Antiochus I 1
11 | man-ti-ʾi-ku-us LUGAL GALu₂ | (1) Antiochus, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Babylon, king of the lands, provider for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of king Seleucus, the Macedonian, king of Babylon, am I. |
22 | LUGAL dan-nu LUGAL ŠAR₂ LUGAL Eki LUGAL KUR.KUR | |
33 | za-ni-in E₂.SAG.IL₂ u₃ E₂.ZI.DA | |
44 | IBILA SAG.KAL ša msi-lu-uk-ku LUGAL | |
55 | lu₂ma-ak-ka-du-na-a-a LUGAL Eki | |
66 | a-na-ku i-nu-ma a-na e-pe₂-eš₁₅ | (6) When I decided to (re)build Esagil and Ezida, I moulded the bricks of Esagil and Ezida in the land of Hatti (=Syria) with my pure hands, using the finest oil, and for the laying of the foundations of Esagil and Ezida I brought them. |
77 | E₂.SAG.IL₂ u₃ E₂.ZI.DA | |
88 | lib₃-bi ub-lam-ma SIG₄-ḪI.A | |
99 | E₂.SAG.IL₂ u₃ E₂.ZI.DA | |
1010 | ina kurḫa-at-ti₃ ina ŠU-MIN-ia₂ el-le-ti | |
1111 | i-na I₃.GIŠ ru-uš-ti al-bi-in-ma | |
1212 | a-na na-de-e uš-šu ša E₂.SAG.IL₂ | |
1313 | u₃ E₂.ZI.DA ub-bi-il ina itiŠE U₄ 20-KAM | (13) In the month of Addaru, on the twentieth day, in year 43 (= 27 March 268 BC), I laid the foundations of Ezida, the true house, the temple of Nabû which is in Borsippa. |
1414 | MU 43-KAM uš-šu ša E₂.ZI.DA | |
1515 | E₂ ki-i-ni E₂ dNA₃ ša₂ qe₂-reb BAR.SIP₃ki | |
1616 | ad-de-e uš-ši-šu dNA₃ IBILA ṣi-i-ri | (16) Nabû, supreme heir, wisest of the gods, the proud one, who is worthy of praise, firstborn son of Marduk, offspring of Erua the queen who forms living creatures, look favourably (upon me). |
1717 | IGI.GAL₂.LA DINGIR-MEŠ muš-tar-ḫu | |
1818 | ša a-na ta-na-da-a-ti | |
1919 | šit-ku-nu IBILA reš-tu-u₂ | |
2020 | ša dAMAR.UTU i-lit-ti de₄-ru₆-u₂-a | |
2121 | šar-rat pa-ti-qat₂ nab-ni-ti | |
2222 | ḫa-diš nap-li-is-ma | |
2323 | i-na qi₂-bi-ti-ka ṣi-ir-ti | (23) At your supreme command, whose command is unalterable, may the downfall of the land of my foe, the achievement of my successes, triumphant victory over my enemies, a just rule, a prosperous reign, years of happiness and the full enjoyment of great old age, be a gift for the kingship of Antiochus and king Seleucus, his son, forever. |
2424 | ša la in-nen-nu-u₂ qi₂-bit-su | |
2525 | šu-um-qu-ut ma-a-ti a-a-bi-ia₂ | |
2626 | ka-ša₂-du er-ni-it-ti-ia₂1 | |
2727 | UGU na-ki-ri u₂-šu-uz-zu i-na li-i-ti | |
2828 | LUGALu₂-tu mi-ša₂-ri pa-le-e | |
2929 | bu-a-ri MU.AN.NA-MEŠ ṭu-ub lib₃-bi | |
3030 | še-be₂-e lit-tu-tu lu ši-ri-ik-ti | |
3131 | LUGALu₂-ti ša₂ man-ti-ʾi-ku-us | |
3232 | u₃ si-lu-uk-ku LUGAL DUMU-šu₂ | |
3333 | a-na da-ra-a-ti DUMU ru-be₂-e | (33) Son of the prince, Nabû, heir of Esagil, firstborn son of Marduk, offspring of Erua the queen, when with rejoicing and jubilation you enter Ezida, the true house, the house of your supreme divinity, at your true command, which cannot be annulled, may my days be long, my years many; may my throne be secure, my reign lengthy, on your exalted tablet which preserves the boundary of heaven and earth. |
3434 | dNA₃ IBILA E₂.SAG.IL₂ | |
3535 | bu-kur₂ dASAR.RI reš-tu-u₂ | |
3636 | i-lit-ti de₄-ru₆-u₂-a šar-rat | |
3737 | a-na E₂.ZI.DA E₂ ki-i-ni | |
3838 | E₂ da-nu-ti-ka šu-bat ṭu-<ub> lib₃-bi-ka | |
3939 | i-na ḫi-da-a-tu₂ u₃ ri-ša₂-a-tu₂ | |
4040 | i-na e-re-bi-ka i-na qi₂-bi-ti-ka | |
4141 | kit-ti ša la uš-tam-sa-ku li-ri-ku u₄-mi-ia₂ | |
4242 | li-mi-da MU.AN.NAti-ia₂ | |
4343 | li-kun gišGU.ZA-u₂-a li-il-bi-ir | |
4444 | pa-lu-u₂-a i-na gišDA-ka ṣi-i-ri2 | |
4545 | mu-kin pal-lu-uk-ku? ANe u KIti₃3 | |
4646 | i-na pi-i-ka el-li liš-tak-ka-nu | (46) In your pure mouth may my good fortune be constantly established. |
4747 | du-un-qi₂-ia₂ KUR.KUR-MEŠ TA ṣi-it dUTUši | (47) May I conquer the lands from the rising to the setting of the sun; may my hands inventory their tribute and may I bring it to perfect Esagil and Ezida. |
4848 | a-di e-re-eb dUTUši lik-šu-du4 | |
4949 | ŠU-MIN-a-a man-da-at-ti-ši-nu lu-us-ni-iq-ma | |
5050 | a-na šuk-lu-lu E₂.SAG.IL₂ | |
5151 | u₃ E₂.ZI.DA lu-bi-il dNA₃ | (51) Nabû, supreme heir, upon your entry to Ezida, the true house, may the good fortune of Antiochus, king of the lands, king Seleucus, his son, and Stratonike, his consort, the queen, be established in your mouth. |
5252 | IBILA SAG.KAL a-na E₂.ZI.DA | |
5353 | E₂ ki-i-ni i-na e-re-bi-ka | |
5454 | SIG₅ti₃ man-ti-ʾi-ku-us LUGAL KUR.KUR | |
5555 | msi-lu-uk-ku LUGAL DUMU-šu₂ | |
5656 | fas-ta-ar-ta-ni-ik-ku | |
5757 | ḫi-rat-su šar-ra-at | |
5858 | da-mi-iq-ti-šu₂-nu | |
5959 | li-iš-ša₂-kin i-na pi-i-ka |
1Although ka-ša₂-ad is expected grammatically and transliterated by previous editors, the sign bears little resemblance to the first sign of i.16. On close inspection, this is DU (cf. ii.17), inscribed over another partially erased sign. The traces of the original sign look like IR, which follows DU in the line; probably the scribe originally wrote IR and then corrected his omission.
2The penultimate word was previously read as haṭ-ṭa-ka, ‘your sceptre’. However, the first sign is GIŠ, not PA, and so we must read giš.DA, i.e. lē’û, ‘writing tablet’, which is of course more traditional for Nabû.
3The writing of pallukku (for pulukku, ‘boundary’) is problematic. Kuhrt and Sherwin-White read pal-lu-uk-ki, whereas van der Spek and Stol transliterate pal-lu!(KU)-uk-ku!(LU), with inversion of LU and KU. However, there is considerable variation in the writings of KU and LU throughout the cylinder, and sometimes they are written very similarly. The sign after PAL can certainly be read as LU, as there are parallel writings of the sign elsewhere in the text. The final sign is more difficult; it is definitely KU or LU but no writing of KU provides a clear parallel. Possibly this should still be read as an erroneous LU.
4Kuhrt and Sherwin-White’s original reading is correct here; the final sign of the line is DU and not DA, as read by van der Spek and Stol. We therefore have a masculine plural verb instead of expected feminine plural for the dual subject.