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These writings are important not only for providing a bilingual text that allows us to use our knowledge of the Phoenician Language to read Etruscan , but provides evidence of Phoenician/Punic influence in the Western Mediterranean . This document helps to provide a context for Polybius 's report (''Hist.'' 3,22) of an ancient and almost unintelligible treaty between the Romans and the Carthaginians , which he dated to the Consul ships of L. Iunius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Collatinus ( 505 BC ).

It is now held at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia , Rome.


THE PHOENICIAN TEXT


::L-rbt l-‘štrt.
::To the lady Ishtar.

::’ŝr qdš ‘z, ‘š p‘l, w-’š ytn Tbry’ Wlnš mlk ‘l Kyšry’.
::This is the holy place, which was made, and which was donated by Tiberius Velianas who reigns over the Caerites.

::B-yrħ zbħ Šmš, b-mtn’ b-bt, wbn tw.
::During the month of the sacrifice to the Sun, as a gift in the temple, he built an aedicula.

::K-‘štrt ’rš b-dy l-mlky šnt šlš, b-yrħ Krr, b-ym qbr ’lm
::For Ishtar raised him with her hand to reign for three years in the month of Churvar, in the day of the burying of the divinity.

::W-šnt lm’š ’lm b-bty šnt km ħkkbm ‘l.
::And the years of the statue of the divinity in the temple be as many years as the stars above.

Since the Phoenician text has long been known to be a Semitic Language (related to such languages as Hebrew , Canaanite , Ugaritic , Arabic and Akkadian ), its decipherment was achieved very early. There is hardly any doubt concerning the values of the above words.


PHOENICIAN VOCABULARY


  • ’il-''' "god"

    • ::’rš, to raise

::’š, which, who, that {Link without Title}
  • ‘al-'''

  • ‘Aθtar-'''

    • ::‘ŝr, place

::‘z, this
  • bi-'''

  • bayt-'''

    • ::dy, hand

  • kabkab-'''

  • ka-'''

    • ::km, like, as

::Krr, Churvar month Etruscan <Χurvar>
::Kyšry’, Caerites people
  • la-'''

    • ::lm’š, statue

  • mlk'''

  • ytn''' 'to give'

  • p‘l'''

    • ::qbr, burial

::qdš, holy
::rbt, lady Akkadian ''rābu'' "grand, large"
  • θalāθ-'''

  • šamš-'''

    • ::šnt, years

::tw, aedicula
  • wa-'''

    • ::wbn, to build

  • yawm-'''

  • yarħ-'''

  • ytn'''

    • ::zbħ, sacrifice



THE ETRUSCAN TEXT


:First Plate:
::Ita tmia ica-c heramašva vat-ieχ-e Uni-al Astre-s, θem-iasa meχ θuta.
::That temple and these Hermes idols are dedicated to Uni-Astre, built by the clanspeople.

::Θefariei Velianas sal cluvenia-s tur-uc-e.
::Tiberius Velianas the pleasing aedicula has given.

::Muni-s ta-s θuva-s tamer-es ca ilacv-e tuler-as-e.
::That burial of his own by these priests with idols was encircled.

::Nac ci avil χurvar, tešiam-ei tal-e, ilacv-e alš-as-e.
::For three years the month of Churvar, with Her burnt offerings, with idols was buried.

::Nac atran-es zilac-al, sel-ei tala acnaš-ver-s.
::During the reign of the chief, in Her hand {Link without Title} would be brought forth (ie: Uni-Astre gave him authority to rule).

::Itan-i-m heramv-e, avil en-iac-a pulumχva.
::And with these Hermes idols, the year(s) shall endure as the stars.

:Second Plate:
::Nac Θefarie Veliiunas θam-uc-e cleva etan-al Masan tiur, Uni-as šel-ac-e.
::When Tiberius Velianas had built the statue of the sanctuary {Link without Title} the month of Masan, Uni was pleased.

::Vacal tmia-l avilχva-l am-uc-e pulumχva snuia-φ.
::The votives of the temple yearly have been as numerous as the stars.


ETRUSCAN VOCABULARY



:::Note 'Having ''brought forth'' (ie: gave birth) to five children, raised [them (TLE 887)
  • alš, to bury ( 'buried')

  • am, to be ( 'has been, had been')

    • ::: "He ''had been'' a chief of the Etruscan people." (ET Ta 7.59)

  • ‘Aθtareθ

  • atran, reign, rulership

    • ::avil, year ( 'of the years, yearly')

::ca, this ( 'this', 'and this')
::ci, three
  • cluvenia, aedicula ( 'of the aedicula')

  • Kurar

  • en, to last, endure ( 'shall endure')

    • :::<Śacnicleri cilθl, śpureri, meθlumeric, ''enaś''.> "By way of these sacred objects of the sanctuary, by the city and by the people, {Link without Title} ''endures''" ( LLZ , col 9, lines 12-13)

  • etan, sanctuary ( 'of the sanctuary')

  • heram(aš), Hermes idol ( 'with the Hermes idols', 'Hermes idols')

  • ila, idol (---ilacva 'idols', 'with idols')

    • ::meχ, people

::muni, burial, plot of land ( 'of the burial')
::nac, when, during, while
  • pulum, star ( 'stars', 'little star')

    • ::: ( Cippus Perusinus , lateral, lines 29-30)

:::<…''pulunza'' ipal sacnina tinia tei aθemeiś caś…> "…''the little star'' for which the sacred Tinia of the sky…" (CIE 6310)
::sal, pleasing
  • sel, hand ( 'with the hand')

  • snuia, many ( "as many")

    • :::<śnuiu-φ> "as many" ( LLZ , col 6, lines 1,2,4)

  • šel, to please (<šel-ac-e> 'has pleased')

    • ::ta, that ( 'that', 'and with that', 'of that', 'her', 'with her')

::tešiam, burnt offerings ( 'with burnt offerings')
:::<Śucic firin ''tesim''.> "And incense was burned as a ''burnt offering''" ( LLZ , col 7, lines 9-10)
::tmia, temple ( 'of the temple')

  • θem, to build (<θem-iasa> 'built', <θam-uc-e> 'has built')

    • ::θefariei, Tiberius male name

::θuta, clan
::θuva, oneself, (<θuva-s> 'one's own') <θu> 'one, single'
:::<Θuker akil tuś ''thuveś''.> "Thuker completed ''his own'' tomb." (TLE 672)
::Uni, Etruscan mother goddess of fertility ( 'of Uni') Latin < Iuno :>
::vacal, votive offering
::: "Upon the earth of the tomb ''a votive offering'' was dedicated." ( LLZ , col 5, lines 15-16)
  • vat, to dedicate ( 'to be dedicated')

    • ::Velianas, Velianas name .

::zilaχ, chief ( 'of the chief')
::: " living, [he ''had been chief''." (TLE 173)
:::<''Zilaχnce'' avil XI.> " {Link without Title} ''had been chief'' eleven years." (REE 40, n75)


SEE ALSO




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