Amarna letter EA 252, titled: Sparing One's Enemies, [1] is a square, mostly flat clay tablet letter written on both sides, and the bottom edge. Each text line was written with a horizontal line scribed below the text line, as well as a vertical left margin-line, (beginning of text at left) scribe line on the obverse of the tablet. The letter contains 14 (15) lines on the obverse, continuing on the bottom tablet edge to conclude at line 31 on the reverse, leaving a small space before the final tablet edge. At least 4 lines from the obverse intrude into the text of the reverse (appearing as upside-down cuneiform into the text of the reverse), actually dividing the reverse into a top half and bottom half, and even creating a natural spacing segue to the reverse's text, and the story.
Letter EA 252 is authored by Labaya, by the 'Man, city-state' (of) Šakmu ( Shechem today), and written to the Pharaoh. The letter is letter one of three letters authored by him, to the Pharaoh. In the current List of Amarna letters by size, it is the smallest clay tablet letter, being only ~3 in tall by ~2 in wide.
The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten ( Amarna), in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.
The topic of the letter is Labaya's defense against other governors of city-states that he is engaged with. A town and statue were taken, and he defends his then follow-up actions of pursuit, to the pharaoh's commissioner. He states: "my parts are eaten/ I'm being slandered". The exact quote is "...he has slandered me, (and/ u), I am slandered-( ši- ir- ti)."
Directly next, an allegory, lines 16–19, follows concerning "a pinched ant-defending itself". Basically, if an ant is attacked, should it just sit quiet, or defend against the "hand of the man" that attacks? Labaya then explains his justification for pursuing the men in warfare (Akkadian nukurtu, nu- KÚR- te, (last syllable most variable in spellings)), [2] and the events to follow.
EA 252, letter one of three. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.) [3] (Obverse only, Paragraphs I, ~II; about a 3-paragraph letter):
Obverse: (see here: [1])
EA 252, Reverse: (Photo in Rohl [4])
The Akkadian language text:
English:
Akkadian:
Cuneiform score (per CDLI, Chicago Digital Library Initiative), [5] and Akkadian, and English.
Obverse
Paragraph I, (lines 1-4)
1.(P. I of III)-
a-
na 1=
diš
ŠÀR
bi-
lí-
ia
___
a
na 1=
diš
ŠÀR
bē
lu-
ia
___To m=male=
diš
King
Lord-
mine
2.
qí- -----
bil- -----
ma( !! )
___
qa
b
û — !!
___speaking — !!
3.
um-
ma 1=
diš
La-
ab-
a-
ya
ÀRAD-
ka
___
um
ma, – 1=
diš
La-
ab-
a-
ya
ÀRAD-
ka
___"message thus", – m=male=
diš
Labaya, servant-
yours
4.
a-
na _GÌRI-
MEŠ_-
pí (
ŠÀR)
be-
lí-
ia
am-
qú-
ut
___
a
na _GÌRI-
MEŠ_-
pí (
ŠÀR)
Bē
lu-
ia, —
ma
qā
tu — !
___at (the) feet
pl., – (King),
Lord-
mine, — I bow — !
Paragraph II, (lines 5-15)
5.(P. II of III)-
i-
nu-
ma
šap-
ra-
ta
___
e
nū
ma, –
šap
ār
u
[6]
___Now(at this time), – (you) messaged(wrote):
6.
a-
na
ia-
a-
ši
ú-
ṣur-
mì
___
a
na
i
ā
ši, — Quote
na
ṣār
u — !! —
___to Me, — QuoteEn-Guard — !! —
7. _
LÚ-
MEŠ_
ša
ṣa-
ab-
tu _IRI_
___ _
LÚ-
MEŠ_(amēlu)
pl.
ša
ṣa
bā
tu _
URU_ — ? EndQuote
___(the)
men
pl.
which en-sieged (the) town — ? EndQuote
segue
8.
ki-
i
uṣ-
ṣur-
ru-
na _
LÚ-
MEŠ_
___Quote
k
ī
na
ṣā
r
u
___ QuoteHow to guard (the) men
pl. —,
9.
i-
na
nu-
KÚR-ti7
ṣa-
ab-
ta
at-
mì _IRI_
___
i
na
nu
kurtu
ṣa
bā
tu
ta
mû
[7] _
URU_ — ?EndQuote
___ in warfare en-sieged (sworn-to) town — ?EndQuote
segue
10.
ki
it-
mi
ša-
li-
mì
ù
ki
it-
mì
it-
ta#-
mì
___ Quote-#2
kī
ta
mû
[7]
ša
lā
mu
___ Quote-#2
How to swear peace
10.6--------------
ù
ki
it-
mì
it-
ta#-
mì ((IRI))
___-----------------
u
kī
ta
mû
[7]
ta#
mû
[7] (_
URU_) — ?
