Iguvine Tables

The Iguvine Tablets were a series of seven bronze tablets discovered at Iguvium, contemporary Gubbio, in Italy in the year 1444. They are also known as Eugubian tablets. The earliest tablets were probably written in the 3rd century BC in the native Umbrian alphabet, the latest in the 1st century BC in the Latin alphabet.

The tablets contain religious inscriptions that memorialize the acts and rites of the Atiedian Brethren, a group of 12 priests of Jupiter with important municipal functions at Iguvium. They are written in the Umbrian language, one of the Italic languages, a not-too-distant relative of Latin. They shed light on the grammar of this ancient dead language, and also on the religious practices of classical paganism. They appear to be written in an accentual metre, similar to the Saturnian metre that is encountered in the earliest Latin poetry. The complete text, together with a translation into Latin, was published in 1931 in a book by Albrecht von Blumenthal.

Here is a sample of their language and content, from Tablet I:

Dei Grabouie

orer ose persei ocre fisie pir

orto est

toteme Iouine arsmor dersecor

subator sent

pusei neip heritu.

Dei Grabouie

persei tuer perscler uaseto est

pesetomest peretomest

frosetomest daetomest

tuer perscler uirseto auirseto

uas est. . .

"Jupiter Grabovius, if on the Fisian mount fire has arisen, or if in the nation of Iguvium the owed preparations have been omitted, let it be as if they had been made."

"Jupiter Grabovius, if in your sacrifice there has been any flaw, any defect, any ritual violation, any fraud, any error, if in your sacrifice there is a flaw, either seen or unseen. . . "

Here is the entire text of Tablet VI:

teio subocau suboco

dei graboui

ocriper fisiu totaper iiouina

erer nomneper erar nomneper

fos sei pacer sei

ocre fisei tote iiouine

erer nomne erar nomne

arsie tio subocau suboco

dei grabouie

arsier frite tio subocau suboco

dei grabouie

di grabouie

tio esu bue peracrei pihaclu

ocreper fisiu totaper iiouina

irer nomneper erar nomneper

dei grabouie

orer ose persei ocre fisie pir orto est

toteme iouine arsmor dersecor subator sent

pusei neip heritu

dei crabouie

persei tuer perscler uaseto est

pesetomest peretomest

frosetomest daetomest

tuer perscler uirseto auirseto uas est

di grabouie

persei mersei esu bue peracrei

pihaclu pihafei

di grabouie

pihatu ocre fisiu pihatu tota iouina

di grabouie

pihatu ocrer fisier totar iouinar nome

nerf arsmo

veiro pequo

castruo frif

pihatu

futu fos pacer pase tua

ocre fisi tote iiouine

erer nomne erar nomne

di grabouie

saluo seritu ocre fisi

salua seritu tota iiouina

di grabouie

saluo seritu ocrer fisier totar

iiouinar nome

nerf arsmo

veiro pequo

castruo fri

salua seritu

futu fos pacer pase tua

ocre fisi tote iouine

erer nomne erar nomne

di grabouie

tio esu bue peracri pihaclu

ocreper fisiu totaper iouina

erer nomneper erar nomneper

di grabouie

tio subocau

The Tablets are housed in the Museo Civico in Gubbio, which is in the old judicial building and date from the 2nd century BC. They are written in an alphabet of Etruscan derivation.

Discovery

A farmer found the tablets in a field sometime in the medieval period (1441) and sold them to the city for 2 years worth of farming rights.The tablets speak of the town's organization, its boundaries and the religions and ceremonies that were celebrated there.

External links

• Text of Iguvine Tables with interlinear Latin translation and notes, by Francis W. Newman.
• Grammar of Oscan & Umbrian with inscriptions and glossary, by C.D. Buck.