The Corpus of Hittite Divinatory Texts (HDivT)

Digital Edition and Cultural Historical Analysis

Andrea Trameri (Hrsg.)

Citatio: Andrea Trameri (Hrsg.), hethiter.net/: CTH 581.22 (transcr. 2023-09-13; TRde 2024-08-07)


CTH 581.22

Letter of the King with reprimand against the augurs

transcriptio



Abschnitt 1ID=1: Address formula

1ID=1 --

[] []

[Thus (says) His Majesty, to]

Abschnitt 2ID=2: Summary: previous communications

2ID=2 --

[] TI₈MUŠENAdler:NOM.SG(UNM) ÍD?[ zilaw]anvon dieser Seite:ADV paitgehen:3SG.PST

[You have said/written that]1 an eagle (from) the riv[er …] flew [lengthwa]ys.

3ID=3 --

namma[š‑… per]anvor:ADV tuwavon weitem:ADV kušvom/im ungünstigen (Bereich):LUW.A/I(ABBR) pai[tgehen:3SG.PST ]

Then [it] flew in front far away from the unfavorable side.

4ID=4 --

na[mma=ašdann:CNJ=PPRO.3SG.C.NOM pa]riyawanvon jener Seite:ADV taru(Orakelterminus):ADV(ABBR) paitgehen:3SG.PST

Then, it flew diagonally taru(yali-).

5ID=5 --

šumeš=anihr:PPROa.2PL.NOM=PPRO.3SG.C.ACC parāaus-:PREV dāttennehmen:2PL.PST

You have tracked it down2

6ID=6 --

n=ašt[a]CONNn=OBPst ÍD‑anFluss:ACC.SG.C zaittenüberschreiten:2PL.IMP

and then you crossed the river.

7ID=7 --

apūnn=aer:DEM2/3.ACC.SG.C=CNJadd andahinein-:PREV dālieštenlassen:2PL.PST

But you let that escape3

8ID=8 --

namma=nna[š]noch:ADV=PPRO.1PL.ACC kiššanin dieser Weise:DEMadv ḫatrattenmitteilen:2PL.PST

and then you wrote as follows:

9ID=9 --

MUŠENḪI.A=wa=nnaš=kanVogel:NOM.SG(UNM)=QUOT=PPRO.1PL.ACC=OBPk;
Vogel:NOM.SG(UNM)=QUOT=PPRO.1PL.DAT=OBPk
warpilāērumkreisen:3PL.PST

“The birds enclosed(?) us,4

10ID=10 --

nu=wa=kanCONNn=QUOT=OBPk ÍDFluss:ACC.SG(UNM) apaddadort:DEMadv zaiwenüberschreiten:1PL.PST

and we crossed the river there”.

Abschnitt 3ID=3: Reprimand of the augurs

11ID=11 --

nuCONNn LÚ.MEŠMUŠEN.DÙ‑TIMVogelfänger:GEN.PL(UNM);
Vogelfänger:D/L.PL(UNM)
QA‑TAM‑MAebenso:ADV iššanzimachen:3PL.PRS.IMPF

Is it (normal) of augurs (that) they act as such,

12ID=12 --

n=aštaCONNn=OBPst ŠA ÍDFluss:GEN.SG MUŠENḪI.AVogel:NOM.PL(UNM) andahinein-:PREV dališkanz[i]lassen:3PL.PRS.IMPF

and (that) they keep letting river birds escape?5

13ID=13 --

mānwenn:CNJ A‑NA LÚ.MEŠMUŠEN.DÙVogelfänger:D/L.PL kuwapiirgendwo:INDadv ÍD?‑ašFluss:GEN.SG MUŠEN‑išVogel:NOM.SG.C kuedani(?)welcher:REL.D/L.SG pēdiPlatz:D/L.SG arāizzierheben:3SG.PRS

If somewhere a river bird (appears) to the augurs, in the place in which it takes flight,

14ID=14 --

n=anCONNn=PPRO.3SG.C.ACC Ú‑ULnicht:NEG apiya=patdort; damals:DEMadv=FOC ḫuškanziwarten:3PL.PRS.IMPF

won’t they linger waiting it exactly there?

15ID=15 --

šumeš=aihr:PPROa.2PL.NOM=CNJctr TI₈MUŠENAdler:ACC.SG(UNM) kuwatwarum?:INTadv Ú‑ULnicht:NEG ḫūškettenwarten:2PL.PST.IMPF

Instead, why did you not stay and wait (for) that eagle?

