There are more than a thousand known Roman inscriptions from Tarraco and the surrounding area. This represents almost 10 % of all the Roman inscriptions found on the entire Iberian Peninsula.

The oldest-known Roman inscription is dedicated to the goddess Minerva and dates from the first years of the founding of the city. It is found on one of the stone blocks used to build the

tower named after the same goddess, which forms part of the city

walls.

The most recent inscription that can still be considered "ancient" is on the funerary monument of Bishop Cebrià, who died shortly before the conquest of Tarragona by the Muslims (713-714).

Most of Tarraco's Roman inscriptions are from the first three centuries of the Imperial period. They are mainly funerary inscriptions (small undecorated memorial stones, funerary altars, sarcophagi, etc.) and honourary and monumental inscriptions to emperors, imperial officials, flamines and wealthy or well-respected citizens. A large amount of epigraphic material has also been preserved from the Late Antiquity, including more than thirty Early-Christian texts and fragments.

Some two hundred and fifty inscriptions have been lost to us and many of them we know only through transcriptions and drawings made since the 15th century. The inscriptions on display in this room of the museum are no more than a selection of the wealth of examples found in Tarraco.