Tamassos bilinguals
4th-century BC pedestals with Cypriot-Phoenician inscriptions
| Tamassos bilinguals | |
|---|---|
 Tamassos bilingual 1 | |
| Material | Stone |
| Created | c. 363 BC |
| Discovered | 1885 Pera Orinis, Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Discovered by | Max Ohnefalsch-Richter |
| Present location | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Language | Phoenician |
The Tamassos bilinguals are a pair of bilingual CypriotโPhoenician inscriptions on stone pedestals found in 1885 in Tamassos, Cyprus. It has been dated to 363 BC.
It was discovered by Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, in excavations funded by Charles Watkins, Cyprus Director of the Imperial Ottoman Bank, and in conjunction with Colonel Falkland Warren, Chief Secretary of Cyprus. A subsequent legal battle broke out between Watkins and Warren regarding ownership of the excavated antiquities.
It is currently in the British Museum, with identification numbers BM 125321 and BM 125322. The Phoenician inscriptions are known as RรS 1212 (KAI 41) and RรS 1213.[1][2]
They were displayed at the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition,[3] and were acquired by the British Museum from Warren via antiquities dealer Rollin & Feuardent in 1892.
Inscription number 1
Sketch
Photograph
Inscription number 1
Inscription number 1 is an imported marble pedestal with a six line Phoenician inscription and a five line Cypriot inscription. The inscription is a statue dedication:
1
๐ค๐ค๐ค
sml
๐ค๐ค
สพz
๐ค๐ค
สพลก
๐ค๐ค๐ค
ytn
๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค
wyแนญn
๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค
sml สพz สพลก ytn wyแนญn
This statue has been given and erected
2
๐ค
สพ
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
mnแธฅm
๐ค๐ค
bn
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
bnแธฅdลก
๐ค๐ค
bn
๐ค๐ค
mn-
๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค
สพ mnแธฅm bn bnแธฅdลก bn mn-
by Menahem, son of Benhodesh, son of Men-
3
๐ค๐ค
-แธฅm
๐ค๐ค
bn
๐ค๐ค๐ค
สฟrq
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lสพdny
๐ค[๐ค๐ค]๐ค
l[rลก]p
๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค[๐ค๐ค]๐ค
-แธฅm bn สฟrq lสพdny l[rลก]p
-ahem, son of (i.e. from?) Arqa, to his lord, to [Reshe]p-
4
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
สพlyyt
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
byrแธฅ
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
สพtnm
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
bลกnt
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
สพlyyt byrแธฅ สพtnm bลกnt
'LYYT, in the month of Etanim, in year
5
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
ลกlลกm
๐ค
20
๐ค
10
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lmlk
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
mlkytn
๐ค๐ค๐ค
mlk
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค
ลกlลกm 20 10 lmlk mlkytn mlk
thirty (20+10) of king Milkyaton, king of
6
๐ค๐ค๐ค
kty
๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
wสพdyl
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
kmลกสฟ
๐ค๐ค
ql
๐ค
ยท
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
ytbrk
๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
kty wสพdyl kmลกสฟ ql ยท ytbrk
Kition and Idalion, because He heard his voice. May he be blessed!
The Cypriot text was first translated by M. D. Pierides.[3]
1
๐ ฐ๐
to-na
'
'
๐ ฏ๐ ฅ๐ ๐ ญ๐ ๐ ฐ๐
ti-ri-a-ta-ne
'
'
๐ ฐ๐
to-nu
'
'
๐ ๐ ฐ๐ ๐
e-to-ke-ne
๐ ฐ๐ ' ๐ ฏ๐ ฅ๐ ๐ ญ๐ ๐ ฐ๐ ' ๐ ฐ๐ ' ๐ ๐ ฐ๐ ๐
to-na ' ti-ri-a-ta-ne ' to-nu ' e-to-ke-ne
The statue that this is, dedicated
2
๐ ๐ ฉ
ka-se
'
'
๐ ๐ ๐ ฎ๐ ๐
o-no-te-ke-ne
'
'
๐ ๐ ๐ ฉ๐ ฉ
ma-na-se-se
๐ ๐ ฉ ' ๐ ๐ ๐ ฎ๐ ๐ ' ๐ ๐ ๐ ฉ๐ ฉ
ka-se ' o-no-te-ke-ne ' ma-na-se-se
and raised by Manasses,
3
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
o-no-ma-ni-o-ne
'
'
๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ฏ๐ ๐
to-i-ti-o-i
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ' ๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ฏ๐ ๐
o-no-ma-ni-o-ne ' to-i-ti-o-i
son of Nomenios, to the god
4
๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
to-i-a-pe-i-lo-ni
'
'
๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
to-i-e-le-i-
๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ' ๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
to-i-a-pe-i-lo-ni ' to-i-e-le-i-
Apollo Elei-
5
๐ ฐ๐
-to-i
'
'
๐ ๐ ฑ๐ ๐
i-tu-ka-i
๐ ฐ๐ ' ๐ ๐ ฑ๐ ๐
-to-i ' i-tu-ka-i
-tas, to good fortune.
Inscription number 2
Sketch
Photograph
Inscription number 2
Inscription number 2 is on a limestone pedestal, with a worn inscription. The inscription is a statue dedication to Reshef-Elenites (Apollo Alasiotes) by 'Abd-sasom on the 16th day of the 17th year of Milkyaton or Melekyaton, king of Kition and Idalion.
