Lycian Inscriptions of Tlos

Inscription TL 22
On the smoothed rock below a niche grave next to the temple-style rock-cut tomb, the so-called Bellerophon Tomb.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 hrixttbili mahana-
2 hi: uwehi: se lada ehbi:

Translation:
Hrixttibili, the divine Uwehi, and his wife (lies here).

Inscription TL 23
It is a bilingual Lycian-Greek inscription that is recorded in the 19th century on a sarcophagus but could not be rediscovered again and is regarded as lost.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebẽñnẽ ñtatu [m]=ẽ=ti
2 prñn[aw]atẽ el[puw]eti
3 a[tl]i eh[b]i s[e …..]
4 .lu ax[u]ti .jm̃m.t..

Translation (translated from Dardano, 2015):
Elpuweti has built this burial chamber for himself and […] the sacrificer (or priest) …
(Translation of the Greek inscription: Elpoatis made arrangements for himself and his sons.)

Inscription TL 24
A one-word Lycian name is repeated on the two adjacent sides of the Izraza Monument.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
Izraza – Izraza.

Inscription TL 25
It is a bilingual Lycian-Greek inscription engraved on a statue base that was used as a spolia in the theater building.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebeis: tukedris: m[… epi]
2 tuwetẽ: xssbezẽ: krup[sseh]
3 tideimi: se purihime[teh]
4 tuhes: tlãñna: atru: ehb[i]
5 se ladu: ehbi: tikeukẽprẽ
6 pilleñni: urtaqijahñ: kbatru
7 se prijenubehñ: tuhesñ

Translation (translated from Borchardt, 2001):
Xssbezẽ of Tlos, child of Krupsse, nephew of Purihimete, erected these statues (representing) himself and his wife, Tikeukẽprẽ of Pinara, daughter of Urtaqija and niece of Prijenube.
(Translation of Greek inscription (translated from Dardano, 2015): Porpax, son of Thrypsis, grandson of Pyribates, (native) of Tlos (has erected these statues representing) himself and (his) wife Tiseusembra (native) of Pinara, daughter of Ortakia, granddaughter of Prianoba, for Apollo. Theodore, an Athenian, made (them).)

Inscription TL 26
It is a bilingual Lycian-Greek inscription engraved on a large block of stone that was used as a spolia in the theater building. The right half of the stone was lost due to demolition. The inscription possibly comes from a sanctuary and mentions a cult foundation of the Izraza (Schürr, 2012).

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 ebeija: erublija: m=e ñt[e tuwetẽ:……….: tide-]
2 imi: trm̃misñ: xñtawat[e teri: ……….:…………..]
3 se qla=(e)bi: putu: se iprehi:[……………………-]
4 ehñ: tideimi: se tideim[i …………………………..]
5 epñ: maxitẽni: se=i=ne: ti.[……………………..]
6 izraza: tibe=i terñ terñ […………………………..]
7 punãmadi: m=ẽne: trqqas: […………………….-]
8 nahi: se qla(j)=ebi: putu: se[…………………….]
9 se muhãi: ñte=je=(e)wẽ: km̃mẽ [………………]
10 pladetijas: przis: se(j)=epris:se=ije[……..tid-]
11 eimẽ kumazadi: mahãna: e[……………………-]
12 na: upahi: adaijẽ: malijehe:[……………………]
13 arailise: H|||-: haqaduwehe: Y||- t[…………..]
14 ppebẽñti: OO||- pagda: O<|||-: purθ[……….]
15 mñnãtahi: O|||-: winbẽte: O|||- x[……………]
16 me kumezeiti nuredi: nuredi: a[……………….]
17 ni: qla=(e)bi: putu: kbisñn: iprehi: kbi[………]
18 uhi=de: trqqñti: wawã: trisñni: qla[………….-]
19 eli: epeite me=i zedi: tike: kumalihe [……….-]
20 be: kumazã: ebẽñnẽ: izraza: tibera […………]
21 pinale: telebehi: xadawãti: udreki: me=i te[….-]
22 ihe: ebẽ: mahãna: ebette: tibe: izraza: kuz[…..]
23 […………………]-wãti: km̃mẽ […………………]
24 […………………]qlahi:ebi[jehi…………………..]

