Exploring ancient Greek and Roman numeracy.

This article outlines the general aims of my current research on numeracy in ancient Greece and Rome. I survey the available evidence, which is both textual and archaeological, and briefly discuss some of the main questions which will guide my exploration of this wide field. I conclude by presenting the results of some preliminary examination of two case-studies: account inscriptions from fifth- and fourth-century BC Athens, and accounts in the late Roman Republic, through the eyes of Cicero. The article is a slightly modified version of a talk presented at Gresham College May 2011 as part of the BSHM day on Early Mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]