Botorrita plaque facts for kids

Photograph of Botorrita I (both sides)

The Botorrita plaques are four bronze plaques discovered in Botorrita (Roman Contrebia Belaisca), near Zaragoza, Spain, dating to the late 2nd century BC, known as Botorrita I, II, III and IV.

Botorrita II is in the Latin language, but Botorrita I, III and IV, inscribed in the Celtiberian script, constitute the main part of the Celtiberian corpus.

Botorrita I

Botorrita I was found in 1970. It is the longest inscription in Celtiberian consisting of a text in 11 lines, on the front face, continued by a list of names on the back side.

Side A

A.1. tirikantam berkunetakam tokoitoskue sarnikio kue sua kombalkez nelitom

A.2. nekue [u]ertaunei litom nekue taunei litom nekue masnai tizaunei litom soz auku

A.3. arestaio tamai uta oskues stena uerzoniti silabur sleitom konskilitom kabizeti

A.4. kantom sankilistara otanaum tokoitei eni: uta oskuez boustomue koruinomue

A.5. makasiamue ailamue ambitiseti kamanom usabituz ozas sues sailo kusta bizetuz iom

A.6. asekati ambitinkounei stena es uertai entara tiris matus tinbituz neito tirikantam

A.7. eni onsatuz iomui listas titas zizonti somui iom arznas bionti iom kustaikos

A.8. arznas kuati ias ozias uertatosue temeiue robiseti saum tekametinas tatuz somei

A.9. enitouzei iste ankios iste esankios uze areitena sarnikiei akainakubos

A.10. nebintor tokoitei ios ur antiomue auzeti aratimue tekametam tatuz iom tokoitoskue

A.11. sarnikiokue aiuizas kombalkores aleites iste ikues ruzimuz abulu ubokum

Side B

B.1. lubos kounesikum melnunos bintis letontu litokum

B.2. abulos bintis melmu barauzanko lesunos bintis

B.3. letontu ubokum turo bintis lubinaz aiu berkantikum

B.4. abulos bintis tirtu aiankum abulos bintis abulu louzokum

B.5. uzeisunos bintis akainaz letontu uikanokum suostuno/s

B.6. bintis tirtanos statulikum lesunos bintis nouantutaz

B.7. letontu aiankum melmunos bintis useizu aiankum tauro [bin]/tis

B.8. abulu aiankum tauro bintis letontu letikum abulos bintis

B.9. [ ]ukontaz letontu esokum abulos bintis

Translations

J. Eska (1988)

1. "Regarding a well-wrought boundary structure, the senators of Tocoitom and of Sarnicios [have agreed/decided that] [it is] not permitted"

2. "[that it] be demolished or destroyed or broken apart by violence." (from sos to tamai remains untranslated, probably a tag on the preceding prohibition)

3-4. "and whoever carries out these things, he should give cut [pieces] of silver [namely] 100 sanclistera of otanas at Tocoitom."

F. Villar (1990)

1. "In relation to the trescantos [named] Berkuneteca of Tokoit and Sarnicia, this is the settlement/accord:"

W. Meid (1983)

1. "Concerning the hilly region of Togoit and of the Sanricii, the following has been decreed as not allowed"

2. "It is not allowed to do [anything], neither is it allowed to perform/carry out [works], nor is it allowed to perpetrate breakage/harm" [except by permission of the directors]."

Rodriguez Adrados (1993)

1. "With regard to the place Tricanta ("the meeting of three roads" or "of three boundaries") of Togotus and of Sarnicius, the council [has determined] thus--[it is] forbidden:"

Botorrita II

Bronze II in the Zaragoza Museum.

This bronze plaque, also known as Tabula Contrebiensis, is inscribed in Latin and was discovered in an illegal excavation of the Contrebia Belaisca site, and was obtained in December 1979 by editor Guillermo Fatás Cabeza. The inscription is fully decipherable and relates how the senate of Contrebia Belaisca was called upon by neighboring towns for a decision concerning the right of the town of Salluia to build a canal through the territory of the Sosinestani, an initiative to which the neighboring Allauonenses objected. Based upon the names of Roman officials, the text has been dated to May 87 BC. English translation available at: https://droitromain.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/Anglica/Contrebiensis_Richardson.htm

1. Senatus Contrebie[n]sis quei tum aderunt iudices sunto. Sei par[ret ag]rum quem Salluienses

2. [ab Sosinest]ane[is] emerunt rivi faciendi aquaive ducendae causa qua de re agitur Sosinestanos

3. [iure suo Sa]lluiensibus vendidisse inviteis Allavonensibus;tum sei ita [p]arret eei iudices iudicent

4. eum agrum qua de re agitur Sosinestanos Salluiensibus iure suo vendidisse; sei non parr[e]t iudicent

5. iur[e] suo non vendidi[sse.]

