À Propos des nouvelles tablettes de Thèbes, I: Les trois divinités ma-ka, o-po-re-i et ko-wa et les trois subordonnées temporelles dans la série Fq

Abstract

AbstractLinguistic, philological and historical considerations show that the editors of the new Thebes tablets correctly interpreted ma-ka, o-po-re-i and ko-wa as the dative forms of three theonyms: Mα Γα 'Mother Earth', Oπωρης = oπωρευς 'god of the fruits' (Zeus) and KoρFα (Attic Koρη). The nouns μα 'mother', γα/δα 'earth', να 'little girl' and μνα 'mina' are Pre-Greek loan-words. The following interpretations are proposed for the three temporal clauses in the Fq tablets: Fq 126 o-te tu-wo-te-to oτευoς ετo 'when he (: the priest) had placed the sacrifice (on the altar)'. Fq 130 o-te o-je-ke-te-to oτεoy εκσετo 'when he (: the priest) had exposed the tree-fruits (on the offering table)'. Fq 254 o-te a-pi-e-qe ke-ro- pa-ta oτε αμϕιhεσκwε γερoνταsigmav; παντας 'when he (: the priest) had made all the Elders follow him on both sides', i.e., 'when the priest had led a procession of all the Elders'. The editors correctly interpret de-qo-no (Fq 254) as the dative of δεικwνoς 'person charged with the preparation of sacred meals'.—The appendix contains a discussion of the origin of the passive aorist in-()η-, of oα 'tree-fruits', 'service berries', and of the original connexion between εν-επω 'tell' and επoμαι 'follow'.