It is standard practice to use abbreviations for ancient authors and their works, the purpose of which is to save us time and space. For example, instead of having to write:
Demosthenes On the False Embassy, section 34
we can write:
D.19,34
Abbreviations to classical sources you will find in the footnotes of every book or article that you read. This is why the ability to decipher them (namely, to be able to identify the author, work and specific passage indicated by the abbreviation) is a particularly useful skill. The most established abbreviation systems are the following:
1. Following the Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon, 9th edition, for Greek authors.
Following the Oxford Latin Dictionary for Roman authors
Following the Patristic Lexicon of Lampe for Byzantine authors.
Each one of them has a list of authors at the beginning with abbreviations to the author’s name and works. For example:
If you go to the Liddell-Scott and find Xenophon you will notice that next to his name there is an abbreviation in square brackets [X.]. Below his name there is a list of his works with abbreviations, like Ages. = Agesilaus. Therefore, if you want to refer to Xenophon’s Agesilaus, section 5, all you need to write is X. Ages. 5.
This abbreviation system is concise and preferred by European scholars.
2. Following the Oxford Classical Dictionary (OCD), 2nd or 3rd edition for Greek and Roman authors. The abbreviations of the OCD tend to be longer, and perhaps easier to understand for someone who is not very familiar with the whole system. This system is generally preferred by American scholars and journals.
Either system is perfectly
acceptable, provided that one is consistent.
Once you have understood how the abbreviation system works you will be able to abbreviate classical authors in the body or footnotes of your essay or dissertation by choosing one of the recommended systems above. This will save you space, and time once you are familiar with the system. Moreover it will add a professional touch to your essay. This is why an effort to become familiar with the abbreviation systems, or at least one of them, is highly recommended.
Bibliographical references:
1. Books:
Author Title, Place and Date of Publication, page
E.g. MacDowell, D.M. The law in Classical Athens, London 1978, p.123.
2. Journals:
Author, Title of Article in inverted commas, Title of Journal, Number of Volume, Year, pages.
E.g. Kapparis, K. ‘Assessors of magistrates (Paredroi) in classical Athens’ Historia 47 (1998) 383-93.