The Patrologia Orientalis Database(POD) has been updated. This year’s update includes the Syriac Anaphora of St Basil (ed. Erich Renhart; PO 256) and homilies IX-XII from the Geʽez translation of the Kitāb al-Īḍāḥ (ed. Tedros Abraha; PO 257).
The POD is the online version of the famous collection of patristic texts from the Christian East, including works, recorded in non-Latin languages, that come from geographical, cultural, or religious contexts somehow linked to Rome or the Eastern Roman Empire.
In his recent article, Charles Guérin, “L’Année philologique, une source pour l’histoire de la philologie ? — L’exemple de Sénèque le Père,” the author demonstrates how a bibliography can be used in innovative and unexpected ways. The article is available here: https://books.openedition.org/irht/1287.
We are pleased to highlight this study, which offers a compelling example of how bibliographic resources can serve not only as discovery tools but also as sources for analytical and historical research. Thanks to the bibliometric features developed by Brepols, L’Année Philologique can be approached in a different light. Rather than simply locating publications on a given topic, the database can be read “in reverse”: mined as a dataset that reveals long-term shifts in classical scholarship and, more broadly, the evolving history of philology.
The bibliometric module is accessible directly from the search interface of the BREPOLiS bibliographies (L’Année Philologique, International Medieval Bibliography, Bibliographie de Civilisation Médiévale, International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance, Bibliography of British and Irish History and Index Religiosus) via the dedicated “Bibliometrics” tab.
view of the interface of L’Année Philologique featuring the Bibliometric Module
You have also access to the Bibliometric information from the record view:
view of a bibliographic record of L’Année Philologique
As BREPOLiS marks its 25th anniversary, we are pleased to announce a range of exciting enhancements to our online databases. From a completely redesigned interface for the Library of Latin Texts to enhanced accessibility and search functionalities in our bibliographic databases, the platform continues to evolve to meet the needs of scholars worldwide.
Highlights include:
A new data model and interface for Latin databases
The launch of the Perspecti Citation Plugin for bibliographies
Accessibility upgrades across all platforms
A special extended trial subscription offer for institutions starting in autumn 2025
By introducing new features and continuously enhancing its functionalities, BREPOLiS remains a trusted gateway to high-quality research tools. Download the Newsletter here (PDF, 4 pages)
Each month, we shine a spotlight on a specific research area, in parallel with our main website, www.brepols.net. This month’s focus is History of Science.
How can BREPOLiS databases support scholars interested in History of Science? Our bibliographies offer a comprehensive overview of literature related to the History of Science. Publications on the History of Science in Classical Antiquity are covered by L’Année Philologique, while the Medieval & Early Modern periods History are respectively covered by the International Medieval Bibliography and the International Bibiliography of Humanism and the Renaissance. The Bibliography of British and Irish History is also an excellent resource for research in this field.
How to count the number of publications related to History of Science in our Bibliographies?
Thanks to their new interface, along with solid indexing and a well-structured data model, it’s easy to isolate publications devoted to the History of Science. Let’s take a look at how it works in the International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance. To find bibliographical records dealing with History of Science, first select ‘Subject Tree’ as search field (1) and click on ‘Scienceand Medicine’(2). The number of records (7,543) will be displayed in the search button (3).
Please note that the subject tree allows you to search for more specific topics like Mathematics and Astronomy:
Another way to search for the publications related to the History of Science in the International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance is by using the ‘Themed Search‘ filter (4). This allows you to combine your search for History of Science (Science + Technology) with a specific geographical area and a century (5).
For instance, you can search for the bibliographical records dealing with Science or Technology in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries (6).
Please note that BREPOLiS other bibliographies also cover the ‘History of Science’:
Database
Search terms
# bibliographical records
L’Année Philologique
‘Science and Technology’
32,766 (sept 2025)
International Medieval Bibliography
‘Science and Medecine’
9,569 (sept 2025)
Bibliographie de Civilisation médiévales
‘Science and Medecine’
1,275 (sept 2025)
International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance
TheSources Chrétiennes Online (SCO) database has been updated. Close to catching up with the long-running Sources Chrétiennes edition project, the database now provides source texts and French translations from 615 printed volumes. The latest update includes, among others, Cyril of Alexandria’s Festal Letters 26-30, the Apology of Aristides, and Saint Ambrose’s Letters 70-77. For the first time, the French translations of Syriac sources, such as Dadishoʿ Qaṭraya’s Commentary on the Paradise of the Fathers, are included; they will soon be supplemented by the edited Syriac text.
We look forward to meeting you at the 2025 Charleston Conference (November, 3-7). Please visit our booth (19) during the Vendor Day and learn more about our latest updates and our special offer on all BREPOLiS databases (subscribe now and get up to 16 months for the price of 6 -> more information here).
To mark the 25th anniversary of the launch of our first online database, we are pleased to announce an extended one-year trial subscription at half price, available from September 2025 through the end 2026. Start your subscription in September, pay for just 6 months, and enjoy 16 months of full access !
This offer is limited to new subscriptions and does not apply to renewals of current subscriptions.
On 18 July, the Library of Latin Texts received its first biannual content update of 2025. With 23 new texts added, the world’s leading database of literary Latin now offers access to over 167 million words. Notable additions include Vincent of Beauvais’ Speculum naturale and Bartholomew of Urbino’s Milleloquium veritatis sancti Augustini. Read more about this update in the LLT’s ‘Manual’.
