Inscription TL 85
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 61, Borchhardt No: 44) in the Sea Necropolis of Myra. The tomb is the closest one to the theater building at the ground level.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ: xupã: m=ẽ=ti prñnawatẽ: esedeplẽmi:
2 hrppi ladi: ehbi: se tideime: ehbije: humelije:
Translation:
This tomb was built by Esedeplẽmi for his wife and for his legitimate descendants.
Inscription TL 86
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 83, Borchhardt No: 17) in the Sea Necropolis of Myra, carved on the upper crossbeam. The incised letters are painted alternately in red and green.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ: prñnawã: m=ẽ=ti prñnawatẽ: erimñnuha:
2 semuteh: tideimi: hrppi: atli: ehbi: se(j)=ẽni: ehbi:
Translation:
This tomb was built by Erimñnuha, son of Semute, for himself and his mother.
Inscription TL 87
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 84, Borchhardt No: 16) in the Sea Necropolis, on the left wall surface of the sofa.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ: xupã: m=e=ti
2 pr[ñ]nawatẽ: apñnãtama
3 hrppi: ladi: e[h]bi: se tide-
4 ime: me=i=pñ: pud?: ti ñte
5 xahba: [eh]bi: wazzije: kbatra
Translation:
This tomb was built by Apñnãtama for his wife and children and he has further admitted here those, who are in(side), his grandchild (and) his daughter Wazzije.
Inscription TL 88
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 92, Borchhardt No: 8) in the Sea Necropolis, on the left of the Hurttuweti Tomb.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ prñnawã m=ene prñnawatẽ ddaqasa sttuleh:
2 tideimi hrpi ladi ehbi se tideime se ẽke lati ddaqasa
3 m=ene ñtepi tãti ñtipa tezi se ladã ehbi kbi tike me=i nipe ñtepi tãtu
4 tibe=i nipe hlm̃mi tuwetu hlm̃mi me=i tuweti tike tibe=i
5 ñtepi tadi tike m=ene itlehi tubeiti trm̃mili huwedri
6 se trqqas: se mãhãi huwedri
Translation (Melchert, 2023):
Ddaqasa, son of Sttule, built this tomb for his wife and children, and when Ddaqasa dies, they shall put him into the ñtipa tezi, and his wife. Let them not put anyone else inside it, nor let them place an addition(?) on it. If they impose some addition(?) on it, or one puts anyone inside it, all the Lycian itlehi shall strike them, and the Storm-god and all the gods.
Inscription TL 89
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 16, Borchhardt No: 89) in the River Necropolis, just below the Painted Tomb.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 xupã: ebẽñnẽ: m=ẽn=adẽ: hri[xm̃]ma nẽne: ehbije: me=i ñt-
2 epi tasñti: ẽnehi: hrixm̃ma[hi] esedẽñnewẽ adi=me(j)=ẽ:
3 tik{:}e: xttbã: tisñke: m=ẽne: i[t]lehi: qãti: trm̃mili:
4 se=i=pm̃: pablãti: tijãi
Translation (Bryce, 1989 and Christiansen, 2009):
Hrixm̃ma has made this tomb for his brothers. And they will place within here the descendants of the mother of Hrixm̃ma. If anyone [does] any harm [to this tomb], the Lycian itlehi will destroy them and the punishments will chase after him.
Inscription TL 90
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 17, Borchhardt No: 92) in the River Necropolis, just below the tomb with TL 89.
Transliteration (Borchhardt et al., 2004):
1 ebẽñnẽ : xupã : ṃẽ ne prñnawatẽ : hrixm̃ṃ [a …… tideimi : men]e ñte-
2 pi tãti : hri<:>m̃mã : sejẽn : lusãtrahñ : seje[sedẽñnewẽ : ẽñnehi : lusãt]rahñ :
3 se ṃunaiti : hṛppi kduñ tijãi : ñtep̣[i] tãn[e : ……………..] ṭãti :
4 ladã : aladi ḍḍe zeti : adi : mẽjẽ ṭik[e] x̣tt[bã : tisñke]
5 me[n]e : itlehi [:?] qãñti : trm̃mili : seipṃ̃] [: pablãti : tijãi]
Translation (translated from Borchhardt et al., 2004):
This grave, now it was built by Hrixm̃ma[a the son of ……]. And they will put Hrixṃma and the mother of Lusãtra(=Lysander) and the maternal relatives of Lusã]tra on it. And the (?) …, who are to be placed on it … … the wife ……….. (unclear). If someone carries out [any destruction] on him, the Lycian itlehi will punish him, and [who (?) after him (?) …].
Inscription TL 91
It was on an Ionic architrave piece that has been found near Myra in 1882. The fate of the architrave is unknown.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ pr[ñ]nawã m=ene prñnawatẽ xlppasi xssẽñzijah ti[deimi me=ije ñte tãti]
2 xlppasi se ladu e[h]bi se=ije ni hrppi tãtu tike atlahi ti[be kbijehi me=i(j)=]
3 adi tike ti[h]e zu[m̃]mã me=we(j)=esu httẽmi
Translation (Bryce, 1989 and Christiansen, 2009):
This building Xlppasi, son of Xssẽñzijah, has built it. And they shall place within Xlppasi and his wife. Let them not place anyone (else) upon them, wheter from his own or from someone else’s (family). (If) someone (causes) any kind of damage, the wrath shall be upon him.
Inscription TL 92
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 101, Borchhardt No: 3) in the Sea Necropolis.
Transliteration (Christiansen, 2020):
1 [e]bẽñnẽ prñnawã m=e=ti prñ[naw]atẽ
2 [.]urttija mahanahidi axã[t]i u[we]hi
3 [hr]ppi ladi e<h>bi hrpp[i]=uwe [..]n[……]
Translation:
[.]urttija, the priest axãti uwehi (of cattle sacrifice (Melchert, 2004) or responsible for the cattle herds (Neumann, 2007)), built this tomb for his wife (and) his own …
Inscription TL 93
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No:102, Borchhardt No:2) in the Sea Necropolis.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 e[b]ẽñn[ẽ x]upã m=ẽ=t[i p]rñn[a]watẽ upazi musxxah tideimi hrppi ladi: ehbi: se tideime:
2 sttati=ti [me]=i [ñ]t[ep]i t[a.]i upazi se ladu: ehbi kbi tike me=i nipe ñtepi tãtu tibe=i nipe hlm̃mi tuwe[tu]
3 [..]ahi[.]i: hlm̃mi me=i tuweti tike tibe=i ñt[epi] tadi tike m=ẽne trqas tubidi se muhãi huwedri:
Translation (Bryce, 1986):
This tomb Upazi, son of Muskhkha, has built (it) for his wife and children sttati ti. And they will place within here Upazi and his wife. Let them not place anyone else within nor erect a hlm̃mi [ .. ]ahi[.]i. If anyone erects a hlm̃mi here or places anyone (else) within, Trqqas and the huwedri gods will punish him.
Inscription TL 94
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 87, Borchhardt No: 10) in the Sea Necropolis, just below the so-called Hurttuweti Tomb.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ: prñna[w]ã: m=e=ti: prñnawatẽ: hurttuw[e]ti: hrppi ladi: ehbi: m=e[n]e ñtepi tãti hrzzi: prñnawi: se ladã:
2 ehbi: se haxãnã: se=[ij]e ne: hrppi tãti: tik[e]: h[rpp]i=[(i)j]e=m[e=i] tadi: [t]ike: m=ene: itlehi: qãñti: trm̃mili:
3 se=i=te: ti(j)=ap[p]di: tike [..]edehe: me ttiti: ah[………] zata [….]n ẽni: qla[hi] ebijehi: pñtreñnehi
Translation (translated from Borchhardt, 1993):
This building, Hurtuweti has been built for his wife. And they shall bury him and his wife and Hax[ã]nã in the hrzzi priinawi (in the upper building), and they shall not bury anyone else above them. But if anyone undertakes a burial above them, then the Lycian itlehi shall punish them … and the local sanctuary of the …
Inscription TL 95
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 72, Borchhardt No: 29) in the Sea Necropolis, just below the house tomb on the left of the rocky slope. The inscription is hardly readable due to destruction.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 .eburehi#(j)=ẽ=ti: prñ[n]awate ..i..l.[h tide]imi …..addeh tuhes
2 hrpp(i)=ẽni: ehbi: se tuhe ehbije [me=i(j)=a]di ti[k]e tihe [z]um̃mẽ
3 m=ẽne itlehi: qañt[i] trm̃mili: h[u]we[dri]
Translation (translated from Alkan, 2013):
…’s son, …adde’s nephew [.]eburehi was built for his own mother and nephew, if anyone does any harm, all the Lycian gods will punish (him).
Inscription TL 96
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 25, Borchhardt No: 80) in the River Necropolis, to the left of the Painted Tomb. Only a few letters are visible due to destruction. The word “mu[.]i” read in the second line may be the name of the city, Muri (Myra).
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 [………….]re[b.]edise[..r]u[r]: [..]uga: […]uzireh:
2 se m[………..]ija mu[.]i: metluje: tu[…]ei: se terss[
3 […………….]i
Translation:
Not readable.
Inscription TL 97
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 71, Borchhardt No: 32) in the Sea Necropolis. Only a few letters are visible due to destruction.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 pr[ñ]nawat[……..
2 t.i.. hr[
3 .ut.eje .pt[
Translation:
Not readable.
Inscription N 308
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 54, Borchhardt No: 50) in the South Necropolis.
Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ xupu m=ana prñna-
2 [w]atẽ huzeimi hrppi ladi e[h-]
3 [b]i se tideime
Translation:
This tomb was built by Huzeimi for his wife and children.
Inscription N 309
It is on a rock-cut tomb (Tıbıkoğlu No: 29, Borchhardt No: 76) in the River Necropolis, just above the Painted Tomb. There are four inscriptions on the tomb. N 309a is on the interior façade, above the right entrance. It is only one word, which is the tomb owner’s name. N 309b has 5 lines that start just above N 309a and continue to the right wall of the anteroom. N 309c and N 309d are on the right side pillar of the outer façade. (All four texts follow an order. Neumann’s (1975) initial numbering of the four inscriptions was in a different order. Here, Eichner’s (1993) numbering recommendation is followed, which is generally accepted for reading the text in the correct order.