Translation:
(Line 1-2 – translated from Schürr, 2012)

This erublija was [now erected by Izraza, the s]on of …
[When Arttum̃para r]uled Lycia
… …
… …
(Line 12-15 Payments for the sanctuary by the different communities pertaining to the city of Tlos – Gander, 2014)
upahi, in ada, for the Malieans (number) […
for Arailisi 103 ½, for the Haqaduweans 52 ½, for T[… (number)]
for Ppebẽñti 22, for Pagda 18 ½, for Purth[… (number)]
for Mñnãtahi 13 ½ and for Winbẽte: 13 ½
… …
… …

Inscription TL 27 in Düğer(Düver/Düwer)
It was found on a stone used as spolia on the wall of a building in Düğer village near Tlos and moved to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 mexisttẽn(e)=ẽ: ep[i]
2 tuwete: atli: eh-
3 bi: sxxulijah: ti-
4 deimi: sa=ladi:
5 ehbi: merimawaj[e]
6 petẽnẽneh: tide-
7 imi: se tideimi
8 ehbi: sxxulije

Translation:
Mexisttẽ, the child of Sxxulija, erected it for himself, for his wife Merimawa, child of Petẽnẽne, and for his child Sxxulija.

Inscription TL 28
The inscription, which was found in the 19th century and published in the Corpus of Kalinka, is lost today.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 ñte=ne putinezi tuw[… …]
2 prijabuhãmah kbatru n[… …]
3 mlttaimi mrbbanada[… …]
4 ladu uwitahñ xahb[u]
5 apuwazahi p[r]ñnezijehi

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
Putinezi, (son) of Prijabuhãma, [has] inst[alled] inside it the daughter n[…], mlttaimi [of/for the] mrbbanada(?), wife of […], grandchild of Uwita, household member of Apuwaza.

Inscription TL 29
It is on a sarcophagus by the road of Tlos. The 19-line inscription is partly damaged. It includes some famous historical persons such as Alexander the Great, Persian satrap Artumpara, and Carian satrap Idrieus.

Transliteration (Tekoğlu, 2006):
1 ikuweti:prñnawate:ipresidah:tideimi:[…]lupe[h]
2 tuhes:ñtatu:atli:seladi:ehbi:tuhesi:sm̃meseñne:θurtta:ãxrahidi
3 axuti:uwehi:señtemlẽ:qastteteli:erbbe:metiñtẽmlẽ:przze:astteteli
4 sejahata:astte:setijala:ãxr<a>hi:itẽne:uwehi)ẽnẽhatusm̃mateteri:erijeina:ạ[t]tlup[..]
5 ñtepi:wazzisñ: xalxxa:edrijeusehñ:meijehlm̃mi:zzatije:ti[.]i[..]a[..]
6 [.]j̣einahe:señnemlẽ:θurttu:telixa:seiñtepi:wazzisñ:telixa:pddãti:meije:pddati:meije[..]
7 [..]atusm̃mateteri:erijeina:xlxxebẽñti:arttum̃para:medese:pddatiti:erije:meñnezzatija[……..]
8 [..]sajaje:pijẽte:emum̃maja:hrṃazaxa:zz<a>tijaha:sedeplm̃mi:kñtuni:mlm̃meite:θẽjubexu:xalte[……]
9 […]sajaxa)hlm̃mide:alaxssãṇ̃tra:eriteteri:trm̃misñ:ñtepi:xñtawata:apptteteri:m̃m[…….]
10 […]atitlẽzijetube:mexeṃ[..]̃ẓạ̃:[..]pa[.]ti:meñnesetebẽtẽ:aba:sum̃me:texisxxu:seije[.]u[…..]
11 [….]a:seiñetelẽzijẽ:tddãp̣a:meuzzew[..]qari[j]ekm̃mẽti:medehlm̃mitipa)persñ:arssuma:s[…]e[…….]
12 [….]i:setrm̃misñxalte:mesijas:zxxe[..]xna[..]ñxata:señnepẽnẽputu:meije[…]xa[..]jala[
13 […]:[.]ãtẽrina:sesm̃mu:uxrejejẽ:uw[………….]ñnu:pddana:señne:[.]urt[
14 [……]xawari:pddãti:me[.]ese:ẽnẽ[……………..]tu:xlame:exeiteti:meuwe[
15 [……]amas:turax:seijepiturllije:sm̃matẽ[……..]tederi:sejepñne:[
16 [……]meuweseriqe[…]utabaza:pij[…]:sed[………..]a:helazi:ajãxa:[..]ei[
17 […]tixzzi :ijãnazi:setrm̃milihrppitrqqñt[…………….]sm̃mateteri:[….]i:erite[…]
18 […]tẽ:turawas:meijeurseje:arñna:[……………………..]ta[..]a[..]lxxa:xaltte[
19 [.]ahlẽ:meije[…..]xu:meije[………………………….]tihetañni

Translation:
(Line 1-2)
Ikuwe, child of Ipresida, nephew/niece of [..]lupe, built this burial place for himself, his wife and his nephew.

(Line 3 – translated from Schürr, 2012)
“and where he defeated the ñtemlẽ in battles, since now the ñtẽmlẽ submitted to the front(?).”

(Line 4-6 – translated from Schürr, 2012)
“When below the hata- …te erije ina A.[t]tlup[.] I xal-ed into it an image(?) of Idrieus. I teli-ed the uncle and I teli-ed into him an image(?).

(Line 9 – Christiansen, 2021)
‘… Alexander … when he brought Lycia under (his) rule …

Inscription TL 30
On a sarcophagus in Tlos.

Transliteration (Melchert, 2001):
1 tiwiθθeimija: ade[………]
2 ti: tubehidi: axãti: uz[……..]

Translation:
Tiwiθθeimija did [….] tubehi sacrifice [….]

Inscription N 333
An offering inscription on a small altar that was found in 1999.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 [..]x̣ạqnạh
2 [..]ḥe adai ŏ ||
3 [s]ẹ? ṭiwiθθeim-
4 [i u]wadi uhaẓa[t]
5 [a]ṃẽhaxupịθ̣?u-
6a [..-]tẽ tewiθθ-
6b             -eimi31
7 [..]ddu θθbãnḅ?
8 […]ạxulñti
9 q.?[…]naza
10 [… …].i[… …]
11 [… …]na se ñte tuẉ[e… …]

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
To […]xaqna’s [..].. ŏ 2(?) ada. [An]d? to Tiwiθθeimi with a cow yearly … And […] .. Tewiθθeimi […].. θθbãnb?…[…] … […]… and [they?] plac[e] inside […]

Inscription N 334
On a partially buried rock-cut tomb at the eastern side of the acropolis.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 ipresida
2 ajẽta..dẽ
3 h aṛmana-
4 zah: tidei-
5 ṃi: ikụweh
6 ṭedi: ṣe pṛṇ̃-
7 [n]ẹzijeh<i>: hrp̣p̣-
8 [i] ḷadi ehbi sẹ
9 tideime
10 ṣej=aitẽ aw-
11 ạhãi ala-
12 dahali ada
13 ||

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
Ipresida, the child of Ajẽta..dẽ (and?) of Armanaza, the father and household member of Ikuwe, for his wife (and) the children. And the undertakers(?) made the allocation(?): (an amount) of 2 ada (have been established for it).

Inscription N 342
There are two inscriptions (N 342a and N 342b) on a rock-cut tomb found by the excavation at the northeastern side of the acropolis hill. N 342a is on the upper crossbeam. N 342b is located just below N 342a, on the door lintel. The second inscription is thought to have been added later but the texts are almost parallel to each other.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
N 342a:
1 Qñturahi=ti: prñnawate: Terssipuleh
2. sedi: se pibiti: awaha: aladahali ada <

N 342b:
1 Qñturahi=ti prñnawate se Terssipulih
2 sedi se tuhes se=ije=ñte
3 tãtẽ tesi miñti: alada-
4 hali ada <

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
N 342a:
Qñturahi, the son-in-law(?) of Terssipule, has built it. And they give the undertakers(?) for the allocation(?) 5(?) ada.

N 342b:
Qñturahi, both the son-in-law(?) and nephew of Terssipuli has built it. And they have established for the Mindis under oath (by means of a sworn contract) for the allocation(?) 5(?) ada.

Inscription N 343
It is a Lycian-Greek bilingual text on a stone fragment found in Tlos.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 [… … ] … [… … ]
2 [… … pt?e?]una, paḥ[… … ]

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
[…] … […] [Pte]una? (son of) Pa[…]

Inscription N 352
It is on a stone fragment with only four letters preserved, possibly a funerary inscription.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
[… …]ẹñte[… …]

Inscription N 353
It is on a stone fragment with only a few letters preserved on two lines, possibly a tomb inscription.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 [… …]ṣ[… …]
2 [… …]ereh dḍ[… …]
3 [… …]hị[… …]

Inscription N 354
It is on a stone fragment with only a few letters preserved.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 [… …].ḥ[… …]
2 [… …]tẹ[… …]

Inscription N 355
It is on a stone fragment with only three letters preserved, found in Zindan near Tlos.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 [… …]ele[… …]

Inscription N 356
There are two inscriptions (N 356a and N 356b) on a marble block found in Tlos. Both inscriptions are on the same face of the marble block and separated with an uninscribed empty area between them. N 356 is on the left, and N 356b is on the right. The left side of N 356a and the right side of N 356b is broken. Texts are partly parallel to each other and also to TL 28.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
N 356a:
1 […..] putin[e]zi tuwete
2 [prija]ḅuhãmah kbatru ehbi
3 […..]ṭiweh tezṇ̃? p̣ụẉẹj̣ẹhñ
4 [lad]u uwitahñ xahbu
5 [apuwa]zahi prñnezijehi

N 356b:
1 ṇ̃[? … …]
2 prij̣[… …]
3 hrppị[… …]
4 ladu u[… …]
5 ạpuẉạzạ[… …]

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
N 356a:
Putinezi, (son) of Prijabuhãma, has installed […] his daughter, tez(e)(?) of […]tiwe, [wi]fe of Puweje(?), grandchild of Uwita, household member of [Apuwa]za.

