In his review of my book Le relazioni diplomatiche di Roma, Vol. I: dall’età regia alla conquista del primato in Italia (753-265 a.C.), John D. Muccigrosso is very sceptical about the possibility of accepting the continuity in use of writing from the origins of Rome. He asserts that the discovery in a tomb at Osteria dell’Osa of the oldest Greek inscription of Italy “hardly says much about anyone studying anything at Gabii, much less Romulus and Remus”. In an appendix of the new, improved edition of my text (published by Herder in Rome: ISBN 88-85876-99-4) I offer a new reading for this formerly unintelligible text, thus showing that some people in VIIIth century Gabii could definitely read and write. This enhanced, printed edition also corrects some of the editorial mistakes pointed out by the reviewer.
[[For a response to this response by John Muccigrosso, please see BMCR 2005.04.50.]]