DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1793#0053
LINEAR SCRIPT B: THE PALACE ARCHIVES OF KNOSSOS 45
Such names are frequent in Asia Minor later (P. Kretschmer, Einleitung in die Gesch. der gr. Sprache,
334 ff.; PM IV. 752 n. and p. 48).
6. Whereas most sign-groups do not occur more than twice or thrice, a few stand in the 'sub-
sidiary' positions as many as fifteen or twenty times. This would result, if the tablets were a series
of vouchers for single transactions between a large number of private persons and a quite small
number of officials, some of whom moreover appear also in their private capacity as 'principals'.
Once the same name occurs in both capacities (915). Occasionally such 'subsidiary' names alternate,
as would happen within a staff of officials.
7. Sign-groups from Script B occasionally occur in documents of Script A (355, 1519. 4; cf. HT
12a 1) and in inscriptions outside Crete (13. 1, cf. Eleusis; PM IV, Suppl. pi. lxix); but so rarely
that they cannot be regarded as verbs or common nouns, or even place-names. Elements composed
of two, and occasionally three, signs recur as initials in Script A and Script B rather more commonly,
as though the language were the same.
8. The only name under which the activities of the same personage can be collected supports this
hypothesis of personal names:
The sign-group ff^Q.
1516. 20 fTTI stands at the head of the third section of a list of names each followed by ^': it is
followed by EftYCl-
40. 6 in a list of names, it is itself followed by ^' and preceded by £]?f Y: ^ tn^s ^s another personal
name, we seem to have a pedigree of three generations—A son of B; B son of A.
654. 3 in a list of names, with a small fj| appended.
525 as principal in a 'commodity' tablet, with p^.
660 as principal in a 'commodity' tablet (damaged): the first subsidiary group begins with ®.
438 . . "f^l as principal in a 'live-stock' tablet with subsidiary ®f }, perhaps the same as in 660.
686. 1 [as first subsidiary in a 'live-stock' tablet, with ®f j- (686. 2 ®f-f) as second subsidiary:
1054. 1 Icf. 438 (damaged) and 660.
971. 2 . . "ff @ as second subsidiary in a 'live-stock' tablet: followed by ^jft.
It may be inferred that these documents are sidelights on the standing and activities of a single
individual, as official, proprietor, and tributary. It is not easy to adjust them to the hypothesis of
place-names.
The Longer Lists of Names. B 1516, 1517, 1520. A few large tablets, inscribed transversely like
the tablets in Script A, contain lists of sign-groups each followed by the 'man' sign ft and numeral ',
and therefore probably personal names. At the end of each paragraph is a 'total' sign-group, ^pW
followed by ft (1516.11.19. 24, 1520) or ^Y^ (1517. 10), and a numeral which corresponds (allowing
for some damage) with the preceding items. Each paragraph seems to have begun with a short pre-
amble including one or more personal names, probably of individuals responsible for the delivery of
the members of the lists.
Other lists, of similar construction, but less complete, are 40, 60, 147, 154, 280, 466, 479, 482.
488, 492, 503, 509, 510, 600, 601, 603, 604, 609, 653-5, 694> 832, 959> 961-2, 983-4> !5l8> 1519,
Such names are frequent in Asia Minor later (P. Kretschmer, Einleitung in die Gesch. der gr. Sprache,
334 ff.; PM IV. 752 n. and p. 48).
6. Whereas most sign-groups do not occur more than twice or thrice, a few stand in the 'sub-
sidiary' positions as many as fifteen or twenty times. This would result, if the tablets were a series
of vouchers for single transactions between a large number of private persons and a quite small
number of officials, some of whom moreover appear also in their private capacity as 'principals'.
Once the same name occurs in both capacities (915). Occasionally such 'subsidiary' names alternate,
as would happen within a staff of officials.
7. Sign-groups from Script B occasionally occur in documents of Script A (355, 1519. 4; cf. HT
12a 1) and in inscriptions outside Crete (13. 1, cf. Eleusis; PM IV, Suppl. pi. lxix); but so rarely
that they cannot be regarded as verbs or common nouns, or even place-names. Elements composed
of two, and occasionally three, signs recur as initials in Script A and Script B rather more commonly,
as though the language were the same.
8. The only name under which the activities of the same personage can be collected supports this
hypothesis of personal names:
The sign-group ff^Q.
1516. 20 fTTI stands at the head of the third section of a list of names each followed by ^': it is
followed by EftYCl-
40. 6 in a list of names, it is itself followed by ^' and preceded by £]?f Y: ^ tn^s ^s another personal
name, we seem to have a pedigree of three generations—A son of B; B son of A.
654. 3 in a list of names, with a small fj| appended.
525 as principal in a 'commodity' tablet, with p^.
660 as principal in a 'commodity' tablet (damaged): the first subsidiary group begins with ®.
438 . . "f^l as principal in a 'live-stock' tablet with subsidiary ®f }, perhaps the same as in 660.
686. 1 [as first subsidiary in a 'live-stock' tablet, with ®f j- (686. 2 ®f-f) as second subsidiary:
1054. 1 Icf. 438 (damaged) and 660.
971. 2 . . "ff @ as second subsidiary in a 'live-stock' tablet: followed by ^jft.
It may be inferred that these documents are sidelights on the standing and activities of a single
individual, as official, proprietor, and tributary. It is not easy to adjust them to the hypothesis of
place-names.
The Longer Lists of Names. B 1516, 1517, 1520. A few large tablets, inscribed transversely like
the tablets in Script A, contain lists of sign-groups each followed by the 'man' sign ft and numeral ',
and therefore probably personal names. At the end of each paragraph is a 'total' sign-group, ^pW
followed by ft (1516.11.19. 24, 1520) or ^Y^ (1517. 10), and a numeral which corresponds (allowing
for some damage) with the preceding items. Each paragraph seems to have begun with a short pre-
amble including one or more personal names, probably of individuals responsible for the delivery of
the members of the lists.
Other lists, of similar construction, but less complete, are 40, 60, 147, 154, 280, 466, 479, 482.
488, 492, 503, 509, 510, 600, 601, 603, 604, 609, 653-5, 694> 832, 959> 961-2, 983-4> !5l8> 1519,