An artificial intelligence system has revealed fresh details about one of the most famous Latin inscriptions: the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, once inscribed on two bronze pillars in Rome and in copies throughout the Roman Empire.
Researchers used an AI system called Aeneas to analyze the supposedly autobiographical inscription, which translates to “Deeds of the Divine Augustus.” When compared with other Latin texts, the RGDA inscription (as it is known) shares subtle language parallels with Roman legal documents and reflects “imperial political discourse,” or messaging focused on maintaining imperial power — an insight not previously noted by human historians, researchers report July 23 in Nature.