One of the Earliest Latin Inscriptions in Rome

A Latin inscription on a stone block found in excavations of the Lapis Niger, an ancient shrine in the Roman Forum, is one of the earliest Latin inscriptions in Rome. Since it is chronologically closer to the original borrowing of the Greek alphabet by peoples of Italy from Italian Greek colonies, such as Cumae, the lettering on the stone block is closer to Greek letters than any known Latin lettering. The inscription is also written boustrophedon — alternating between right to left and left to right. Many of the oldest Greek and Latin inscriptions are written in this style. The meaning of the inscription is unclear, as the beginning and end are missing, and only one-third to one-half of each line survives. However, it appears to dedicate the shrine to a king, and to level grave curses at anyone who dares disturb it.