Tabula Bantina
# 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.

## 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. 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.

The Oscan text probably dates from around 89 BC but whether it was written before or after the Social War (War of the Allies) is disputed.

## From the Text

First paragraph out of six paragraphs, lines 3-8 (the first couple lines are too damaged to be clearly legible):

   (3) ...deiuast maimas carneis senateis tanginud am ... (4) XL osiins, pon ioc egmo comparascuster. Suae pis pertemust, pruter pan ... (5) deiuatud sipus comenei, perum dolum malum, siom ioc comono mais egmas touti- (6)cas amnud pan pieisum brateis auti cadeis amnud; inim idic siom dat senates (7) tanginud maimas carneis pertumum. Piei ex comono pertemest, izic eizeic zicelei (8) comono ni hipid.

In Latin:

   (3) ...iurabit maximae partis senatus sententia [dummodo non minus] (4) XL adsint, cum ea res consulta erit. Si quis peremerit, prius quam peremerit, (5) iurato sciens in committio sine dolo malo, se ea comitia magis rei publicae causa, (6) quam cuiuspiam gratiae aut inimicitiae causa; idque se de senatus (7) sententia maximae partis perimere. Cui sic comitia perimet (quisquam), is eo die (8) comitia non habuerit.

In English:

   (3) ...he shall take oath with the assent of the majority of the senate, provided that not less than (4) 40 are present, when the matter is under advisement. If anyone by right of intercession shall prevent the assembly, before preventing it, (5) he shall swear wittingly in the assembly without guile, that he prevents this assembly rather for the sake of the public welfare, (6) rather than out of favor or malice toward anyone; and that too in accordance with the judgment of the majority of the senate. The presiding magistrate whose assembly is prevented in this way shall not hold the assembly on this day.

Notes: Oscan carn- "part, piece" is related to Latin carn- "meat" (seen in English 'carnivore'), from an Indo-European root *ker- meaning 'cut'--apparently the Latin word originally meant 'piece (of meat).' Oscan tangin- "judgement, assent" is ultimately related to English 'think'.

Second paragraph = lines 8-11:

   (8) ...Pis pocapit post post exac comono hafies meddis dat castris loufir (9) en eituas, factud pous touto deiuatuns tanginom deicans, siom dateizasc idic tangineis (10) deicum, pod walaemom touticom tadait ezum. nep fefacid pod pis dat eizac egmad min[s] (11) deiuaid dolud malud. Suae pis contrud exeic fefacust auti comono hipust, molto etan- (12) -to estud: n. .

In Latin:

   (8) ...Quis quandoque post hac comitia habebit magistratus de capite (9) vel in pecunias, facito ut populus iuras sententiam dicant, se de iis id sententiae (10) deicum, quod optimum populum censeat esse, neve fecerit quo quis de ea re minus (11) iuret dolo malo. Si quis contra hoc fecerit aut comitia habuerit, multo tanta esto: n. MM.

In English:

   (8) ... Whatever magistrate shall hereafter hold an assembly in suit involving the death penalty (9) or a fine, let him make the people pronounce judgment, after having sworn that they will such judgment (10) render, as they believe to be for the best public good, and let him prevent anyone from, in this matter, (11) swearing with guile. If anyone shall act or hold a council contrary to this, let the fine be 2000 sesterces.
