The Lamb Tablet

KN Db 1232

Scribe 117

.1  OVIS:m 23 ,  OVIS:f  27

.2  NA-PU-TI-JO  /  ti-ri-to , pe-ri-qo-ro-jo**

1. na-pu-ti-jo | νηπύτιο(ς) (neputios) | a small child; childish
2. OVIS:f | sheep: female; ewes
3. OVIS:m | sheep: male; rams
4. pe-ri-qo-ro-jo** | *περιχωρόζω (perikhorozo) | *to be round about a place, to dance or to caper about, to be among < περίχωρος (perikhoro“round about a place” + -ζω “to be”
5. ti-ri-to | τρί(σ)το (tristos) | three
6. ti-ri-to | τρίτος (tritos) | third

.1  rams 23, ewes 27

• 23 rams, 27 ewes

.2  νηπύτιο  / τρίτο  *περιχωρόζω

• three lambs capering about or three lambs among

Translation: three lambs among 23 rams and 27 ewes

Notes:  Lambs are often born during the third month, around the commencement  of  Aries (the Ram).   Cf. Τριτο-γένεια, an epithet for Athena that has been interpreted as either “born on the third day” or “born as the third child”.

** SMII clearly shows pe-ri-qo-ro-jo, whereas The Knossos Tablets [4th ed.] includes the following note: “pe-ri-qo-te-jo possibly over erasure”.  Nevertheless, the transcription of pe-ri-qo-te-jo is consistent with the syntax in similar, sheep tablets, inscribed by hand 117.  Thus far, there is no obvious translation for pe-ri-qo-te-jo.   Is pe-re-qo-te-jo correct, or did hand 117 mis-scribe ‘te’ for ‘ro’?  I’m not wholly satisfied with this decipherment but will allow it to stand for now. (05.27.23)

Reference:

1. Athena. Greek Family History. 2011. Ret. on 27 Sep 2014 <theoi.com>.
2. Chadwick, J., J.T. Killen, and J.-P. Olivier. 1971, The Knossos Tablets: A Transliteration [4th ed.], Cambridge University Press, pg. 73.

Updated on September 27, 2014 * May 27, 2023