[B-Greek] Jerusalem inscription

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Jun 29 22:22:29 EDT 2007


On Jun 29, 2007, at 9:38 PM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> I am wondering if I've got this inscription right and
> how to understand a few words.
>
> MHQENA ALLOGENH EISPOREUESQAI ENTOS TOU PERI TO IERON
> TRUFAKTOU KAI PERIBALOU OS D AN LHFQH EAUTWI AITIOS
> ESTAI DIA TO EXAKOLOUQEIN QANATON
>
> MHQENA: is this the same as MHDENA

Yes; I think it's Ionic dialect. Obviously it's based on MH(TE) +  
hENA as MHDENA is based on MHD(E) + hENA -- with the sense "not even  
one"

> Why ENTOS since POREUESQAI is prefixed with EIS?

because the area not to be penetrated -- the area that no foreigner  
is to enter -- is defined by its perimeter.

> Why the TOU with PERI?

TOU construes with TRUFAKTOU KAI PERIBALOU; PERI TO hIERON functions  
attributively to that genitive phrase which itself is appropriate  
with the preposition ENTOS

> What is TRUFAKTOU?

Your guess is as good as mine; are you sure the transcription is  
right? The Greek is ΤΡΥΦΑΚΤΟΥ? The Upsilon could be a  
spelling error for an Iota since both were pronounced the same; I  
halfway wonder whether that Tau might be a Pi. Might it perhaps be  
for TRIFRAKTOU? That might mean something like "triple wall."

> How do you parse LHFQH?

LHFQHi 3d sg. aor. pass. subj. of LAMBANW, here probably in the sense  
'get caught": I take this to mean something like: "If anybody gets  
caught (within the precinct) he will have only himself to blame  
because death is the consequence."

It might have been helpful if you'd told us where this inscription  
comes from; I don't think I've ever seen this before.


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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