Using the PBE I website: Introduction

This section of the website largely duplicates the information printed in the booklet that was originally enclosed with the PBE CD.   It explains how the information is organised and how best to access it for the kinds of information you require.

The Dataset Index Home Page

When using the PBE collection, you will frequently return to the Dataset Index Home Page.  Think of it as home-base -  from this page you are able to access all of the areas of the website:

The Dataset Index Home Page of PBE I (illustrated above) provides access to the data. Above the grid of gray boxes is a link to the mechanism by which you can look up a PBE person by his/her name. Below that one sees the twelve search topics (shown in gray boxes) organised as three columns.  Each topic heading is a link to a searchable index: to follow a link, and thereby access the index, simply move the mouse pointer over the desired heading - for example, Textual Sources - and click.   The twelve options are Textual Sources, Floruit, Variant Name, Seal Sources, Career Titles, Religions, Occupation, Locations, Ethnicity, Women, Eunuchs and Prominent Rulers.   The Dataset Index Home Page also contains three additional links (shown beneath the gray index link boxes) which will take you to the basic Help facility, and (below the grid of links) to two additional search options (the word search facility and a facility for PBE equivalents for PmbZ numbers. 

Throughout the collection, wine,  yellow, or blue underlined text denotes a link and clicking on such a link will bring up more information on a subject.  As you progress through the site, you will notice that links you have followed change colour after they have been used for the first time (from wine to mauve, yellow to cream, and from blue to purple).  This enables you to see which records you have accessed previously; but it does not alter the links in any way - they can be used as many times as you wish.  Note that the use of different colours for links is purely stylistic and conveys no special meaning.

The indexes

The screens accessed through the twelve indexes all share a common format. Across the top is a cross-banner with a purple background that contains either an alphabet, two-letter combinations within one letter or an alphabetic listing of terms from which to choose. Below this on the left is a pink area where the first results appear - either a list of PBE I identity names, or categories in alphabetical order with PBE I identity names listed beneath them. Pointing and clicking on one of the PBE I identity names in the left-hand area will produce the relevant biographical article in the third area, on the right with a white background.

The elements that make up a biographical entry for PBE I are as follows. Immediately beneath the identifying identity name, there are a series of tabular entries dealing with the sex of the individual, a floruit [given in the broad categories of 'Early', 'Middle' or 'Late' (or combinations) with the century written in Roman numerals], the first and last dates known [given as a three digit number of the Common Era] followed by the 'type' of the date in brackets ['n.' {for natus, born}, 'taq' {for terminus ante quem}, 'tpq' {terminus post quem}, 'c.' {circa}, or 'ob.' {obit}], and various other categories of information by which the data set is indexed if there is data present under those headings.  The information presented in the articles [the basic biographical accounts] is generally in the form of a piece of information followed by the source-citation. Where interpretation hinges on the Greek, the original source is quoted after the basic piece of information. Examples of this are: all titles, names of jobs, names of interpersonal relationships, anything that could be construed as a technical term.

Use the Help Index on the left to access additional Help resources, or use the Back button on your browser to return to the previous page.