In the previous blogpost, we explained why we introduced the lexicological resources that make searching the LLT and investigating individual word-forms more versatile. Today, we are excited to share another major enhancement: the addition of a taxonomical tree, – a structured classification system that helps users navigate Latin literature through meaningful categories.
Why Taxonomy Matters
As the Library of Latin Texts continues to grow, so does the need for structure. To help users explore the corpus more effectively, we have introduced a set of four filters that allow texts to be grouped by shared characteristics. They are:
Style;
Genre;
Topic;
Area of origin.
While assigning these characteristics is not an exact science, we believe the benefits of this structured approach far outweigh the occasional ambiguity. We have tried to use self-explanatory labels across the application; the explanations in the manual of the LLT clarify each category’s meaning and intention.
Style: Prose, Verse, or Both?
The style category allows you to distinguish between texts:
In prose;
In verse, or;
In a mixed form (e.g. prosimetra such as Seneca’s Apocolocyntosis).
Genre: What Type of Text?
Each text is assigned a single genre, regardless of its time period or cultural background. While we have tried to use self-explanatory labels, we refer to the Manual of the application in case any of the categories turns out to be unclear.
An important principle we adhere to is that a work’s genre should always be considered in conjunction with its style. This explains why an epic poem such as the Aeneid will be classified under the genre ‘Narrative texts’, its poetic nature already being covered by the style ‘Verse’.
Topic: What Does the Text Talk About?
Texts in the LLT can be tagged with one or more topics. The list of potential topics has been limited to about ten items, enabling us to classify all texts into a number of broad categories.
Texts can be tagged with multiple topics, offering a nuanced view of their content. A broad encyclopaedic work such as Vincent of Beauvais’ Speculum doctrinale will therefore be classified under a number of topics.
Area of Origin: A Modern Map for (Ancient) Texts
Given the LLT’s vast chronological scope, we opted to use modern geographical boundaries rather than the historical boundaries of one particular period to define areas of origin. So, for example, rather than placing Gregory of Tours’ Historiarum libri X in Gaul or in the Merovingian Kingdom, we assigned France as its area of origin.
Staying Consistent
For reasons of consistency, we have assigned texts written by the same author to a single area, at least to the extent that is scientifically defensible. This means that, e.g., Saint Augustine’s works are all assigned to North Africa, even though some are known to have been composed elsewhere. In any case, they are the product of a North African author.
Translations: A Special Case
In the case of (literal or at least faithful) translations, the area of origin remains that of the original text, because this is the origin of the ideas expressed in it and of the topics that can be found in it. This makes sure that, for example, the various translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are all classified under ‘Eastern Mediterranean and Near East’ (a category comprising Greece).
Where Can You Find the Taxonomy?
The new categories are integrated throughout the Library of Latin Texts to help you explore the collection more easily and meaningfully. Here is where you will encounter them.
On the Search Screen
Here, you can use the taxonomy to create a custom corpus, i.e. a tailored selection of texts that match your research interest. For example, you can look for the lemma categoria only in philosophical texts:
Next To the Search Results
Viewing the Distribution By Category
After you have searched for a term or phrase, the left column displays the distribution of the search results across the taxonomy. This allows you to discover that, for example, induperator and its various cases, traditionally called ‘poetic’ forms, do not occur exclusively in verse texts:
If you focus specifically on the occurrences of induperator* in prose texts, you will see that they mostly concern texts classified under ‘Linguistics and literature studies’, i.e. grammatical texts or commentaries on literary works:
Using the Categories As Filters
As pointed out above for the induperator case, you can use the categories to filter your search results in order to limit them to the results relevant to your question. For example, having searched for iusiurandum, you can then limit the results to ‘Acts and official documents’ talking about ‘Law and institutions’. This will only leave official legal documents, such as the Digesta or Codex Iustinianus:
In the List of Works
Here, you can limit the works listed to those corresponding to a specific category. For example, you might only be interested in ‘Narrative texts’ on ‘Biography and hagiography’ from the eleventh to the twelfth centuries:
On Each Work Record
The categories appear alongside each work, offering helpful background information. This is particularly useful in cases where the title does not immediately clarify the contents of the work. For example, the Zebedides of Christan of Lilienfeld is an epic poem on James, the son of Zebedee, but its nature might not be obvious from the title:
This is also where the fact that we can assign multiple topics to a single work comes in. For example, Vincent of Beauvais’ Speculum doctrinale, an encyclopaedic work, covers a wide range of topics:
A Work in Progress
At the CTLO, we recognize that categorization is inherently interpretive. Some texts defy easy classification, and some choices may be open to debate. Still, we believe this taxonomy provides a powerful tool for discovery, research, and teaching.
We invite you to explore the updated Library of Latin Texts and see how these new filters can enrich your journey through two millennia of Latin literature. Your feedback is invaluable to us; please share your thoughts via the ‘Feedback’ option in the interface, and help us continuing improving the LLT.
Today, July 10th, Brepols and the CTLO are proud to announce that the completely revamped interface of the Library of Latin Texts (LLT)—the world’s largest database of Latin literary texts—is now the default setting.
This launch marks the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul of the BREPOLiS Latin databases, designed to enhance your interaction with Latin literature throughout the ages.
View of the new LLT interface
For more details about the new Library of Latin Texts interface, feel free to explore our previous blog posts. We’ve covered its features, benefits, and new data structure:
