Tabula Bantina

The Tabula Bantina (Latin for "Tablet from Bantia") is a bronze tablet and one of the major sources for ancient Oscan, an extinct Indo-European language closely related to Latin. It was discovered in 1790 near Banzi (known as "Bantia" in antiquity), in the Italian region of Basilicata. It now may be found in the Naples Archaeological Museum.The New International Encyclopædia, Volume 18, 1910, p. 800, "Tabula BantinaTabula Bantina (Encyclopedia of Ancient History) by Carlos Sánchez-Moreno Ellart

Another piece of this broken bronze tablet, Fragment Adamesteano, shows a hole that a nail went through that affixed the tablet to a wall. The patterns of writing around this hole on each side helped to determine that the Latin side was the original, and that the other side of the already inscribed tablet was then put to use for the Oscan inscription. It was discovered by Mario Torelli in 1967, and it appears to be the bottom part of the original piece. It now resides in the Venosa National Archaeological Museum.

Discovery

The tablet was found in 1790 on the hill Monte Montrone, in the territory of Oppido Lucano (province of Potenza), among the finds from an ancient tomb. It consists of a sheet of bronze in three larger pieces and some smaller fragments. It likely dates between 150 and 100 BCE and is inscribed on both sides.

Contents

On one side of the tablet is inscribed a municipal law from the city of Bantia, written in Oscan with Latin characters and 33 lines long, as it is preserved, broken into six paragraphs. On the other side is written a Roman plebiscite in Latin. The Latin text may have been the original one, and the tablet later re-used for the Oscan inscription.

Many details of the Oscan legal language suggest influence from Latin legal formulas.Robrecht Decorte, "Sine dolo malo: The Influence and Impact of Latin Legalese on the Oscan Law of the Tabula Bantina" Mnemosyne: Brill, 04 Feb 2016: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42338522.pdf

The Oscan text probably dates from around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE, like sometime around close to the Social War.

From the text

First paragraph Lines 3-8 (the first couple lines are too damaged to be clearly legible).

In Oscan:

In English:

Notes: Oscan carn- "part, piece" is related to Latin carn- "meat" (seen in English 'carnivore'), from a Proto-Indo-European root *(s)ker- meaning 'cut'--apparently the Latin word originally meant 'piece (of meat).' Watkins, C. The American Heritage Dictionary Indo-European Roots Appendix 3rd ed. Collins. 2015 Oscan tangin- "judgement, assent" is ultimately related to English 'think'.

The formula senateis tanginud near the beginning of this passage is probably a calque (semantic borrowing) of the common Latin legal formula de senatus sententia "by decision of the Senate."Robrecht Decorte, "Sine dolo malo: The Influence and Impact of Latin Legalese on the Oscan Law of the Tabula Bantina" Mnemosyne: Brill, 04 Feb 2016: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42338522.pdf

Second paragraph

Lines 8–11

In Oscan:

In English:

Notes: In line 11, the phrase suae pis contrud exeic fefacust "If anyone shall act counter to this" recurs in line 17 and in line 25, though with a different verb: pruhipust. This again seems to be a word for word borrowing of the Latin legal phrase si quis adversus ea fecerit.

Third paragraph

In Oscan:

In English:

Notes: The Oscan legal phrase perum dolom mallom (14-15) seems to be a calque (semantic translation) of the widespread Latin legal phrase sine dolo malo "without bad intent." Further, "sipus(perum) dolom mallom" seems to reflect another common Latin legal phrase, sciens dolo malo "knowingly with bad intent."

The formula suae pis contrud exeic fefacust ionc suae pis herest meddis moltaum licitud ‘If anyone acts contrary to this, if any magistrate shall wish to fine him, it is allowed’ is essentially a word for word translation of the third century Latin legal phrase sei quis aruorsu hac faxit ... seiue mac[i]steratus uolet moltare, [li]cetod. ‘If anyone acts contrary to this ... if a magistrate wants to impose a fine, it is allowed.’Zair, N. "Big and small data in ancient languages" Philological Society of UK. 2017

Fourth paragraph

In Oscan:

In English:

Fifth paragraph

In Oscan:

In English:

Sixth paragraph

The sixth paragraph is more fragmentary that the first five.

In Oscan:

In English:

Fragment Adamesteano

Transcription:

]-LEIIST DOLOM[ ]D MALUD SUDANA [ ]ONC MEDDIS MOLTAUM H [ ]MOLTAUM LICITUD PIS [?] CC ARA [ ]STRAM CARNOM ACENEIS USUROM ]N II EH EX AC LIGUD ALLAM ]HIPUST PANTES CENSAS FUST ]S ACENEI POIZEIPID SPENTUD Q ]S IN EISIUSS DEIV ANS DEAVAT ]ENEIS PERUM DOLUM MALOM

Notes: The exact meaning of this fragment is not completely clear, but it seems to refer to a fine of 1200 pounds in silver, to the census and to an oath.

Note first full phrase and the final phrase, perum dolum malum/d discussed above.

The phrase ex ac ligud seems to be a borrowing of the very common Latin legal phrase ex hac(e) lege "in accordance with this law."Mnamon: Ancient Writing Systems in the Mediterranean: https://mnamon.sns.it/index.php?page=Esempi&id=24&lang=en

References

Tabula Bantina

Bron en licentie