16ID=16 --

mān=aš=kanwenn:CNJ=PPRO.3SG.C.NOM=OBPk peranvor:ADV SIG₅‑azgute Seite (abl.):adv uetkommen:3SG.PST

(What) if it came in front from the favorable (side),

17ID=17 --

[naš]ma=man=ašoder:CNJ + zilawanvon dieser Seite:ADV SIG₅‑azgute Seite (abl.):adv [uet]kommen:3SG.PST

or perhaps it would have [come]6 lengthways from the favorable (side),

18ID=18 --

[m]ān=aš=kanwenn:CNJ=PPRO.3SG.C.NOM=OBPk ÍD‑anFluss:ACC.SG.C EGIR‑pawieder:ADV uetkommen:3SG.PST one blank line

or if it came (instead) behind the river?

Abschnitt 4ID=4: Decision

19ID=19 --

[nu=šm](?)CONNn=PPRO.2PL.DAT kāšaREF1:INDCL DUTU‑ŠI‚meine Sonne‘:NOM.SG(UNM)_PPRO.1SG.GEN [] ŠA TI₈MUŠENAdler:GEN.SG uttarWort; Sache:ACC.SG.N arḫaweg-:PREV daḫḫunnehmen:1SG.PST

Herewith I – My Majesty – have condoned you the matter of the eagle.

20ID=20 --

n[u]CONNn parā=pataus-:PREV=FOC [n]anništentreiben:2PL.IMP

Pull yourselves together,7

21ID=21 --

n=atCONNn=PPRO.3SG.N.ACC parāaußerdem:ADV [l]ēnicht!:NEG kuwapikkiirgendwo:INDadv iyattenimachen:2PL.PRS

nevermore go ahead (like this).8

22ID=22 --

mānwenn:CNJ Ú‑UL=manicht:NEG=CNJctr n=aštaCONNn=OBPst uwattenikommen:2PL.PRS IŠ‑TU SAG.DUḪI.A‑KU‑NUKopf:ABL;
Kopf:INS
paittanigehen:2PL.PRS

If not, you will be going to lose your heads.9

23ID=23 --

LÚ.MEŠkuršallēš(Kultfunktionär):NOM.PL.C QA‑TAM‑MAebenso:ADV iššanzimachen:3PL.PRS.IMPF

kuršalla-10 people act as such,

24ID=24 --

kuršališkanzisich benehmen kuršala-:3PL.PRS.IMPF kuiēšwelcher:REL.NOM.PL.C

(those) who keep being/behaving kuršali-.

25ID=25 --

nu=šmašCONNn=PPRO.3PL.DAT Ú‑ULnicht:NEG kattanunter-:PREV;
unten:ADV
SAG.DUMEŠ‑ŠU‑NUKopf:NOM.PL(UNM)_DEM2/3.GEN.PL kiantariliegen:3PL.PRS.MP

For those, have not their head rolled?

Abschnitt 5ID=5: Final instructions

26ID=26 --

kinun=ajetzt:DEMadv=CNJctr uwatauf!:INTJ uwatauf!:INTJ

And now, come (on), come (on)!11

27ID=27 --

maḫḫanwie:CNJ I‑NA ÍDmara+aššandaMaraš(š)anta:D/L.SG arteniankommen:2PL.PRS

As (soon as) you reach the river Maraššanda,

28ID=28 --

[n]u=ššanCONNn=OBPs ÍD=yaFluss:D/L.SG(UNM)=CNJadd kattanunter-:PREV;
unten:ADV
SIG₅‑andušgut:PTCP.ACC.PL.C [MUŠEN]I.AVogel:ACC.PL(UNM) daištensetzen:2PL.IMP

at the river, you will do your job12 (with the) favorable birds,

29ID=29 --

ÍD‑azz=iyaFluss:ABL=CNJadd šarāhinauf-:PREV;
hinauf:ADV
[SIG₅‑a]ndušgut:PTCP.ACC.PL.C MUŠENḪI.AVogel:ACC.PL(UNM) auštensehen:2PL.IMP

and from the river you will look up (at) the favorable birds.

30ID=30 --

[uwa]t(?)auf!:INTJ

[Come (on)!]

31ID=31 --

duwadduhalt ein:INTJ;
gnädig sein:2SG.IMP

Please!