Inscription N 357
It is a two-line inscription on a rock-cut tomb in Tlos.

Transliteration (Christiansen, 2019):
1 sixeriwale: ddew[ele]deh: tideimi: atli
2 se=(e)sedẽ[ñ]newi: xñnahi: aladahali: ada

Translation (Christiansen, 2019):
Sixeriwale, son of Ddew[ele]de, (built it) for himself and the grandmother’s descendants. For the allocation(?) (an) ada (amount has been established).

Inscription N 358 ?
It’s a Lycian-Greek bilingual inscription on an architrave block found at the eastern slope of the acropolis hill, in the south part of the bouleuterion. The block belongs to a rock-cut tomb on the slope. (The inscription is yet to be assigned a number.)

Transliteration (Tekoğlu & Korkut, 2023):
Mãxazusttã-ti: prñnawate: Hrixm̃mah:tideimi:hrppi-ladi
se-tideime

Translation (Tekoğlu & Korkut, 2023):
Mãxazusttã, son of Hrixm̃ma, built it for wife and children.
(Translation of Greek inscription: Megasystas, the stadium-runner.)


References:
Benndorf, O. & G. Niemann. 1884. Reisen in Lykien und Karien (Reisen im südwestlichen Kleinasien I), Wien.
Borchhardt, J. 2001. ‘Das Anathem des Xssbezê in Tlos (TL 25), in Essays in Honour of Cevdet Bayburtluoğlu, eds. C. Özgünel et al., 35-50.
Christiansen, B. 2019. ‘Editions of Lycian Inscriptions not Included in Melchert’s Corpus from 2001’, in Luwic dialects and Anatolian – Inheritance and diffusion, eds. I. X. Adiego et al., 65-134.
Christiansen, B. 2021. ‘Palaeographic Dating of Lycian Inscriptions. A Critical Review of Former Studies and a New Approach’, HAR 2/1, 27-63.
Dardano, P. 2015. ‘Le iscrizioni bilingui licio-greche nel loro contesto socio-storico: tipi e funzioni a confronto’, SSL LIII (2), 207-226.
Gander, M. 2014. ‘Tlos, Oinoanda and the Hittite Invasion of the Lukka Lands. Some Thoughts on the History of North-Western Lycia in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages”, Klio 96/2, 369-415.
Işın, G. & E. Yıldız, 2017. ‘Tomb ownership in Lycia. Site selection and burial rights with selected rock tombs and epigraphic material from Tlos’, in Life and Death in Asia Minor in Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine times. Studies in Funerary Archaeology 10, eds. Brandt, J. R. et al., 85-108.
Kalinka, E. 1901. Tituli Asiae Minoris, Vol.1, Vindobonae.
Korkut, T. & Tekoğlu, R. 2019. ‘Tlos Antik Kenti Qñturahi Kaya Mezarı’, OLBA XXVII, 169-188.
Melchert, H. C. 2001. LycianCorpus.pdf at www.linguistics.ucla.edu/people/Melchert
Seyer, M. 2019. ‘Some Terms for Funerary Monuments of Lycia in the Classical Period 1: Sarcophagi’, in Luwic dialects and Anatolica, BMO vol.12, eds. I.X. Adiego et al., 251-284, Barcelona.
Schürr, D. 2012. ‘Der lykische Dynast Arttumbara und seine Anhänger’, Klio 94, 18–44.
Tekoğlu, R. 2006. ‘TL 29: Una nuova proposta di lettura’, in Studi linguistici in onore di R. Gusmani, Alessandria, eds R. Bombi et al., 1703-1710.
Tekoğlu, R. 2017. ‘Old and newly discovered Lycian Inscriptions from Tlos’, in Hittitology Today, 5e Rencontres d’Archéologie de L’IFÉA, Istanbul 21-22 November, 2014, ed. A. Mouton,63-68.
Tekoğlu, R. & T. Korkut. 2023. ‘A Lycian-Greek bilingual funerary Inscription from Tlos’, Barcino. Monographica Orientalia 22 – Series Anatolica et Indogermanica 4, 253-263.


Images:
O. Benndorf & G. Niemann, 1884
E. Kalinka, 1901
J. Borchhardt, 2001
iDAI Arachne IDs:1147967, 1147966, 1966169, 1145938
R. Tekoğlu, 2006
M. Gander, 2014
G. Işın & E. Yıldız, 2017
R. Tekoğlu, 2017
B. Christiansen, 2019
T. Korkut & R. Tekoğlu, 2019
M. Seyer, 2019
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2023