6. Eidem quei supra scriptei [sunt] iudices sunto. Sei Sosinestana ceivitas esset, tum, qua Salluiensis

7. novissume publice depalarunt qua de re agitur, sei [i]ntra eos palos Salluiensis rivom per agrum

8. publicum Sosinestanorum iure suo facere licere[t ] aut sei per agrum preivatum Sosinestanorum

9. qua rivom fieri oporteret rivom iure suo Salluie[n]sibus facere liceret dum quanti is a[ger] aestumatu[s]

10. esset, qua rivos duceretur, Salluienses pequniam solverent, tum, sei ita [p]arret, eei iudices iudicent

11. Salluiensibus rivom iure suo facere licer[e]; sei non parret iudicent iure suo facere non licere.

12. Sei iudicarent Salluiensibus rivom facere licere, tum quos magistratus Contrebiensis quinque

13. ex senatu suo dederit eorum arbitratu pro agro preivato q[u]a rivos ducetur Salluienses

14. publice pequniam solvonto. Iudicium addeixit C.Valerius C.f. Flaccus imperator.

15. Sentent[ia]m deixerunt: quod iudicium nostrum est qua de re agitur secundum Salluienses iudicamus. Quom ea res

16. ud[ic]atas[t mag]is[t]ratus Contrebienses heisce fuerunt: Lubbus Urdinocum Letondonis f. praetor; Lesso Siriscum

17. Lubbi f. [ma]gistratus; Babbus Bolgondiscum Ablonis f. magistratus; Segilus Annicum Lubi f. magistratus;

18. [--]atu[----]ulovicum Uxenti f. magistratus; Ablo Tindilicum Lubbi f. magistratus.Caussam Sallui[ensium]

19. defen[d]it ---]assius [-]eihar f. Salluiensis. Caussam Allavonensium defendit Turibas Teitabas f.

20. [Allavo]n[en]s[is]. Actum [C]ontrebiae Balaiscae eidibus Maieis, L. Cornelio Cn. Octavio consulibu[s].9*

Summary

Based on Richardson (1983).

The present members of the Contrebian senate are to judge whether the Sosilestani have the right to sell their land to the Salluenses who plan to build a canal on it, against the wishes of the neighboring Allavonenses.

Specifically, the appointed judges are to determine whether by Sosilestani's own laws it is permissible for them to sell the land for building a canal through private land, already staked out for this purpose by the Salluenses, if the latter pay for it appropriately.

If they judge in favor of the sale, then the Contrebian magistracy will pick five men to arbitrate the sale, and Roman commander C. V. Flaccus will support the judgment.

The decision falls in favor of the Salluenses. (There follows a list of the names of the Contrebian magistrates in power at the time.)

Botorrita III

Botorrita III, discovered in 1979, is inscribed in four columns on one side of a plaque, introduced by a heading of two lines. A part of the plaque is missing, but the inscribed portion is complete. It is heavily corroded, and the text was only legible by x-ray.

01: risatioka : lestera[:]ia : tarakuai : nouiz : auzanto

02: eskeninum : taniokakue : soisum : albana

Botorrita IV

Botorrita IV, discovered in 1994, consists of 18 lines on both faces of the plaque. The text is fragmentary.

A.1. [...]tam:tirikantam:entorkue:toutam[...]

A.2. [...]:sua kombal[.]z:bouitos:ozeum:[...]

A.3. [...]i:turuntas:tirikantos:kustai:bize[...]

A.4. [...]a:karalom:aranti:otenei:ambi[...]

A.5. [...]kom:atibion:taskue:.a.s[...]

A.6. [...]kue:usimounei:[...]

A.7. [...]karalom:ios:lu.e.s[...]

A.8. [...]oi.u..ti:esta[...]

A.9. [...]uta:...kue[...]

A.10. [...]ti.. n.e[...]

B.1. [...]e .. i[...]

B.2. [...]atuz:uta:e[...]

B.3. [...]isum:..ti:[...]

B.4. [...]olo...:iom:u[...]

B.5. [...]toke...ta:.ue:tizatuz[...]

B.6. [...]l..lez.l.toioan[...]

B.7. [...]toruonti:stoteroi:tas[...]

B.8. [...]ko..esusiomo..o[...]

See also

In Spanish: Bronces de Botorrita para niños