1
[๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
bymm
๐ค
10
๐ค
3
๐ค
3
๐ค
1
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lyrแธฅ
๐ค๐ค๐ค[๐ค
pสฟl[t
๐ค๐ค๐ค
bลกn-]
[๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค ๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค[๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค
bymm 10 3 3 1 lyrแธฅ pสฟl[t bลกn-]
On day 36 of the month of P'L[T, in ye]-
2
๐ค
-t
๐ค
3
๐ค
3
๐ค[๐ค]
[3]
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lmlk
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
mlkytn
[๐ค๐ค๐ค
[mlk
๐ค]
k-]
๐ค ๐ค ๐ค ๐ค[๐ค] ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค [๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค]
-t 3 3 [3] lmlk mlkytn [mlk k-]
-ar 9 (3+3+3) of king Milkyaton, [king of Ki-]
3
[...๐ค๐ค
-ty
๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
wสพdyl
[๐ค]๐ค๐ค
[s]ml
๐ค๐ค
สพz
[๐ค๐ค๐ค
[ytn...]
[...๐ค๐ค ๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค [๐ค]๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค [๐ค๐ค๐ค
-ty wสพdyl [s]ml สพz [ytn...]
-tion and Idalion, this statue [he dedicated...]
4
๐ค๐ค๐ค
...ssm
๐ค๐ค
bn
[๐ค]๐ค๐ค
[s]mสพ
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lสพdny
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
lrลกp
๐ค...
สพ-
๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค [๐ค]๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค...
...ssm bn [s]mสพ lสพdny lrลกp สพ-
...-sasom, son of (i.e. from?) Samos, is consecrated to his lord, to Reshep-'-
5
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
-lhyts
[...]
...
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
kลกmสฟ
๐ค
q-
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค [...] ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค ๐ค
-lhyts ... kลกmสฟ q-
-LHYTS ... for he heard (the) call-
6
๐ค๐ค
-rสพ
๐ค๐ค
ql
๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
ytbrk
๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค
-rสพ ql ytbrk
-ing of (the) voice. May he be blessed!
7
๐ ๐ ฏ๐ ฅ๐ ๐ ฉ
a-ti-ri-a-se
'
'
๐ ๐ ๐ ฐ
pi-nu-to
'
'
๐ ๐ ฐ
e-to-
๐ ๐ ฏ๐ ฅ๐ ๐ ฉ ' ๐ ๐ ๐ ฐ ' ๐ ๐ ฐ
a-ti-ri-a-se ' pi-nu-to ' e-to-
(The) prudent statue pre-
8
๐ ๐
-ke-ne
'
'
๐ ๐ ๐ จ๐ ซ๐ ๐ ฉ
a-pa-sa-so-mo-se
'
'
๐ ๐ จ
o-sa-
๐ ๐ ' ๐ ๐ ๐ จ๐ ซ๐ ๐ ฉ ' ๐ ๐ จ
-ke-ne ' a-pa-sa-so-mo-se ' o-sa-
-sented (by) Apsassomos, the Sa-
9
๐ ๐ ต๐ ฉ
-ma-wo-se
'
'
๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ก๐ ๐ ๐ ฐ๐
to-i-a-po-lo-ni-to-i
๐ ๐ ต๐ ฉ ' ๐ ฐ๐ ๐ ๐ ก๐ ๐ ๐ ฐ๐
-ma-wo-se ' to-i-a-po-lo-ni-to-i
-mian, to Apollo
10
๐ ๐ ๐ ช๐ ๐ ญ๐
a-la-si-o-ta-i
'
'
๐ ๐ ฑ๐ ๐
i-tu-ka-i
๐ ๐ ๐ ช๐ ๐ ญ๐ ' ๐ ๐ ฑ๐ ๐
a-la-si-o-ta-i ' i-tu-ka-i
Alasiotas, for luck.
Bibliography
- Given, M. (2001) The fight for the past: Watkins vs Warren (1885โ6) and the control of excavation. In: Tatton-Brown, V. (ed.) Cyprus in the 19th Century AD : Fact, Fancy and Fiction : Papers of the 22nd British Museum Classical Colloquium, December 1998. Oxbow Books: Oxford, pp. 244-249. ISBN 9781842170335
- J. Euting and W. Deecke, Zwei bilingue Inschriften aus Tamassos, Sitzungsberichte der Kรถniglich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1887, p. 115 โ 123
- A bilingual inscription (Phoenician and Kypriote). Recently discovered near the ancient town of Tamassos, Cyprus, during excavations carried out by Colonel Falk. Warren R A., Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology for December 1886 and January 1887.
- Berger Philippe. La seconde inscription bilingue de Tamassus. In: Comptes rendus des sรฉances de l'Acadรฉmie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 31แต annรฉe, N. 2, 1887. pp. 187-201. DOI: 10.3406/crai.1887.69318
See also
Notes
- ^ BM 125321
- ^ BM 125322
- ^ a b Letter from Professor Wright, 15 December, 1886; in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology: "Among the objects from Cyprus exhibited during the past summer at the Colonial Exhibition were two bilingual inscriptions, Phoenician and Cypriote, the property of Colonel F. Warren, R.A., who discovered them during his excavations at Frangissa... The longer and better preserved of these has been translated and published by the well known archaeologist M. D. Pierides, though without the Phoenician text... The smaller of Colonel Warren's two bilinguals is not nearly so well preserved, especially as regards the upper or Phoenician portion. I have sent a squeeze of it to Professor Euting, who will no doubt succeed in deciphering it with Dr. Deecke's help."
