Linguae Graecae is a comprehensive digital library of Ancient Greek literature, covering a vast range of texts from Homer to the Byzantine Empire. The project was initiated by Martha Nussbaum and Gregory Vlastos at Harvard University, and later developed at the University of California, Irvine with the support of National Endowment for the Humanities and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The database includes works by prominent authors such as Aristotle, Euripides, and Sophocles, as well as lesser-known writers like Aelian and Ammianus Marcellinus. The project has collaborated with institutions like the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Vatican Library to digitize and make available rare and fragile manuscripts.

Introduction

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae is an indispensable tool for scholars of Classical Studies, Philology, and Ancient History, providing access to a vast array of texts, including works by Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon. The database has been widely used by researchers at institutions like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Sorbonne University, and has facilitated the study of Ancient Greek language and literature. The project has also collaborated with other digital libraries, such as the Perseus Digital Library and Google Books, to expand its collection and improve its search functionality. Scholars like Martin West and Oliver Taplin have utilized the database to study the works of Pindar and Menander, while others, like Simon Hornblower and Robin Lane Fox, have used it to research the history of Ancient Greece and the Hellenistic period.

History

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae was founded in 1972 by Theodore F. Brunner at the University of California, Irvine, with the goal of creating a comprehensive digital library of Ancient Greek literature. The project was initially supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and later received funding from the German Research Foundation and the European Research Council. The database has undergone several updates and expansions, including the addition of texts from the Byzantine Empire and the Hellenistic period, as well as the incorporation of new search tools and features. The project has collaborated with scholars like Dio Chrysostom and Libanius to edit and translate rare texts, and has worked with institutions like the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences to promote the study of Classical Studies.

Features and Content

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae contains a vast array of texts, including works by Homer, Sappho, and Theocritus, as well as lesser-known authors like Bion of Smyrna and Moschus. The database includes a range of genres, from epic poetry to tragedy and comedy, and covers a broad range of topics, including mythology, history, and philosophy. The project has also incorporated texts from the Septuagint and the New Testament, as well as works by Early Christian authors like Origen and Eusebius. Scholars like Friedrich Nietzsche and Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff have used the database to study the development of Western philosophy and the influence of Ancient Greek thought on European culture. The database has also been used by researchers like Edith Hall and Pat Easterling to study the reception of Ancient Greek literature in modern times.

Methodology and Updates

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae uses a range of methodologies to digitize and analyze its texts, including optical character recognition and natural language processing. The project has developed a range of tools and features, including a lemmatizer and a morphological analyzer, to facilitate the study of Ancient Greek language and literature. The database is updated regularly, with new texts and features added annually, and is supported by a team of scholars and technicians at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions. The project has collaborated with other digital libraries, such as the Digital Public Library of America and the Internet Archive, to promote the study of Classical Studies and the preservation of cultural heritage. Scholars like Helmut van Thiel and Michael Reichel have used the database to study the transmission of Ancient Greek texts and the development of textual criticism.

Impact and Applications

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae has had a significant impact on the field of Classical Studies, facilitating the study of Ancient Greek language and literature and promoting the development of new methodologies and approaches. The database has been used by scholars like Shadi Bartsch and Joy Connolly to study the reception of Ancient Greek literature in modern times, and has facilitated the development of new fields of study, such as digital humanities and classical reception studies. The project has also collaborated with institutions like the Getty Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to promote the study of Ancient Greek art and culture, and has worked with scholars like Mary Beard and Nigel Spivey to develop new approaches to the study of Ancient Greek history and culture. The database has also been used by researchers like Gregory Crane and Brewster Kahle to study the development of digital libraries and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Technical Infrastructure

The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae is built on a range of technical infrastructure, including MySQL and Apache Solr, and uses a range of programming languages, including Python and Java. The database is hosted at the University of California, Irvine and is supported by a team of technicians and scholars, who work to maintain and update the database on a regular basis. The project has collaborated with other digital libraries, such as the Stanford Digital Repository and the Harvard Library, to develop new standards and best practices for the preservation and dissemination of digital scholarship. Scholars like John Unsworth and Matthew Kirschenbaum have used the database to study the development of digital humanities and the impact of digital technology on the study of Classical Studies. The database has also been used by researchers like Christof Schöch and Gabriel Bodard to study the development of digital classics and the application of computational methods to the study of Ancient Greek language and literature.

Category:Digital libraries