___-----------------
and
how "to swear" "sworn-to" (
town) — ?
11. 1=(
diš)- -----
LÚ-
GAL- -----
it-
ti-
ia ( !! )
___ ((that))(ša), – 1=(
diš)-
LÚ-
GAL itti--
ia – ?
___ ((that)), – (the) m=male=
diš-Commissioner (assigned) with-
Me – ?
12.
ṣa-
ab-
ta-
at-
mì _IRI_
___
ṣa
bā
tu
ta
mû
[7] _
URU_ — ! ?EndQuote
___(the) captured sworn-to _
town_ — ! ?EndQuote-#2
segue
13.
Ù
i-
li
qa-
bi
___
U, –
i
lu
qa
bû – :
___
And, – (the)-god spoke – :
14.
qa-
ar-
ṣí-
ia : (–
gl–
)
ši-
ir-
ti
___Quote
qa-
ar-
ṣí-
ia : (–
gl–
)
ši-
ir-
ti
___Quote"My parts are eaten"(intestines, insides)-mine : (–
gl–
) "I am slandered – !"
15.
i-
na
pa-
ni-
ma
be-
li-
ia
___
i
na
pā
n
u(="face")
Bē
lu-
ia — !EndQuote
___"before", (my)-Lord-
mine — !EndQuote
Paragraph III, (lines 16-31)
16.(P. III)-
Ša-
ni-
tam
ki-
i
na-
am-
lu
___
Ša
ni
tam, –
k
ī
na
m
lu
[8]
___Furthermore, – when ants
17.
tu-
um-
ha-
ṣú
la-
a
___
tu-
um-
ha-
ṣú, —
l
ā
___are squeezed, —
17.7--------------
la-
a
___----------------
l
ā
___----------------(they) do not
Reverse
18.
ti-
qá-
bi-
lu ------
ù
ta-
an-
šu-
ku
___
qa
b
û — !
___(just)(speak) yell — !
18.5-------------
ù
ta-
an-
šu-
ku
___----------------
u
na
šā
ku
[9] — !
___----------------
but bite — !
19.
qà-
ti _
LÚ_-
lì
ša
yi-
ma-
ha-
aš-
ši
___qātu _
LÚ_
ša mahāṣu — !
___(the) HAND, _
MAN_,
that attacks — !
20.
k
ī
a-
na-
ku
i-
ša-
ha-
tu
___Quote
k
ī
a
nā
ku
i-
ša-
ha-
tu
___ QuoteHow (can) I "abide time"
21.
ú-
ma-
an-
nu-
tú
ù
___
ú-
ma-
an-
nu-
tú —
___day this ("at this time"), —
21.8-------------
ù
___----------------
u
___----------------
and-(with)
22.
ṣa-
ab-
ta-
at-
mì 2-(
diš _IRI_-
ia
___
ṣa
bā
t
u–
at-
mì(
ta
mû)
[7] 2-(
diš_ _
URU_-
ia—! ?EndQuote
___seizing (of)–(sworn) 2
cities-
mine—! ?EndQuote
segue
23.
Ša-
ni-
tam
šum-
ma
ti-
qa-
bu
___
Ša
ni
tam, —
šum
ma
qa
bû
___Furthermore, — when(if) (you) say
24.
ap-
pu-
na-
ma
___
ap-
pu-
na-
ma (
pā
n
u, ?come face)
___Quote"come forward" ((and))
25.
nu-
pu-
ul-
mì
___
na
pā
l
u
[10] — !
___Demolish — !
26.
ṭe-
ah-
ta-
mu
ù
___
ṭe
h
û
u
___approach
and
27.
ti-
ma-
ha-
ṣú-
ka
___
ma
hā
ṣ
u, — !
___attack, — !
28.
i-
pé-<
šu>-
ú-
ṣur-
ru-
na
29.
LÚ-
meš
ša
ṣa-
ab-tu4 _IRI_ <
ù>
___
LÚ
meš
ṣa
bātu
URU
___(the)
men
pl.
who en-sieged (the)
townUnQuote
segue
30.
i-
li
šu-
ṣú-
mì
[11]
a-
bi-
ia
___
i
lu, —
ez
ēz
u
a
bu-
ia
___[(the) god(s) ((listened))], — defilers (of) Father-
mine
31.
ù
ú-
ṣur-
ru : (–
gl–
)
šu-
nu
___
u, –
e
zē
ru : (–
gl–
)
šu
nu(=them) — !
___
and, – I curse them — !