New developments are making the Brepolis databases an increasingly cohesive research environment. This Autumn-Winter 2026 Newsletter highlights some of the most significant recent developments,
All Latin full-text databases now share a common data structure and user interface, facilitating more consistent searching and analysis across Library of Latin Texts (LLT), Archive of Celtic-Latin Literature (ACLL), Aristoteles Latinus Database (ALD) and Electronic Monumenta Germaniae Historica (eMGH). To mark this development, Brepolis has introduced an extended trial subscription (2027) at half price for selected Latin text databases, available to existing subscribers to the Library of Latin Texts (LLT).
Following earlier developments in the bibliographies, our encyclopaedic databases now also benefit from a new accessibility-compliant interface. Furthermore, the bibliographies continue to expand their citation coverage through the integration of citation data provided by the Perspecti plugin. These citation data are derived from Perspecti, a forthcoming database that is scheduled for launch in 2027.
The July 2026 update of the Library of Latin Texts (LLT) is now available, marking another major expansion of the corpus. This release adds over 3 million words, bringing the database’s total size to more than 173 million words. The update introduces 82 new works, 7 new editions of existing texts, and 2 expanded dossiers.
Late Antiquity: Theological Debates and Updated Editions
This update captures the intense doctrinal conflicts of the fourth and fifth centuries:
Doctrinal diversity is represented by the Homoian Commentarius in Iob, the Libri Adamantii Origenis aduersus haereticos, and Vigilius of Thapsus’ Contra Eutychetem.
Attempts at religious reconciliation can be found in Prosper of Aquitaine’s De uocatione omnium gentium and the correspondence of Pope Pelagius I.
Older texts (mostly from the Patrologia Latina) have been replaced with modern scholarly editions, including treatises by Augustine of Hippo, three funeral orations by Ambrose of Milan, and the Carmen ad Flauium Felicem.
Middle Ages: Encyclopaedism, Science, and Reform
Encyclopaedic writing remains an central focus, featuring Bartholomew of Urbino’s monumental Milleloquium diui Ambrosii (over 1,000 excerpts from Ambrose) and Bartholomew the Englishman’s De proprietatibus rerum.
In the natural sciences, the transmission of Arabic and Hebrew knowledge into Latin Europe is illustrated by Al-Nayrīzī’s commentary on Euclid (tr. Gerard of Cremona) and Abraham bar Ḥiyya’s Liber embadorum (tr. Plato of Tivoli). This material is complemented by several treatises on computus (calendar calculation) by Johannes de Sacrobosco and others.
Texts on (moral) theology include Alan of Lille’s Liber paenitentialis, Radulfus Ardens’ complete Speculum uniuersale, and Geert Grote’s extensive Epistularium (Devotio moderna).
Scholastic thought is expanded through the inclusion of James of Eltville’s Lectura in libros Sententiarum and Heymeric de Campo’s Tractatus de formis intentionalibus.
Ecclesiastical controversies continued throughout the Middle Ages, with Ratramnus of Corbie’s ninth-century Liber de anima ad Odonem Bellouacensem and John of Segovia’s Council of Basel defense of the Immaculate Conception.
Neo-Latin: Reformation, Politics, and Modern Poetry
The religious and political polemics that marked the Humanist era are represented by Ulrich von Hutten’s anti-Erasmian Expostulatio, Melanchthon’s Confessio Augustana uariata, and Francesco Filelfo’s Commentationes Florentinae de exilio.
Historiography and political thought intersect in Hugo Grotius’ chronicle of the Dutch Revolt, Annales de rebus Belgicis. Treatises defending the divine right of kings by Claude Saumaise and John Rowland further illustrate the political uses of Latin.
The nineteenth- and twentieth-century engagement with the classical tradition is showcased in the poetry of Giovanni Pascoli.
Improvements to Existing Dossiers
The Library of Latin Texts continues to undergo targeted refinements. This release reorganizes the dossier for Ambrosiaster’s Commentary on the Pauline Epistles and introduces several new biographical entries for historical figures.
With BREPOLiS Latin, the rich heritage of Latin literature—from the earliest literary compositions to contemporary writings—is right at your fingertips. Today, we are pleased to announce a significant milestone: a major update to three of our key Latin full-text databases—the Archive of Celtic-Latin Literature (ACLL), the Aristoteles Latinus Database (ALD), and the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (eMGH).
These databases now benefit from a fundamentally improved data structure and a more intuitive, user-friendly interface, bringing them in line with the powerful environment already available in the Library of Latin Texts (LLT). These enhancements ensure greater accessibility, more efficient research, and a seamless user experience across platforms.
Extended Trial Offer: 16 months of access for the price of 6
To celebrate these updates, we are delighted to introduce an exclusive extended trial offer for 2026–2027.
Subscribers to LLT /LLT+ can activate an extended trial to these databases as early as September 1st 2026 through the end of 2027 at a price approximately 50% lower than the default subscription rate:
LLT subscribers can upgrade to LLT+ (including the Database of Latin Dictionaries), combine LLT with ACLL, ALD, or eMGH, or opt for the full BREPOLiS Latin cluster (including ACLL, ALD, eMGH, and DLD).
LLT+ subscribers can expand their access by adding any combination of ACLL, ALD, or eMGH, or by upgrading to BREPOLiS Latin.
Complimentary Access to the Cross-Database Searchtool
As an additional benefit, all participants in this offer will receive free access throughout 2027 to the Cross-Database Searchtool (CDS). This powerful interface enables simultaneous searching across LLT, ALD, ACLL, and eMGH, significantly enhancing research efficiency.
Normally, the CDS requires an additional subscription except for the subscribers to the BREPOLiS Latin bundle. Free access only applies to the Latin Full-Text databases you subscribe to.
Learn More
For a detailed overview of the offer and the new interfaces, we invite you to consult our brochure: [Download the PDF leaflet]
For further information or to discuss your subscription options, please contact us at: brepolis@brepols.net
Important Information
This special offer is available exclusively to institutional customers and applies only to new subscriptions (renewals are not eligible). From 2028 onward, default subscription rates will apply for any continued access.
The MARC records for our Latin full-text databases – the Library of Latin Texts (LLT), the Archive of Celtic Latin Literature (ACLL), the Aristoteles Latinus Database (ALD), and the Electronic Monumenta Germaniae Historica (eMGH) – are now available for download directly from the databases.
As a result, the old Marc Records application will soon be removed from the BREPOLiS website.
As we have recently completed the data restructure of all four of these databases (see our previous blog post for more info), new sets of MARC records have been created to replace all previous ones. Institutional subscribers should update the links in their library catalogue accordingly if they haven’t done so already.
The new MARC records are available for download directly from the databases under the menu item “MORE” > “MARC”.
The Marc records for the online database Sources Chrétiennes Online (SCO) had already been available for download in the database itself under the menu item “More” > “Marc records”. A new set of Marc records for SCO will become available for download as soon as the SCO has received a new interface and data structure (scheduled for this spring).
The Library of Latin Texts (LLT) has been updated. After the database’s major overhaul earlier this year, a second content update has been completed. The addition of 42 new works brings the total number of words in the database to over 170 million.
For a detailed list of the texts added to the database, click here (PDF file).
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)
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:
