Talk:Liber Linteus

Unwitting
Are experts sure about the unwittingness? I read something about the possibility of the person being of Etruscan ancestry. -- Error 04:29, 12 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Links
I removed the link http://www.maravot.com/Translation_Zagreb_Mummy.html for the site does not contain any worthwhile information. The translation is based on Etruscan being an Indo-European tongue, which is manifestly is not. Also, the translation makes the text into some kind of religious poem, which again is unlikely. The actual contents are likely to be along to lines of:

"March. ...on the eighteenth day sacrifice a calf to the great and holy Tinia, for the sake of the people and the city; on the twentieth day sacrifice two unblemished goats to great Nefluns, for the king and his family; on the twenty-fourth day..."

Oswax 15:04, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Etruscan (RASENIAN) language was Indo-European and not Semitic, Coptic or Hebrew... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.58.53.252 (talk) 11:37, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

Picture request
A drawing would be enough.

Curious phrasing
Can anyone shed some light for me on what the emphasized phrasing means: "He often told his visitors that it was the body of King Stephen of Hungary's sister and it was not meaningless what he said, although obtained only as a oral tradition." It's weird and doesn't seem to make sense to me somehow. Atypicaloracle (talk) 13:48, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

I totally agree on this, its a weird thing to say and in a strange context (talk)

Translation
The translation of the formula : "śacnistres cilthś śpureśtreśc enaś" given by user Corey Goranson is totally phantastic. This formula recurs very often followed (after some words concerning timing) by the other : "ŝacnicleri  cilthl  śpureri methlumeric enaś". Now these two are certainly related to the ritual action described in the text.

Śacnistreś and śacnicleri are both words created by adding suffixes to the root word śacni which may only mean sacred, consacrated, holy etc. The first one may mean sacred brotherhood or simply sacerdotes, priests. Cilth may mean temple (or city, nation, arx) but it is uncertain. Śpurestreś is likewise formed on from śpura which certainly means city, thence means citizens. The second formula clarifies the meaning of the first in adding methlumeric, inflected form of methlum which certainly means the region and its people, just as touta in Osco-Umbrian, thence the second formula means : "for the sanctuaries of the cilth, the towns and the toutas". The discussion of enaś would be too uncertain but at this point is irrelevant to prove Goranson's translation a figment of his/her imagination. I doubt anybody dared write such things on a paper too. Cf. the review of van der Meer 's book by McTurfa and Becksmith online and also Wylin's book on the Etruscan verb available at googlebooks.Aldrasto11 (talk) 10:11, 6 January 2012 (UTC)


 * The translation given for that passage is that of van de Meer, a major scholar on Etruscan. I agree that it has now been superseded, but it is (or was at the time proposed) hardly 'phantastic'! Johundhar (talk) 05:00, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

There is now another scholarly work on the LL by V. Belfiore, Rome, 2010. It has been reviewed by van der Meer on the BMCR, available online. It contains very informative remarks.Aldrasto11 (talk) 11:40, 5 February 2012 (UTC)


 * And this here's the pdf review of van der Meer's own work on the LL. We can cite it, especially p. 3, which seems to deal with at least one of the phrases in question. In the circumstances, I'd just cut out the omniglot-sourced (?) citation and translation, and go with der Meer, via the pdf if we must. Haploidavey (talk) 15:55, 7 February 2012 (UTC)


 * I've removed the dubious translation and the cited blog-link. We don't use blogs as sources. Haploidavey (talk) 16:22, 7 February 2012 (UTC)


 * An IP editor has twice added what seems to be their own version, based on a blog. Their material's contentious and seems to go against scholarly consensus in reliable, published scholarly sources. I've reverted. Haploidavey (talk) 11:08, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

linen to Egypt via Rome?
I wonder how these linen wrappings came to be in Egypt? At the time Etruria was very much under the Roman boot. I wonder if they were spoils of war (Roman versus Etruria) and then somehow got to Egypt as a consignement essentially of waste rags. 203.217.59.229 (talk) 01:09, 16 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I read somewhere (sorry, don't have the reference at hand, right now--I'll try to track it down) that some think the Etruscans probably fled to Egypt to escape the Romans, then at some point a (presumably) non-Etruscan Egyptian acquired it somehow and used it for a mummy wrapping.Johundhar (talk) 18:25, 10 July 2022 (UTC)

The text and partial translation
I have hidden this section added by user @Johundhar. Its length surpasses any reasonable limit being basically a dissertation on every line and every word of the manuscript and not an encyclopedic article. Moreover, I suspect a possible copyright violation from ''L. B. van der Meer. Liber linteus zagrabiensis. The Linen Book of Zagreb. A Comment on the Longest Etruscan Text''. I didn't tag the section as a copyvio hoping that someone (Johundhar?) could paraphrase the essentials in two or three paragraphs. — 2dk (talk) 22:49, 24 October 2022 (UTC)
 * OK, I'll work on it.Johundhar (talk) 01:14, 25 October 2022 (UTC)


 * OK, I gave it a shot. Please look it over and give feedback, if you would. Is that something along the lines you were thinking of? Is it still too detailed. Also, I notice that in other articles involving texts, they often include a sample of the text with a translation (if available). My "dissertation" started with something like that, but I got a bit carried away ([embarrassed face] it is a very intriguing text, though!). How much, if any, of such textual material can or should be presented in transliteration. I noticed that LL was first transliterated over 100 years ago. If that transliteration is used, can more be included? Or is that kind of detail of a long text just not done here? Thanks for any guidance you see fit to give on this.Johundhar (talk) 06:16, 25 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Well they left it out, although they might not have seen your comment since you didn't use u, re, or ping to poke the automated messaging system. In any case, no, they shouldn't've commented out so much of the article. If they didn't want to move it to Wikisource, it should've been parked here, parked on a subpage like Liber Linteus/Text, or put into a visible but collapsed section. Shouldn't this all be using actual Etruscan letters now that they're in Unicode? —  Llywelyn II   13:26, 13 August 2023 (UTC)

{{blockquote|

The text and partial translation
The Greek character χ = kh (aspirated k), θ = th (aspirated t), and ϕ = ph(aspirated p). The form ś was probably a distinct sibilant (s-like sound) from s, probably the sound of English "sh" /ʃ/. Because the text was torn up to make mummy wrappings, each column got divided into strips, represented here (following van der Meer and others) with capital letters A, B, C etc. The E strip is missing in all the columns. Elements in [square brackets] are missing or reconstructed (mostly based on parallels elsewhere in the text).

Column 1
The first column is badly damaged, with just the words at the end of some lines legible from the fourth (D) strip:
 * 1 [...zi]χri . epa . fira
 * 2 [...]. versum . spanza
 * 3 [...] etraśa.
 * 4 [...] ziχri . cn . θunt
 * 5 [...]uχtiθur

Notes: The form ziχ-ri in lines 1 and 4 is from a well attested root ziχ "to write," with the necessitive ending -ri yielding "has to be written." Van der Meer tentatively proposes that ''epa. fira are nouns in asyndetic coordination starting a new clause or sentence, meaning "the meal and the funerary symposium (in the sense "drinking ceremony")," taking epa to be related to Latin epulum'' "feast, banquet." In line 2, spanza seems to be a diminutive of a well attested word for "vase" or "dish" spant-. In line 4, cn is the accusative of ca "this" so not part of the clause with the immediately preceding ziχri "must be written." The form θu-n-t seems to be a -t participle of a verb θu-n- "to be first," itself from the well attested word for "one" θu. Together, cn θunt may be an accusative temporal clause meaning "during the first daylight." The other words are otherwise unknown or of uncertain meaning.

Column 2
The B, E and F strips are missing.

A
 * n1 [...] śacnistreś
 * n2 cilθś . śpureśtreśc . ena ś . eθrse . tinśi
 * n3 tiurim . avilś . χiś . cisum . pute . tul. θansur
 * n4 haθrθi . repinθic . śacnicleri . cilθl
 * n5 śpureri . meθlumeric . ena ś . suθ . raχti

Notes: The phrase śacnicstreś cilθś śpureśtreśc enaś (2A 1–2) is discussed above under Content. It is repeated with a slight variation in lines 4-5 ''śacnicleri. cilθl'' / ''śpureri. meθlumeric. enaś'', and both variations recur throughout the text. The sequence from eθrse in 2.n2 to enaś in 2.n5 is repeated in Column 2 strip C lines 5–8.

The certain words in this section include tiuri-m "in the month" and avil-ś "of the year" which make it clear that we are dealing with some kind of ritual calendar. There seems to be little scholarly agreement on the rest of the words, though in many cases the grammatical endings can be safely determined.

C
 * 2 [...ec]n zeri . lecin . inc . zec
 * 3 faśle . hemsince . śacnicleri . cilθl
 * 4 śpureri . meθlumeric . enaś . śvelstrec . svec . an
 * 5 cś . mene . utince . ziχne . śetirunec (the next two lines repeat 2.n2-n5 as mentioned above)

(2.8-9 copies what immediately precedes above from śvelstrec in line 2.4.)

D
 * 10 raχθ . tura . nunθenθ . cletram . śrenχve
 * 11 tei . faśei . zarfneθ . zuśle . nunθen
 * 12 farθan . aiseraś . śeuś . cletram . śrencve
 * 13 raχθ . tura . nunθenθ . tei . faśei . nunθenθ ...

Notes: The word śvel-s-tre-c in 2.4 shows up as śvele-re-c in 2.8, in both cases probably to be translated "for/on behalf of the living beings" if this is from the verb śval-/śvel- "live." If this, as it seems, is in coordination with the preceding word enaś, it could be contrasting with it, meaning that thus otherwise mysterious word refers to the city or land of the dead. It is generally assumed that ena- is the name of an actual city somewhere in the part of Italy where this text is from, but no such has been identified with certainty.

In 2.10 and 13, tura is the verb "give." In 2.10, 11, 12 (and throughout much of the rest of the text), nunθen(θ) is a well attested Etruscan verb that may mean "offer, make an offering" or "announce." In 2.10 and 12, cletram is a well attested apparent borrowing from the Umbrian Language kletram (accusative of kletra) "litter" to carry animals and fruit involved in the rite. As a borrowing, it is uninflected in Etruscan. It is modified by the apparent adjective śrenχve of uncertain meaning.

In lines 2.11 and 13, tei faśei probably means "with this oil (faśei)," and zuśle is a well attested word referring to an animal to be sacrificed, probably a piglet. So a tentative translation from cletram in 2.10 to nunθen at the end of D.11 would be: "With this oil, offer the zarfneθ piglet on the śrenχve (decorated?) litter."

In line 12, farθan seems to refer to some kind of divine power or genius loci, also mentioned in column 4 line 8 and in column 9 line 14. The next phrase, aiseraś śeuś is the genitive plural of aiser śeu "of the ś eu gods," though what specific gods these refer to is unclear. The phrase recurs in column 5 line 8 and in column 12 line 2.

Column 3
The B, E and F strips are missing.

A
 * 1 [...]-θ
 * 2 mulac . l-[...hu]rsi . puruθn . epris
 * 3 hilare . a[cillaχ...]mulaχ . zuśleva
 * 4 mac cav[eθ...vin]um . huslna
 * 5 laetim . h[amϕi...cluc]traś . caperi

Notes: In line 3, hilare acilθ probably means "it being necessary (acil-θ) to acquire..."
 * 1) In lines 2 and 3, mula-c/χ probably means "dedicate" based on the frequency of its occurrence on votives.
 * 1) The phrase mulaχ zuśleva mac (3-4) probably means "dedicate five (mac) pigs."
 * 2) In line 4, vinum huslna seems to mean "new(ly opened) wine".
 * 3) In line 5, laetim hamϕi probably means "on the left and on the right", a fairly frequent pairing, and compare hamϕes laeś below in 10.6. The pair cluctraś caperi is obscure but may refer to the clothing of the officiating priest, perhaps "cloaks and cape."

C
 * 12 [fl]er . etnam . tesim . etnam . c[elucn]
 * 13 cletram . śrenχve . trin . θezine . χim . fler
 * 14 tarc . mutinum . anancveś . nac . cal . tarc
 * 15 θezi . vacl . an . ścanince . saucsaθ . persin
 * 16 cletram . śrenχve . iχ . ścanince . clz . vacl
 * 17 ara . nunθene . śaθaś . naχve . heχz . male

A tentative partial translation: "The sacrifice (fler), be it funerary (tesim), [or] be it chthonic (cel-ucn) [is to be put] / on the decorated litter. Then say (trin): 'The sacrifice (fler) and the tar are presented (θezine) as the offering (χim).'/ And collect (mutinu-m) the goblets (anancveś ?? if related to Latin anancaeum Greek anagkaion "large drinking cup"; otherwise "collect whatever [is left]"); and then (na-c) present ( θezi) the cal and the tar. / The libation (vacl) that (an) was poured (ścanince?) saucsaθ persin (??) / just as (iχ) it was poured on the decorated litter. Make (ara) the libation three times (ciz). / Make (or "announce"?) the offering (nunθene) [as it has been] established (śaθaś)), carry [it] out (heχz) as is appropriate (naχve), [and] observe (male) [the appropriate rituals](??)."

Notes: In the Tabula Capuana in lines 2 and 6, the form savc-nes is thought to be the name of a god(dess?), and it may be related to the form sauc-saθ in 3.15.

D
 * 18 vinum . usi . trin[θ] . flere . in crapśti
 * 19 un . mlaχ . nunθen . θaclθi . θarθie . ciar
 * 20 huslne . vinum . eśi . sese . ramue . racuśe
 * 21 faśei śpureśtres . enaś . eθrse . tinśi
 * 22 tiurim . avilś . χiś . cisum . pute . tul . θans
 * 23 hantec . repine[c] . śpureri . meθlumeric
 * 24 [enaś? ...]

"Scoop (usi) the wine, saying (trin-θ): 'Oh spirit (flere) that (in) [is] in Craps, / to him (un) make a nice (mlaχ) offering (nunθen = "offer, make an offering").' On the chair (θacl-θi?) [and] on the bed (θar-θie??) make (-ar) a three(-fold offering? ci-) with new wine, or (eśi) [make the offering] with sesa [or] with ramua [or] with racusa [or] with oil (faś-ei?)..." The rest follows the sequence first seen in 2.n2ff.

Notes: If these latter untranslated words--''eś-i. ses-e. ramu-e. racuś-e --are fluids as wine and oil are, and if ramu- can be connected with Latin ramus branch and racus- to Greek rach'' "berry"; perhaps these mean respectively something like "resin wine" and "berry wine." The forms sesa and sesui occur on cups, so this is presumably also some drinkable liquid.

The phrase flere in crapś-ti in 3.18 recurs frequently, and seems to mean "the spirit (flere or "deity") that (in) [is] in Craps. " The latter term is thought to be connected to the Umbrian god Grabovius mentioned frequently in the Iguvine Tablets, but also perhaps connected to oak trees. Oaks were also sacred to Jupiter, and being dense were particularly prone to lightening strikes. Rix thought the phrase (whatever its meaning) was a tabu replacement for Bacchus as the worship of that god had been forbidden by Rome in 186 bce (though this assumes a later date for the composition of this text than is generally accepted). As laetim hamϕi seem to mean "on the left (and) on the right," the similarly much repeated ha(n)te-c repine-c (and variations thereof) may mean "both in front and behind," or "good and propitious"

Column 4
Much of this column consists of formulas that have already appeared above. The mention of "first fruits" suggests that we are in spring, but no date is clearly mentioned in the extant text. The Deity in Crap is invoked in C, and various deities are called on to receive offerings in D.

A
 * 1 [...]e[
 * 2 eθrse . tinśi . tiurim . avilś . χiś . ec[n zeri lecin]
 * 3 inc . zec . fler . θezince . cisum . pute . t[ul . θans]
 * 4 hatec . repinec . meleri . sveleric . sv[ec . an]
 * 5 cś . mele . θun . mutince . θezine . ruz[e

Notes: For 4.2-4, see similar text at 2.n2-5, 2.2-4, and 2.8-9. mele-ri "for crops." 4.4-6 (from svec): "And the Sve priest, he who (an) / of this (place, or occasion?) has had the first (θun) fruit (mele) collected (mutince), presents ( θezine) [them] according to custom and ritual rules (ruze / nuzlχne-c ??)."

B
 * 6 [nuzlχne]c . śpureri . meθlumeric . enaś
 * 7 raχθ . tura ] zarfneθ . zuśleveś . nunθen
 * 8 [farθan . f]lereś . in . crapśti . cletram
 * 9 [śrenχv]e . raχθ . tura . heχśθ . vinum
 * 10 [nunθen . c]letram . śrenχve . raχθ . suθ
 * 11 [zarfneθ .] zuśleveś . nunθen . estrei

Notes: Most of these phrases repeat what has been seen in 2.n2, 2.n5, 2.10-11, 3.17-18. Rix's reconstruction farθan means genius/tutelary spirit (of the deity that is in Craps). 4.11-12 : "Offer with roasted (estre-i ??) barley / (alϕazei) on the adorned litter."

C
 * 12 alϕazei . cletram . śrenχve . eim . tul . var
 * 13 raχθ . tur . nunθenθ . faśi .cntram . ei . tul
 * 14 var . celi . suθ heχśθ . vinm . trin . flere
 * 15 in . crapśti . un mlaχ . nunθen . χiś . esviśc
 * 16 faśei...(the rest of 16-19 follows 4.3-6 from cisum to enaś)

4.12-16 "and do not (ei-m) finish (tul), [but] var (listen? wait?); / give to the fire, offering oil during this same (if cntram is for cntnam as in 7.2, etc) [morning?]; do not finish, / [but] var [and] place (suθ ) [it] on the ground (cel-i). Pour a libation (heχśθ?) of wine; invoke (trin) the spirit (flere) / who (in) (is) in Craps; for him (un) present (nunθen) an appropriate (or "nice" mlaχ) [offering] with the oil (faśei) of the χi [day/festival?] and of the esvi [day/festival??]..."

D
 * 18...
 * 19 ... sin . flere in . crapśti
 * 20 χiś . esviśc . fase . śin . aiser . faśe . śin
 * 21 aiś . cemnac . faśeiś . raχθ . sutanaś . celi
 * 22 suθ . eisna . pevaχ . vinum . trau . pruχś

(Here follows a blank space of at least two lines. E and F are missing)

4.19-22: ""Receive (sin), oh Spirit (flere) who (in) (is) in Craps, with oil (fase) of χi day(?) and of the ides (esvi-ś-c ?); receive, oh gods, with oil; receive, oh Ciminian god, with oil, placing (sutanaś) [it/them] in the fire (raχθ), [or] place (suθ) [it/them] on the earth (celi) / [according to the] new (pevaχ?) ritual (eisna ?)."

Notes: The forms sin/śin seem to mean "receive," making the deity names that follow each vocatives. The phrase aiś cemnac may refer to a god (aiś) of a region *Ciminium; compare Lacus Ciminius the Latin name for modern Lago di Vico, and San Martina al Cimino just to its north.

Column 5
A
 * 1	vunuχ [mlaχ nunθen] etn capeśi fa[śe]
 * 2	ecn . zeri . lecin . inc . zec . fasle . hemsince
 * 3	śacnicsteś . cilθś . śpurestreśc
 * 4	enaś . eθrse . tinśi .	tiurim . avilś . χiś
 * 5	cisum . pute . 	tul . θansur . 	haθrθi . repinθic

"For them (vunuχ if a mis-writing of unuχ) an appropriate offering, this (et-n accusative) with a cape (capes-i) and with oil." For the rest through 5.10, see above, column 2, and 4.11-12.

B
 * 6	śacnicleri . cilθl . śpureri . meθlumeric
 * 7	enaś .	raχθ . suθ . nunθenθ . etnam .	 farθan
 * 8 aiseraś . seuś . cletram śrencve . racθ
 * 9	suθ . nunθenθ . 	estrei . alϕazei .	 eim . tul
 * 10 var . celi . suθ . nunθene . 	eiser . śic . śeuc
 * 11 unuχ . mlaχ . nunθen . χiś . esviśc . faśe

From 5.10, at nunθene: "Make an offering (nunθene) for the gods [both] of light (śi-c) and of dark (seu-c), / for them (unuχ) make an appropriate (mlaχ or "nice") offering with oil (faśe) from the χi (ritual/festival) and the esvi (ritual/festival)"

C
 * 12 cisum . pute .	tul . θansur . haθrθi . repinθic
 * 13 śanicleri . cilθl . śpureri . meθlumeric
 * 14 enaś .	sin . eiser . śic . śeuc . χiś . esviśc
 * 15 faśe .	sin . eiser . faśeiś . raχθ . sutanaś
 * 16 celi . suθ . vacl . θesnin . raχ . cresverae
 * 17 heczri . truθ . celi . epc . śuθce . citz . trinum

5.12-14 see 2.n3-5. 5.14-17 from sin: "receive, (sin) oh gods both of light and of darkness, the oil of χi and of esvi; / receive, oh gods, [this] oil, placing [it] on the fire, and place [it] / on the earth: / (during?) the morning (θesnin) libation (vacl), place (hecz-ri) fire (raχ) in the cresvera; / make ritual observations ( truθ) of the earth, and let a participant of the funereal meal (ep-c) make the three-fold (ci-tz) placement ( śuθce). And invoke (trin-um)..."

D
 * 18	hetrn . aclχn . ais . cemnac . truθt . raχś . rinuθ
 * 19	citz . vacl . nunθen . 	θesan . tinś . θesan
 * 20	eiseraś . śeuś . unuχ . mlaχ . nunθen . θesviti
 * 21	favitic . faśei . cisum . θesane . uslanec
 * 22	mlaχe . luri . zeric . zec . aθeliś . śacnicla
 * 23	ciθl . śpural . meθlumeśc . enas cla . θesan

From 5.17 at trinum to 5.22: "And invoke / the hetra (and) the aclχa ("works"? if from ac- "work"), and the Ciminian gods (ais cemna-c). Make ritual observation (truθt) of the fire (raχ-ś) in the rinu. / (Make) a libation (vacl) three times (ci-tz). Make an offering (nunθen) to Θesan ("Dawn Goddess" or "Venus") of Tin ("Jupiter" or "bright(ening) sky") and to Θesan / of the Dark Gods (eis-era-ś śeu-ś); for them (unuχ) make an appropriate (mlaχ or "nice") offering with oil of the morning (θes-viti? locative adjective, like the next, agreeing with "oil" faśei) / and of the evening (favitic??). (Also) a three-fold (ci-sum) (libation?) in the morning (θesan-e) and during the noon (hour) (uslan-e-c) / to the beautiful (mlaχe) Lur (probably an underworld god; name may be related to Latin luridus "pale") and Zer (probably also an underworld god, seen, probably also in 2.2)." The phrase zec aθeliś at 5.22 is opaque. The word zec also occurs at 2.2, but aθeliś ("of aθeli"?) is not otherwise attested.

The phrase śacnicla / cilθl śpural meθlumeśc enas  5.22-23 also occurs in various forms throughout the text, first at 2.2-3. The final phrase cla θesan "in the morning" regularly marks the end of ritual offerings.

Column 6
Here we have the first recognizable dates: zaθrumsne "on the 20th" (presumably in May, probably already mentioned in the missing part of 6.1) in 6.9, and in 6.14 ''eslem. zaθrumiś. acale'' literally "two less of 20 in June" that is "on the 18th of June." It is notable that each date is preceded by a gap: in the first instance just the end of line 8 (perhaps for a date within the same month as a preceding missing date), and in the second by a gap of three lines, here marking that we are in a new month perhaps. Similar three-line gaps can be seen below before a date in August (8.1) and before the next date in September (8.3). These firmly establish that the text is indeed some kind of sequential ritual calendar, even though the extant first 5 columns show no discernible dates—presumably they were in the parts of the text that are missing or illegible.

A
 * 1 tś sal  s[...] aceva . śnuiuϕ . aniχeis
 * 2	śnuiuϕ . urχeiś . 	ceśc .	aniaχ . urχ . hilχvetra
 * 3	hamϕeiś . leiveś .	 turi . θui . streteθ . face
 * 4	apniś . aniaχ .	 apniś . urχ . pereθeni . śnuiuϕ
 * 5	hamϕeti . etnaim . laeti . anc . θaχśin

"Of this (t-ś) its own (sal?) ...the permanent (śnuiuϕ?) priest of the river Ani / (and) the permanent priest of the river Urc, and the ces ("ad hoc"?) priest of Ani and Urc, shall offer (tur-i or "give") here the set of possessions (hilχve-tra) in the sanctuary (stret-eθ?) and in the faca, from the right (hamϕeiś) and from the left (leiveś). / The May priest (a(m)pnis, or 'priest of the Father' ap-?) of Ani (and) the May priest of Urc (and) the permanent priest of Perthan (shall do the same) / on the right as on the left. And he who (an-c) starts (thachsin?)..."

B
 * 6	θeusnua . caperc . heci . naχva . tinθaśa
 * 7	etnam . velθinal . etnam . aisunal . θunχerś
 * 8	_iχ . śacnicla_
 * 9	zaθrumsne . lusaś . fler . hamϕisca . θezeri
 * 10 laivisc . lustraś . fler . vacltnam
 * 11 θezeric . anθeric . [...]θi

6.6-8: "(And he who starts (the ritual)), let him make (hec-i) the θeusnua-garment and the mantle (caper-c), making (tinθ-aśa) (them) properly (naχva?) / both (etnam) for the firstlings (θuχner-ś) (that are) for the chthonic (velθin-al) (rituals) and (those that are) for the celestial (aisun-al?) (rituals),/ just as (iχ) (has been done) for the priesthood (śacnicla)." (That these two words are underlined and followed by a gap probably indicates a paragraph break before rituals for a new date are introduced, as discussed above.) 6.9-11 "On the 20th (of May?), a sacrificial victim (fler) must be presented (θeze-ri) for Lusa on the right (hamϕisca); and on the left (laivis-c), a sacrificial victim must be presented for Lustra, then a libation offering (vaclt-nam); and they must be X-ed (? anθe-ri-c "strewn with flowers"?? if from Greek anthos "flower") on (the right??)."

C
 * 12 etnam . eisna . iχ . flereś . crapśti
 * 13 θunśna . θunś . flerś

(Blank space for three lines)
 * 14 eslem . zaθrumiś . acale . tinś . in . śarle

6.12-13: "In this way (etnam, or "also") the (other) divine (things) (eisna) (will be treated) just as (iχ) (was) the Spirit (in) Craps (compare Umbrian deity Grabovius), / (with regard to?) the sacrifice (flerś) of the first (θunś) of the firstlings (θunśna technically and adjective rather than genitive plural)." 6.14-15 "Two less (esl-em) of 20 (zaθrum-iś) in June (acal-e) (that is "on June 18th"), Tin (Jupiter) in the tenth (in śarl=e) .../[6.15 region (luθti) (of the heavens? But see below for alternatively taking luθti with raχ)"

D
 * 15 luθti . raχ . ture . acil . caticaθ . luθ . celθim
 * 16 χim . scuχie . acil . hupniś . painiem
 * 17 anc . martiθ . sulal

(Blank space for three lines)
 * 18 ...]n[...]c lurniθi

(Sections E and F are missing)

6:15-16 "It is necessary (acil) to present (ture or "give") fire (raχ) on the stone (luθ-ti unless this means "region" and is connected with the preceding phrase), (specifically??) the caticaθ ("sacred to Cath"??) stone. Moreover (celθim), it is necessary to X (scuχie??) the offering (χim) of/for the resting place/tomb/urn (hupni-ś probably from Greek hupnos "sleep") ..." --the remainder is (even more) obscure: pain-i-em may be a locative of a place "Paina"; an-c usually means "and who" but could mean "whoever" here; martiθ if related to Latin martiol could mean (a sacred or solemn sul??) "hammer" such as one carried my Charon and perhaps here by a priest gaveling the end of a ceremony or perhaps for a nail-driving ritual. The form lurni-θi may be related to the underworld Etuscan deity Lur-ni, perhaps "in the place sacred to Lurni."

Column 7
The repeated phrase male ceia hia in the A strip may be or include a kind of ritual lamentation (and note the repetitions in 7.5-6: vacl vile vale / staile staile). If so, and given the large number of funerary references in this section such as the words hia, firin, ceren-, zelva, murśś, calti, tesim, θaurχ, ścun- and possibly ceu, van der Meer proposes that this column deals with the Adonai ceremony (also likely mentioned in the Pyrgi Tablets) involving the ritual burial of Aphrodite's consort Adonis (whose name, however, does not appear in the extant text) in the form of Adonai gardens. These rites are generally agreed to have taken place in mid to late summer (July 19 in Rome), so would fit well into the calendar where we should be in late July or August (though no date is indicated in the extant text here). But working out the exact meaning of much of the text is challenging. The term veltre/velθite in 7.1 and 7.20 appears to contrast in both cases with aisvale "celestial gods," so it may here refer to chthonic gods or the spiritual underworld.

A
 * 1 [c]eia [. hia . ...male]
 * 2 ceia . hia . etnam . ciz . vacl . trin . velθre
 * 3 male . ceia . hia . etnam . ciz . vacl . aisvale
 * 4 male . ceia . hia . trinθ . etnam . ciz . ale
 * 5 male . ceia . hia . etnam . ciz . vacl . vile . vale
 * 6 staile . staile . hia . ciz . trinθaśa . śacnitn

Notes: The form male is a well known verb meaning "see," perhaps here "observe" in the sense "observe the formality of ritual lamentation by saying:". The repeated form ceia hia may simply be syllables associated with lamentation, basically "woe." They are suspiciously similar to the Greek cry hye kye "Rain, come!" associated with the Eleusian ceremonies (Proclus Diadoch. Ad Plato Tim. 293C). Unless ceia is a form of the (possible) name of a goddess Ceu (see 7.8 below). The form ci-z is well known to mean "three times" but whether that relates to what precedes or what follows is unclear. As in strip 7D below, velthre seems to contrast with aisvale (see above), both associated on both occasions with vacl "offering, libation." The root trin- (7.2,4,6) is thought to be a verb of speaking, perhaps "invoke" or "announce" here. The forms vile, vale, staile, ale are all obscure (but the last may mean "give!"), though they all may be parallel to male "observe" which would make them subjunctives/imperatives. The form śacn-it-n is an accusative meaning "sacred fraternity, priesthood."

B
 * 7 an . cilθ . ceχane . sal . śuciva . firin . arθ
 * 8 vaχr . ceuś . cilθval . svem . cepen . tutin
 * 9 renχzua . etnam . cepen . ceren . śucic . firin
 * 10 tesim . etnam . celucum . caitim . caperχva
 * 11 hecia . aisna . clevana . χim . enac . usil

7.7-11 "(the priesthood) who (an) on behalf of (ceχane) the citadel (cilθ) of/for itself (sal reference??) shall announce a funereal symposium (firin?), (shall be?) making (arθ) a covenant (vaχr) with the goddess Ceu of the citadel. But a sve priest (and?) a priest (cepen) of the village (tutin) (shall be the??) / renχzua (a word otherwise unattested). Likewise (etnam) the priest of the tomb (ceren) shall announce a funereal symposium / to the tomb (tesim) and also to the earth (celucum). But in the tomb chamber (cai-ti-m? if for cal-ti-), make (hecia) mantles (caper-χva) / the divine (aisna) clevana offering (χim). And then (ena-c) the sun (usli)..."

Notes: The form firin may be related to fira which occurs on a tomb, as well as in 1.1 of this text, where it seems to contrast with epa "meal" (?) and so in this section may mean something like "ritual (here funereal) drinking ceremony; symposium." According to Wylin, the root śuci- is a verb meaning "announce."

C
 * 12 cerine . tenθa[sa] cntnam θesan masn.
 * 13 zelvθ . murśś . etnam . θacac . usli . neχse
 * 14 acil . ame . etnam . cilθcveti . hilare . acil.
 * 15 vacl . cepen . θaurχ . cerene . acil . etnam
 * 16 ic . clevana . śucic . friθvene . acil . etnam
 * 17 tesim . etnam . celucn . vacl . ara θuni
 * 18 śacnicleri . cilθl cepen cilθcva . cepen

How the text fits together here is rather opaque. The form cerine should be a passive verbal form meaning "constructed" referring to a tomb, and tenθasa seems to be participle from ten- "to function as (a magistrate)." How to construe this, and how/whether it connects with what precedes or follows is unclear.

7.12-19 "during this same (cntnam) morning (θesan), a mas(a)n offering (should be presented) / in the tomb chamber (zelvθ) of the sarcophagus/urn (murśś if related to Latin mora, perhaps originally "stopping/resting place"); Then (etnam) it is necessary (acil) (for there) to be (ame) also a θaca ("chair"?) on the day (usil literally "sun") of neχse. / Then it is necessary to have a libation (vacl) on the hilltops (cilθ-cve-ti). It is necessary for the priest (cepen) of the tomb (θaurχ) (to cerene ("construct"? "consecrate"?) (the tomb). Then / (proceed just) as (ic) (with the) cleva ritual (?); and announce (śuci-c) the ritual symposium (firi); it is necessary to θvene, both (etnam) / to the tomb (tesim) and to the earth (celucn). Make (ara) a libation (vacl) once (each)(θuni?) to the priesthood of the citadel, the priest of the hilltops, / (and) the local (? cn-ti-cn-θ double locative "at this place") priest /19 who (in) were (amce) the burial-priests (ceren cepar) at that time (nac ? or "then")."

D
 * 19 cnticnθ . in ceren cepar . nac amce . etnam
 * 20 śuci . firin . etnam . velθite . etnam aisvale
 * 21 vacl . ar . par . ścunueri . ceren . cepen
 * 22 θaurχ etnam . iχ . matam . śucic . firin
 * 23 cereθi enaś . ara . θuni . etnam ceren
 * 24 ...]θin[...

7.19 (continued) - 22. "Then (etnam) /announce ( śuci) the symposium/drinking ritual ( firin), both (etnam) for the earth (velθite) and (etnam) for the heavens (aisvale). / Make a libation in due part (par) for the tombs (ścunueri), oh ceren-priest (cepen) / of the tomb (θaurχ), just (etnam) as (iχ) before (matan, or "just as (described) above"?), and announce the symposium (śuci-c firin) ..."

The rest is obscure. Why the repeated announcement of the drinking ceremony? Perhaps each instance means something like: "tell (the attendees to take) a ritual drink at that moment in the proceedings)?

Perhaps for 7.23: "at the tombs (cere- θi) of (the city?) enas do (ar-a) (the same?) at once (θu-ni). Then (etnam) build tombs (ceren??) at [vel]θin(?)..."

(E and F are missing)

Column 8
Here, another date is explicitly mentioned, August 13, then sacrifices in honor of Neptune/Nethuns on September 24. This in contrast to the references to Tin during the earlier months of the year above. But reference to ais cemnach, seen in column 4 and 5, is taken up againat 8.16. Reference to the god Nethuns/Neptune continues into the next column.

A (Blank space of 3 lines)
 * 1 θucte . ciś . śariś . esvita . vacltnam
 * 2 culścva . spetri . etnam . i.c . esvit l e . ampne/eri

8.1 "On Auguest (θuct-e ) 13th (ci-ś śar-iś), (there should be) the esvita feast ("on the ides?), then (-nam) a libation (vaclt-)."
 * 8.2 "The gates (culś-cva) must be opened (spet-ri?) in this way (etnam): just as (i.c.) during the (other?) estiva feast they have to be closed (ampne-ri?)..."

B (Blank space of 3 lines)
 * 3 clei . huθiś . zaθrumiś . flerχva . neθunsl
 * 4 śucri . θezeric . scara . priθaś . raχ . tei
 * 5 menaś . cltral . mulaχ . huslna . vinum

8.3-4 "On September (cle-i) the 24th (huθ-iś zaθrum-iś), sacrificial victims (fler-χva) to Neptune (neθuns-l) / must be announced (śuc-ri) [and] presented/sacrificed (θeze-ri-c)..." Much of the rest is obscure, involving hapax (forms only seen once): perhaps—8.4-5 "[and] may be scara priθa-ing fire (raχ), / presenting (menaś) cltral and give (mulaχ) young (newly opened) wine (huslna vinum)."

C
 * 6 laiveism . acilθ . ame ranem . scare
 * 7 reuχzina . caveθ . zuślevac . mac . ramurθi
 * 8 reuχzineti . ramueθ . vinum . acilθ . ame
 * 9 mula . hursi . puruθn . vacl . usi . clucθraś
 * 10 caperi . zamθic . vacl . ar . flereri . sacnisa
 * 11 sacnicleri . trin . flere . neθunsl . une

8.6 starts: "But (-m) it is necessary (acilθ) (for this ritual) to be (ame) (performed) on the right hand side (laiveism)..." The phrase caveθ zuślevac mac "three pigs (as offerings) must be cave-d (?? or in the cava)" also occurs in 3.3-4 in the order zuślevac mac caveθ followed by the phrase huslna vinum "young wine" seen also just above in 8.5. So the obscure language before (ranem scare reuχzina)and after (ramurθi reuχzineti ramueθ) this may again be describing various kinds of wine used in the ritual. 8.8-11: "It is necessary (acilθ) for there to be (ame) wine./ Give (mula) the puruθa ("pure wine"??) to hur-. Scoop (usi) a libation (vacl) with the golden (zamθic) mantle (caperi) of the cluctra ("cloak"?). / Make (ar) a libation (vacl) for the deity (flere-ri). Praying (sacni-sa) / for the priesthood (sacnicleri), invoke (trin) the deity of Neptune (flere neθuns-l); for him (une)..."

Notes: The phrase mula hursi puruθn occurs also in line 3.2, and hursi- also in 12.7.

D
 * 12 mlaχ . puθs . θaclθ θartei zivaś fler (Interpuncts are mostly illegible because only less than bottom half of line is visible in the second half of the line.)
 * 13 θezine . ruze . nuslχne . zati . zatlχne
 * 14 śacnicśtreś . cilθś . śpureśtreśc . enaś.
 * 15 eθrse . tinśi . tiurim . avilś . χiś . hetrn (8.13-15 to χiś = 2.n1-3)
 * 16 aclχn . aiś . cemnaχ . θezin . fler . vacl
 * 17 etnam . tesim . etnam . celucn . trin . alc
 * 18 ...]θ

8.11-13 : "...for him (une) an appropriate (mlaχ or "nice") (offering) is placed (puθs) on the chair (θaclθ?) (and) on the bed (θartei?). A living (zivaś) sacrifice (fler) / is presented/slaughtered (θezine), nuslχne ("bound"? or "killed"?) with ruza ("rope"? or "and ax"?)."

Notes. At the end of line 8.13, zati zatlχne are an alliterating pair otherwise unknown in the Etruscan record. Watmough and others have compared satlχne with Latin satelles "attendant; axe-striker".

8.14-15 (from hetrn) mirrors 4.12 and 5.17-18, while 8.15-17 (from vacl) copies 3.12. In line 8.17, trin al-c probably mean "invoke and give!."

(E is missing)

F
 * f1 [--19--] naχva . ara . nunθene
 * f2 [śaθaś . naχve . heχz . ma]le . huslneśtś
 * f3 [trin . flere . neθuns]l . un . mlaχ nunθen
 * f4 [θaclθi . θartei . ci ar . ] huslne . vinum eśi
 * f5 [sese . ramue . racuse .] faśeic . śacnicśtreś
 * f6 [cilθś . śpureśtreś . enaś . eθ]rse . tinśi

8.f1: "Make (ara) worthy things (naχva or "lofty things") (and) offer (nunθene) (them)!"

8.f2 mirrors 3.17, etc.

8.f3: "Invoke the spirit of Neptune; for him make an appropriate offering." Compare 5.1.

8.f4-5: "On the chair and on the bed make (ar) (and offering) three times (ci) with young (huslne) wine or (eśi) / with sesa, (or? and?) with ramua, (or? and?) with racusa and oil (faśe-i-c)." Compare 3.19-20.

For the rest, see again 2.n1-2.

(J is missing. What follows is a reconstruction by Rix)
 * i1 [tiurim . avilś . χiś . cisum . pute . tul . θans .]
 * i2 [hatec . repinec . śacnicleri . cilθl .]

These reconstructions are based on 2.n3-4.

Column 9
Much of the text in 9 exhibits formulas seen above. Neptune is again prominent here (9.7,14,18,22), along with aiser "the gods" at 9.23 and eis cemnac "the Ciminian god" at 9.23-24 (the latter if Rix's reconstruction is to be accepted). There is also a (partial) date given at 9.f2: ciem cealχuś "the 27th" presumably still of September (celi).

(S is missing; the following is Rix's reconstruction, based on 9.5-8.)
 * s1 [ śpureri . meθlumeric . enaś . raχθ ...]
 * s2 [trin . flere . neθunśl . un . mlaχ . nunθen]

A
 * 1 zuśleve . zarve . ecn . zeri .(Latin labrum ' basin) lecin . in . zec
 * 2 fler . θezince . śacnicśtreś . cilθś
 * 3 śpureśtreś . enaś . eθrse . tinśi . tiurim
 * 4 avilś . χiś . cisum . pute . tul . θans . haθe
 * 5 repinec . śacnicleri . cilθl . śpureri

The first two words are plural locative nouns probably in asyndetic coordination with each other, probably showing poetic alliteration: "With piglets (zuśleve) (and) with zarva-s." The rest of 9.1 mirrors 2.2. 9.2 starts: "Sacrifice/present (θezince) the victim (fler)." The rest through 9.6 mirrors 2.n1-5.

B
 * 6 meθlumeric . enaś . raχθ . tur . heχśθ
 * 7 vinum . trin . flere . neθunśl .un . mlaχ
 * 8 nunθen . zuśleve . zarve . faśeic . ecn . zeri
 * (9.8-11 = 9.1-4 from zuśleve to θans)

The text from raχθ in 9.6 to nunθen in 9.8 reflects the text at 2.13-15, except that there are a few extra words in the earlier text, and after flere we find in crapsti ("Jupiter") there as opposed to neθunśl ("Neptune") here.

C
 * 12 haθec . repinec . śacnicleri . cilθl . śpureri
 * 13 meθlumeric . enaś . raχθ . suθ . nunθenθ.
 * 14 zusleve . faśeic . farθan . fleres . neθunśl
 * 15 raχθ . cletram . śrenχve . nunθenθ.
 * 16 estrei . alϕazei . zusleve . raχθ eim . tul . var

9.12-13 reflect 9.4-6 above. From raχθ in 9.13: "Make an offering (nunθenθ) placing (suθ) (it) on the fire (raχ-θ) / with piglets (zuslev-e) (see 9.1) and with oil (faś-ei-c) (for) the spirit (farθan) of the deity (flere-s) of Neptune (neθunś-l). / Make and offering (placing it) on the fire with the adorned litter (and?) / with roasted (estrei?) barley (cletram . śrenχve) (and) with "piglets" (zuzleva) in the fire; but do not (ei-m) finish (tul here "completely burn"?) (it); watch (var)." (The last clause first occurs at 4.12, and is repeated immediately below in 9.17-18.)

Note: It is not completely clear what the exact difference between farθan and flere might be. They are clearly distinct since as here there is a farθan of a flere. Yet both seem to mean something like "inner spirit, genius (in the Latin sense), deity..."

D
 * 17 nunθenθ estrei alϕazei . tei . faśi . em
 * 18 tul . var . celi . suθ . nunθenθ . flere . neθunśl
 * 19 un . mlaχ . nunθen . χiś . esviśc . faśei
 * 20-22 (= 9.4-6 from cisum to enaś)
 * 22 ...śin . v.i.n.u.m . flere .neθunśl . χiś

9.17-19: "Make an offering with roasted barley (and) with this (tei) oil. Do not / finish; watch. Make an offering setting (suθ) (it) on the earth (cel-i) to the deity of Neptune. / To him (un) make an appropriate (mlaχ) offering with the oil (faśei) of χi ("the right day"?) and of esvi ("the ides"?)." 9.22: (Say:) 'Receive (śin) wine, oh deity of Neptune, with [the oil (faśei)] of χi- ("the right day"?) [and of esvi- ("the ides"?)]."

Note: Most of the phrases here are repetitions or slight variations on those just used. Note, though, that here the offering is set on the earth rather than in/on the fire as above at 9.13.

E is missing; what follows is Rix's partial reconstruction based on 9.19 and 4.20-21:
 * 23 [eśviśc . faśei . sin . aiser . faśe . śin . ais]
 * 24 [cemnac . faśeiś . raχθ . sutanaś . celi . suθ]
 * 25-28 [...]

9.22-24: "with the oil of χi- ("the appropriate day"?) and / of the ides (eśvi-ś-c). Receive (sin), oh gods (aiser), with oil (faśe). Receive, oh Ciminian god, / with oil.' Placing (sutanaś) (it) on the fire, place (suθ) (it) on the earth (celi)..." (Or the final phrase may be part of the invocation to the gods.)

F
 * f1 nacum aisna . hinθu . vinum . trau . prucuna

(Blank space of three lines)
 * f2 ciem . cealχuś . lauχumneti . eisna . θaχśe/ri
 * f3 tur [...]

9.f1: "And so (nac-um) (as) a funerary (hinθu or "chthonic") ritual (aisna), pour out (trau) wine (vinum) from the prucuna jug." 9.f2: "(On) the 27th (ci-em ce-alχuś literally "3 less 30") (of September?) in the sacred palace (lauχumneti), a ritual (eisna) should be started (θaχśe-ri).

Column 10
This section is particularly difficult, containing many otherwise unattested words. There is a date given on 10.2, "on the 27th of Capeni," Capeni being some month after September, probably either October or November. Here again we see reference to the Ciminian god, as well as to the underworld gods Cath(-nis) and Veltha (the former, well known from other inscriptions, the other only seen here and at 6.7 above).

A
 * 1 [..c]epen
 * 2 sul . peθereni . ciem . cealχuz . capeni
 * 3 marem . zaχ ame . nacum . cepen . flanaχ
 * 4 vacl . ar . ratum . χuru . peθereni . θucu
 * 5 aruś . ame . acnesem . ipa . seθumati . simlχa
 * 6 θui . turve . acil . hamϕes . laeś . suluśi

Notes (following van der Meer, 2007 ): The first word, cepen, means "priest."

Line 10.2 probably means: "The Pethereni (= kind of priest--archpriest?) (shall conduct?) a ceremony (sul?) on the 27th (ci-em ce-alχuz literally "three-from-thirtieth") in (the month of) Capeni (a month after September)."

In line 10.3, zaχ mare-m are obscure, except that the last letter in mare-m is a postposition meaning "however, but, and"; and ame which means "is/be." So perhaps: "But the zaχ priest (?) shall be in mara "?

In 10.3-4, the sequence: ''nacum. cepen. flanaχ/4 vacl. ar. ratum seems to mean: "and so (nac-um) the Flan priest must make (ar) an offering/libation (vacl) according to the rite (ratum'')."

In 10.4-5: ''χuru peθereni θucu / aruś. ame seems to mean: "the archpriest (χuru peθereni) of the house (θuc-u) / is aruś''."

The word aruś (10.5) is otherwise unknown, but may be connected with the haru- of Latin haruspex a religious official responsible for interpreting omens by examining the internal organs of sacrificed animals, perhaps also with Umbrian erus frequently mentioned in the Iguvine Tablets (for a thorough examination of which term, see Weiss ).

B
 * 7 θuni . śerϕue . acil . ipei . θuta . cnl . χaśri
 * 8 heχz . sul . scvetu . caθnis . ścanin . velθa
 * 9 ipe . ipa . maθcva . ama . trinum . hetrn . aclχn
 * 10 eis . cemnac . iχ . velθa . etnam . tesim . etnam
 * 11 celucn . hinθθin . χimθ . ananc . eśi . vacl
 * 12 ścanin ras truθur . tutimc . an masnur
 * On the bottom of thecippus of Perugia'outa scun'a afuna mena hen naper ci cnl (three) '
 * trinum Latin for three.

"First (θuni) it is necessary (acil) to śerϕu- (this is the only attestation of this apparent verb form) to her who (ipei?) (is?) sacred (θuta). It is necessary to χaś- (this is the only attestation of this verb form) for this (cnl) (deity? ritual?). / Adorn (heχz) the solemn (sul) scvetu (this is the only attestation of this form). Pour (ścanin) (a libation to) Caθnis (and to) Velθa. / For her and for him (ipe ipa or "wherever"?) may there be (ama) maθ-s. Invoke, however, (trinu-m) the hetr- (and?) works (ac-lχ-n?) / and the Ciminian (cemna-c) god (eis ), just as (iχ) (was done for) Velθa both (etnam) in the tomb (tesim) and (etnam) / on the earth (celu-c-n) (and for??) whoever (ananc) is in the offering place (χim-θ) in the underworld (hinθθin) (?); or (eśi) / pour the libation (vacl ścanin); (observe) the national (ras?) and (-c) local (tutim-? or "village"?) omens (truθur). Who (an) the masn (offerings)..." (It is unclear how the last two words are to be construed with either what immediately precedes or what follows.)

C
 * 13 θumicle . caθna . imec . faci . θumitle . unuθ
 * 14 huteri . ipa . θucu . petna . ama . nac . cal
 * 15 hinθu . heχz . velθe . maθcve . nuθin
 * 16 śarśanauś . teiś . tura . caθnal . θuium
 * 17 χuru . cepen . sulχva . maθcvac . pruθseri

10.12- "(The ones??) who (an) (make) masn- offerings / for caθna in the θumicl and in the ime (and?) in the fac (and) in the θumitl (= θumicl ?), to them (unuθ if an error for unuχ) / it is necessary to hut- where (ipa) the house (θucu) priest of Peθan is (ama). / Then (nac) (sacrifice?) a dog (cal ?) to the underground (hinθu) (deities), decorated (heχz) for Velθa with maθ-'s (?). Give (tura) nuθin (unknown noun, unless an error for nunθen) / to these (teis) ten (priests?) (śar-śanau-ś) of the place sacred to Caθ (caθna-l). And here (θui-um) / the archpriest (χuru cepen) must pruθs- the solemn (sulχva) (offerings?) and the maθ-''s."

Notes: An argument for reading nuθin in 10.15 as a mistake for nunθen is that the latter verb co-occurs as here with the verb tur(a) "give" in both 2.13 and 4.13, and forms of nunθen also co-occur, as here, with forms of tei in 2.11, 2.13 and at 9.17--in other words (if we accept this as a mistake here) half of all the forms of tei- forms attested in this text co-occur with forms of nunθen. So perhaps a better translation from that word on would be "Make an offering of these tithings, (and) present them for caθna ".

There are obviously a lot of unknown and uncertain forms in this section, and perhaps a few scribal errors. But it is fairly clear that chthonic/underworld deities are involved, from Caθ to Peθan and Velθa. A form starting with the sequence cal is on a bronze statue of a dog, making it likely that this is the right meaning here. There are not many references to dog sacrifices in central Italy in this period, but most of those we do have, show that it was typical of sacrifices to chthonic deities.

D
 * 18 vacl . araś . θui . useti . cepen . faθinum
 * 19 zaneś . vuvcnicś . plutim . tei . mutti . ceśasi/n
 * 20 ara . ratum . aisna . leitrum . zuθeva . zal
 * 21 eśic . ci . halχza . θu . eśic . zal . mula . santic
 * 22 θapna . θapnzac . lena . etera . θec . peisna
 * 23 hausti . fanuśe . neriś . lape . epa . θui . neri
 * 24 (illegible)

10.18-19: (Having) performed (araś) a libation (vacl), here (θui) the Osa (or Osenna?) priest (cepen) (or "here, in Osa/Osenna, a priest...) (will?) ceśas- a faθinum of zana in the level area (plutim if connected to Latin plot-) of the (sacred) clearing in the wood (vuvcnic-ś if connected to Umbrian vucus "grove"; compare Latin lucus "grove," originally "light, open area within a woods" a frequent location for solemn ceremonies) with/in this (tei) mut (perhaps related to muti- "collect; bind" so perhaps "basket" or "rope" here?)."

10.20: "Make (ara) (a libation?) a sacred (aisna) leitrum according to the rite (ratum). / Give (mula) (and?) two (zal) or (eśic) ci (three) zuθe vases, / (and) one (θu) or two small halχ vases, and a santi / cup (θapna), and a small cup (θapn-za-c)."

The rest of this section is obscure, except epa which probably means "meal" and θui "here," both in 10.23. Perhaps: "(And) the tomb (etera) official (lena?) and the θe peisna (priest?) (shall give) a funerary (lape?? error for lup-??) meal (epa) in the haus tomb chamber (fanu-ś-e) of neri, (and) here in neri..."

(E is missing)

F
 * f1 santic . vinum θui θapnac . θapnzac . sucus
 * f2 halχze . θui . θi . vacl . ceśasin . θumsa . cilva
 * f3 neri . canva . carsi . putnam . θu . calatnam
 * f4 tei . lena . haustiś . enac . eśi . catnis . heci
 * f5 spurta . sulsle . napti . θui . laiscla . heχz . ner/i
 * f6 [...] trinum . vetis . une . mlac . sanθi

10.f1-2: "And (use?) santi wine here (θui = "at this point in the ceremony"?), and both a cup (θapna-c) and a small cup ( θapn-za-c); furthermore a mug (muc-um) / with a small vase (halχ-z-e); at this point (θui) ceśas (verb or adjective? "use"??) water (θi) (as) the libation (vacl), θum-ing the hilltops (cilva if an error for cilθ-cva).

10.f3 is mostly (even more) obscure except for θu "one."

10.f4: "At this point (tei literally "with this") the (tomb?) official (lena?) will then (enac) adorn (heci) (the area of) the haus or of (the area sacred to) Caθ (?)."

10.f5: " A basket with a small sul in a nap (some body of water? or a measure?), at this point (θui) adorning (hecz) the things on the left (laiscla) in neri."

10.f6: "...and invoke (trin-um) Vetis, (present) for him (une) an appropriate (mlac) (thing) in a san (dish)."

Vetis seems to be a kind of Apolline chthonic Jupiter figure, perhaps ultimately related to Latin Vedius (also an underworld Jupiter).

Column 11
This sections shares some vocabulary with columns 5,6,7 an 10. No discernible month name is given, but the numbers referring to dates show up in 11.12 "the 18th" and on 11.17 "on the 29th and the 28th." There seems to be a reference back to a rite to Neptune on the 24th of September (mentioned in 8.3) on line 11.15: "as on the 24th," and a further backreference to Neptuen on 11.16.

The god Veie is mentioned--related to or perhaps identical with Vetis in the previous section and undoubtedly connected to Latin Vejovis--and also Satre the Etruscan form of Saturn.

A


 * 11.1 acnlas . celi pen etnam [...]sna celi . suθ
 * 11.2 vacl . vinum . śantiśtś . celi . pen . trutum
 * 11.3 θi . θapneśtś . trutanaśa .hanθin . celi
 * 11.4 tur . hetum . vinum . θic . vacl . heχz . etnam
 * 11.5 iχ . matam . cnticnθ . cepen . teśamitn
 * 11.6 murce . θi . nunθen . etnam . θi . truθ . etnam

"The ancla must be pen ("placed"??) on the ground (cel-i or "in September"), then (etnam) place (suθ) on the ground (celi). / Place (pen?) the libation (vacl) of śanti cup (śantiś-t-ś or "of the on by the santi a gen. of a loc.) wine on the ground, and inspect for omens (trut-um) / the water (θi) of the dish (θapneś-t-ś or "of the one by the dish" a genetive of a locative), inspecting (trutanaśa) (also?) toward the southin front (of you?) (hanθin or "in front (of you?)"?) on the ground (celi). / Give (tur) hetum ("incense"?), wine and water (θi-c) as libation (vacl) (and) put (heχz or "place") (them in their proper places?). Just (etnam) / as (iχ) ("was done," or "was described") before (matam or "above" in the text?). The local (cnticnθ) priest (cepen) (who) has stayed (mur-ce) during the tomb ceremony (teśamitn ? or "funeral"?; probably related to tesim "tomb" seen in 7.10), (must) offer (nunθen) water (θi). Then (etnam) inspect for omens (truθ) the water (θi), both..."

B


 * 11.7 hanθin. etnam . celucn . etnam . aθumitn
 * 11.8 peθerieni . eslem . zaθrum . mur . in velθineś
 * 11.9 cilθś . vacl . ara . θui .useti . catneti . slapiχun
 * 11.10 slapinaś . favin . ufli . spurta . eisna . hinθu
 * 11.11 cla . θesns

"...in the south (hanθi-n? or "in front"?) and ( etnam) in the west (celuc-n ?or "on the ground"?) and ( etnam) in the north (aθumit-n ? or "high above"?). / The priest of Pethan (underwold god) (shall conduct the ceremonies) on the 18th at the stopping-place (mur) that (in) (is in the area) of the citadel (cilθ-ś) of Velθina. / Make a libation (vacl) here (θu-i or "at this point" or "on this date") in the Osa River (use-ti?) (and?) in the (area sacred to?) Caθ (?), (and carry out) a ritual burning (slapiχun) of a slapina ("effigy for burning"?), (and) favin ("burn to ashes" ? if related to Latin favilla "hot ashes") a basket (spurta) with a lump of flower (ufl-i if related to Latin ofella "little ball of flower") (as) an underworld (hinθu ) ritual (eisna). This (cla) morning (θesn-s in the genitive of time) (ends the ritual)."

A word uvlin) in the second line of the North Picene Novilara Stele may be related to ufli (ball of flower) in 11.10.

C (Blank space of three lines)
 * 11.12 eslem . cealχus . etnam . aisna . canal
 * 11.13 _tuχlac_ . _eθri . suntnam . ceχa
 * 11.14 cntnam . θesan . fler . veiveś . θezari

11.12-13: "Then (etnam) on the 28th (eslem . cealχus) the ritual (aisna) (for the sanctifying) of the work of art (cana-l = "tomb mural"? or "of December"?) / and of the house (tuχ-la-c if from θuc "house")(takes place?)." The beginning of 11.13 is obscure. Besides "of the house," tuχlac could also be a name, or diminutive (in -la-) of "house." The form eθri is either a necessitive of an otherwise unknown verb eθ or a locative of an equally unknown noun *eθra. The form suntnam could be a mis-writing of sunt (apparently a kind of vase) plus etnam "then, further. What these actually mean, and how and if they fit together with the last word in 11.13 ceχa "above, on behalf of" remains to be resolved.

11.14: "During this same morning (cntnam θesan) a sacrificial victim (fler) must be sacrificed (θeza-ri or "presented"?) for Veioves."

The underlining in 1.13 marks the end of one paragraph and the beginning of a new one.

D


 * 11.15 etnam . aisna a[r]a iχ huθiś zaθrumiś
 * 11.16 flerχvetr[-] neθunśl .cn . θunt . ei . tul . var

(Blank space of two lines)
 * 11.17 θunem . cialχu[ś . e]tnam . iχ . eslem . cialχuś
 * 11.18 canal . fler[...] cntnam . θesan

11.15- 16: "Then perform (ara or "make") a ritual (aisna) just as (iχ) (was performed) on the 24th (huθiś zaθrumiś probably of September--see 8.3), (with) a set of sacrificial victims (fler-χve-tr-) for Neptune (neθunś-l); (perform) this (cn) at first (θunt) (light?). Do not (ei) tul ("finish"?) but var ("wait"? "watch"?) (for the sunrise?).

11.17: "on the 31st also as on the 29th of cana ("December" or "art work") a sacrificial victim (fler- ?); during the morning (cntnam θesan) (the ritual will be completed)."

(E is missing)

F


 * 11.f1 flanac . farsi lant c[...] flanac . farsi
 * 11.f2 tunt . enac . etnam . aθumic . θlupcva
 * 11.f3 ceśum . tei . lanti . ininc . eśi . tei . χimθ
 * 11.f4 streta . satrs . enac . θucu . hamφeθiś . rinuś
 * 11.f5 θui . araś . sucus . ania.χeś . rasna . hilar
 * 11.f6 [...]tram. catrua . hamφes . leiveś

"And a flan priest in the far (and?) in the lan (must perform this rite?)... And the flan priest in the far / (and?) in the one (tu-n-t if for θunt) then (enac) also (etnam) (must do the same?) in the north (aθumic ) (for?) the chthonic gods (θlupcva if an error for θluscva), / whether anyone (ininc if an error for an-an'c or "whoever/whatever") lying (ceś-um if an error for cei-um) here in the lan- (tei lanti) or (eśi) in this offering place (tei χimθ) / (or) in the Saturnalia (streta or "place of Satr") of Saturn (satr-s); Then (enac) (perform the ritual) at the house (θucu) of the right hand (hamφeθiś rinuś); at this point (θui or "here" or "on this date"?) making (ar-as) the valley (mucum or "mug"?) of the area of the Ania River (ania.χeś) public (rasnaor Etruscan) property (hilar)..."

The fragment -tram could be cletram "litter" or cntram "on the same (morning)." The form catrua is otherwise unattested, possibly related to Latin caterva "group, croud." The frequent pair hamφes leiveś means "of the right (and) of the left."

Column 12
In this last section, only one partial date is mentioned, "the 29th" (month unspecified) on 12.10. Gods mentioned include ''aiseraś. śeuś 12.2 and uni(alti) 12.10 and possibly Caθ(re)'' in line 12.14.

A
 * 12.1 luθt raχ musce ca useti capiθi etnam
 * 12.2 aisna . iχ . nac . reuśce . aiseraś . śeuś
 * 12.3 θunχulem . muθ . hilarθune . eteric
 * 12.4 caθre . χim . enaχ . unχ va . meθlumθ. puts
 * 12.5 muθ . hilarθuna . tecum . etrinθi . muθ
 * 12.6 nac . θuc . unχ va . hetum . hilarθuna . θenθ

"(As for) the fire (raχ) mus'-ed on the stone (luθ-t), this (ca) (must be put??) in the Osa river at capi. Then (etnam) / (perform) the ritual (aisna) just as (iχ nac) it was done (reuś-ce??) for the Gods of Darkness (aiseraś śeuś), / and in harmony (θunχul-em or "unity"?) gather (muθ) the assembly of property owners (hilarθune) and the plebians (eteri-c) / at the place sacred to Cath (caθ-r-e) for the offering (χim). (As for the) property owners (hilarθuna), collect (muθ) whatever (enaχ) (is) theirs (unχva) (and) place (puts) (them) in the midst of the people (meθlumθ or "in the city"). / And give (tec-um??) what has been collected (muθ??) to the plebians (etrinθi??). / because (nac or "so") their (unχva) (possessions? deads?) (are) communal (θuc or "house"), and purify (hetum??) the property owners (hilarθuna?) in the θen''..."

B
 * 12.7 hursic . caplθu . ceχa m . enac eisna . hinθu
 * 12.8 hetum . hilarθuna . eteric . caθra
 * 12.9 etnam . aisna . iχ . matam . (small blank space here) vacltnam
 * 12.10 θunem . cialχuś . masn . unialti . ursmnal
 * 12.11 aθre . acil an sacnicn . cilθ . ceχa . sal

"and in the hurs. (As for) the capl people, (perform) also for (them) (ceχa-m) a chthonic (hinθu or "funerary") ritual (w); (and) purify the property owners and the plebians (and? or at?) the area sacred to Caθ. / So (etnam ) (perform?) the ritual as before (aisna iχ matam). Then (-tnam) (make) a libation (vacl) / on the 29th (θunem cialχuś literally "of one less thirty") (and) you must build (aθre acil) a mas in the (sacred area) of Juno (uni-al-ti locative on a genitive) of the bear (urmnal?? if related to Latin ursa; or "of Orsminmius"?) who (an) herself (sal) (watches?) over (ceχa) the citadel (cilθ) of the priesthood (sacnicn)."

The last phrase mirrors a similar one at 7.7.

C
 * 12.12 cus . cluce . caperi . samtic . svem . θumsa
 * 12.13 matan . cluctraś . hilar

12.12: "(and make a libation?) cus with a cloak (cluce?) (and) with a golden cape (caperi samti-c?)." This phrase mirrors a similar one at 8.10.

12'12-13: "and the sve priest (sve-m?) (and make a libation?) θum-ing / before (matan) the property (hilar) of the priesthood."

For the last line, Steinbauer offers: "before dressing (cluctr-aś as if a participle of cluctr- but the root should be merely cluc-). The end (hilar)."

(The rest of C is blank, as are D and F and probably the missing E was blank as well.) }}