32ID=32 --

ÍD‑ašFluss:NOM.SG.C mekkiviel:ADV nakkišwichtig:NOM.SG.C

The (matter of the) river is very important!

Abschnitt 6ID=6: Addendum for the scribe (fragmentary)

33ID=33 --

[UM‑MA]folgendermaßen:ADV DUTU‑ŠI=ma‚meine Sonne‘:NOM.SG(UNM)_PPRO.1SG.GEN=CNJctr

Thus (says) His Majesty:

34ID=34 --

A‑NA DUB.SARTontafelschreiber:D/L.SG [QÍ‑BÍ‑MA]sagen:2SG.IMP_CNJ

[Say] to the scribe:

35ID=35 --

uwatauf!:INTJ

Come (on)!

36ID=36 --

duwaddugnädig sein:2SG.IMP;
halt ein:INTJ

Please!

37ID=37 --

[ l]ēnicht!:NEG uppiškemi(her)schicken:1SG.PRS.IMPF

[] I will not keep sending …

38ID=38 --

[] [] []

[]

breaks off

Tentative, based on the letter’s content. The king is recalling a previous report received from the augurs.
lit. “taken”. The meaning of para da- here is quite unclear. Similarly Archi A. 1975e, 138, Marizza M. 2009a, 112 “l'avete individuata”. Unclear, in my view, the translation of Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 632: “Ihr … nahmt ihn fort”.
Kloekhorst A. 2008a, 817 lists the form as imp. 2 pl. act., but context suggests this is more likely a form of 2 pl. pret.
For warpilāēr ‘to enclose(?)’ see Kloekhorst A. 2008a, 967. Whatever the meaning of this form, which could be context-specific or idiomatic, the interpretation in CHD L-N, 2 seems incorrect: “they released for us the birds in/from the enclosure”. Who let the birds go? Here the subject is clearly the birds, as the front position in the sentence suggests by default. Also, the verb la- does not simply mean ‘let go’ (Hitt. tarna-), but ‘unbind’, from a physical bond (e.g. a rope: ‘untie, unlatch, detach’) or an ideal one (a sorcery, spell: ‘dispel’). In fact, in the few cases of birds set free in oracular context, KUB 18.12+ obv. 18 and perhaps KUB 5.24 II 34-35, the verb employed is tarna-. I would thus exclude that this passage suggests birds are let go “artificially” for the oracular observation, which is also implausible in context: the augurs are accused of failing the observation of a certain eagle, and explained that the birds did something which interrupted the observation, or forced them to move away from their location.
The meaning of the sentence is well conveyed as a rhethorical question (e.g. Marizza M. 2009a, 112), also in consideration of the following lines; likewise, Archi A. 1975e, 138 understood the statement as rhetoric: “Dunque gli auguri agiscono così, e quindi piantano in asso gli uccelli del fiume!”.
našma=man=aš, optative/irrealis.
para nannai- ‘drive straight ahead’ vel sim.; idiomatic.
I am not convinced of the interpretation by Sakuma Y. 2009b II, 634, that here the verb ‘to go’ points to the location where the augurs should carry out the next observation. The sentence is clearly connected to the previous: para nanništen … para lē iyatteni (note the usage of + PRS tense as negative imperative (prohibitive). The king intimates to the augurs to “straighten their path”, adding that they will not “keep going forward” (i.e. in this manner). The usage of =at must also be understood as phraseological.
The sentence is euphemistic, lit. “you will go (to) leave from your own heads”.
Archi A. 1975e, 138, tentatively ‘negligenti’; Sakuma Y. 2009b, II, 634 ‘Pflichtvergessene’.
Unclear. The form might be an IMP of we- ‘come’ (= uwat〈ten〉?). Otherwise, the usage as INTJ is clear both from its repetition as well as the usage infra (rev. 35´).
kattan dai- ‘(Dienst) verrichten, erledigen’ (Tischler J. 2001a, 159). Differently from Archi A. 1975e, 138, “disponete [uccelli] favorevoli”; Hagenbuchner A. 1989a, 38 “setzt die guten [Vög]el zum Fluss hinab”; Marizza M. 2009a, 112: ; “dovrete disporre [uccelli] favorevoli giù al fiume”. As pointed out in n. 4, also in this case it is not evident that birds are to be purposefully set free by the augurs.
Editio ultima: Textus 2023-09-13; Traductionis 2024-08-07