Transliteration (Christiansen, 2020):
N309a:
ddepñneweh
N309b:
1 ebẽñnẽ: xupã: m=ẽ=ti prñnawatẽ: ddepñnewe: hrppi: ladi
2 ehbi: xatm̃maje: m=ene=ñtepi=tãti: xatm̃mã: se sidi:
3 ehbi: kbijẽtezi: huzetẽi: kbi: tike: me=ije=ne=hri(j)=alahadi:
4 atlahi: tibe: kbijehi: hri=(i)je=me=i: alahadi: tike: terihe:
N309c:
5 tibe: hr[uttla]
6 ebeija: [….]
7 [x]ttadi[….]
8 [….].[….]
9 tike [
N309d:
10 ẽti: kbatra: sijẽn-
11 [i:] teli: ddepñne-
12 [w]eh: me=i: mãhãi: h-
13 ttẽm̃ : latãi: se=h-
14 eledi: se: trbbã-
15 mara: se: pddẽxba
16 se=tesm̃mi: m=ene
17 ni: ñtepi=hadu
18 lataze: s=ene
19 itlehi: qãñ[ti]
20 trm̃mili: huw[edri]
Translation (Christiansen, 2020):
Ddepñneweh
This tomb has built Ddepñnewe for his wife Xatm̃ma. And they will place her, (namely) Xatm̃ma and his/her(?) sidi(?) of second rank(?) Huzetẽi inside. And one should not assign(?) anyone else therein on top – (be it one) of the own (family) or one of another (family). (If) one assigns(?) a(nyone) third(tike terihe) therein on top – (be it one) of his own (family) or one of another (family) or (if) one [a]lters these hr[uttla], … anyone … down/below where the daughter of Ddepñnewe lies, then the wrath of the gods of the (realm of the) dead(?) and (of?) heledi(?) and Trbbãmara and Pddẽba and Tesm̃mi (will be) on him! And one should not let him to places of the dead(?) and al[l] the Lycian gods(or officials) shall strike(punish) him.
References:
Alkan, M. 2013. Klasik Çağ’dan Erken Bizans’a Myra Kenti ve Teritoryumu, Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Akdeniz Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Antalya.
Borchhardt, J. 1975. Myra – Eine lykische Metropole in antiker und byzantinischer Zeit, 1st Forsch 30, Berlin.
Borchhardt, J. 1993. ‘Die obere und die untere Grabkammer’, in Von der Bauforschung zur Denkmalpflege. Festschrift Alois Machatschek, eds. M. Kubelík – M. Schwarz, Wien, 7-22.
Borchhardt, J., H. Eichner, L. Kogler, M. Pesditschek & M. Seyer. 2004. ‘Grabherr und Stifter: Die Grabmäler Des Hrix̃ma in Myra’, ÖJh 73, 15-52.
Bryce, T. R. 1986 The Lycians Vol.1: The Lycians in Literary and Epigraphic Sources, Kopenhagen.
Christiansen, B. 2009. ‘Typen von Sanktionsformeln in den lykischen Grabinschriften und ihre Funktionen’, Die Sprache 48, 44-54.
Christiansen, B. 2020. ‘Grave Matters. Legal Provisions for a Proper Final Rest in Classical Lycia’, in Das Xanthostal Lykiens in archaisch-klassischer Zeit, ed. M. Zimmermann, 166-261.
Eichner, H. 1993. ‘Beiträge zur Interpretation lykischer Inschriften’, in Akten des II. Int. Lykien-Symposiums, Wien 1990, eds. J. Borchhardt & G. Dobesch, Wien, Bd. 1, 229–242.
Kalinka, E. 1901. Tituli Asiae Minoris, Vol.1, Vindobonae.
Melchert, H. C. 2001. LycianCorpus.pdf at www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/Melchert
Melchert, H. C. 2004. A Dictionary of the Lycian Language, Ann Arbor – New York.
Melchert, H. C. 2023. Aspects of Anatolian Linguistics, unpublished lecture notes at Universita Karlova in Prag.
Neumann, G. 1975. ‘Die lykischen Grabinschriften von Myra’, in: Myra: Eine lykische Metropole in antiker und byzantinischer Zeit, IstForsch 30, Berlin, 150-156.
Neumann, G. 1979. Neufunde lykischer Inschriften seit 1901, (Denkschr. ÖAW, phil.-hist. Kl. 135), Wien.
Neumann, G. 2007. Glossar des Lykischen, Überarbeitet und zum Druck gebracht von J. Tischler, Wiesbaden.
Tıbıkoğlu, H. O. 2021. Myra Kaya Mezarları, Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Akdeniz Üniversitesi, Antalya.
Image Sources:
E. Kalinka, 1901
G. Neumann, 1979
H. Eichner, 1993
B. Christiansen, 2020
H. O. Tıbıkoğlu, 2021
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2024
Tayfun Bilgin, 2024