Amarna letter EA 252

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)), and the events to follow. ==The letter==

EA 252: ''"Sparing One's Enemies"'' EA 252, letter one of three. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.) (Obverse only, Paragraphs I, ~II; about a 3-paragraph letter): Obverse: (see here: ) :(Lines 1-4)--'''Say to the king, my lord: Message of Lab'ayu, your servant. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord.''' :(5-9)--As to your having written me, "Guard the men who seized the city;" how am I to guard (such) men? It was in war (nukurtu) the city was seized. :(10-15)--When I had sworn my peace—and when I swore the magnate swore with me—the city, along with my god, was seized. He has slandered me: gl (and) (ši-ir-ti) (I am slandered) before the king, my lord. :(16-22)--Moreover, when an ant is struck.... EA 252, Reverse: (Photo in Rohl) :(16-22)--Moreover, when an ant is struck, does it not fight back and bite the hand of the man that struck it? How at this time can I show deference and then another city of mine will be seized? :(23-31)--On the other hand, if you also order, "Fall down beneath them so they can strike you," I will d (it). I will guard the men that seized the city (and) my god. They are the despoilers of my father, but I will guard them.-(!) --(complete EA 252, with no lacunae, lines 1-31) ==Akkadian text==

The Akkadian language text: English: :(Line 1)--To "King-Lord-mine" :(2)--'speaking' :(3)--'message thus' 1. Labaya, SERVANT-yours :(4)--at feet(s)(pl.) "King-Lord-mine" I bow :(5)--Now, (you) messaged :(6)--to Me: "Guard! :(7)--men who en-sieged (the City)!" :(8)--"How to guard (the) Men, ... :(9)--..in conflict(warfare) en-sieged\ \"sworn" City?" :(10)--"How to swear peace? ..and.. How to swear, "sworn" City?" :(11)--"Commissioner(Man-Great) 'assigned with'-me :(12)--(the) captured, sworn City ! ?" :(13)--And, god(s) 'spoke/heard' :(14)--"(my) parts (are) eaten-mine" \ \ : (–gl–) "I AM SLANDERED" :(15)--before "The King", "Lord-Mine" Akkadian: :(Line 1)--a-na "LUGAL-EN-ia" :(2)--qí-bil-ma :(3)--um-ma ILa-aB-A-iYa ARAD-ka :(4)--a-na GÌR.MEŠ "LUGAL-be-lí-ia" am-qú-ut :(5)--i-nu-ma šap-ra-ta :(6)--a-na ia-a-ši ú-ṣur-me :(7)--LÚ.MEŠ ša ṣa-ab-tu URU :(8)-- ki-i uṣ-ṣur-ru-na LÚ.MEŠ :(9)--i-na nu-KÚR-te ṣa-ab-te at-me URU :(10)--ki it-mé ša-li-me u ki at-at-me URU :(11)--1. LUGAL.GAL it-ti-ia :(12)--ṣa-ab-ta at-me URU :(13)--ù i-li qa-bi :(14)--qa-ar-ṣí-ia : (–gl–) ši-ir-ti :(15)--i-na pa-ni "1. LUGAL-ma" "be-li-ia" ==Cuneiform score, Akkadian, English==

Cuneiform score (per CDLI, Chicago Digital Library Initiative), and Akkadian, and English. -------- Obverse Paragraph I, (lines 1-4) 1.(P. I of III)-a-na 1=diš ŠÀR bi-lí-ia ___ana 1=diš ŠÀR bēlu-ia ___To m=male=dišKing Lord-mine 2.qí- -----bil- -----ma( !! ) ___qabû — !! ___speaking — !! 3.um-ma 1=diš La-ab-a-ya ÀRAD-ka ___umma, – 1=diš La-ab-a-ya ÀRAD-ka ___"message thus", – m=male=dišLabaya, servant-yours 4.a-na _GÌRI-MEŠ_-pí (ŠÀR) be-lí-ia am-qú-ut ___ana _GÌRI-MEŠ_-pí (ŠÀR) Bēlu-ia, — maqātu — ! ___at (the) feetpl., – (King), Lord-mine, — I bow — ! Paragraph II, (lines 5-15) 5.(P. II of III)-i-nu-ma šap-ra-ta ___enūma, – šapāru ___Now(at this time), – (you) messaged(wrote): 6.a-na ia-a-ši ú-ṣur-mì ___ana iāši, — Quotenaṣāru — !! — ___to Me, — QuoteEn-Guard — !! — 7. _LÚ-MEŠ_ ša ṣa-ab-tu _IRI_ ___ _LÚ-MEŠ_(amēlu)pl. ša ṣabātu _URU_ — ? EndQuote ___(the) menpl. which en-sieged (the) town — ? EndQuote segue 8.ki-i uṣ-ṣur-ru-na _LÚ-MEŠ_ ___Quotekī naṣāru ___ QuoteHow to guard (the) menpl. —, 9.i-na nu-KÚR-ti7 ṣa-ab-ta at-mì _IRI_ ___ina nukurtu ṣabātu tamû _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-#2kī tamû ___Furthermore, – when ants 17.tu-um-ha-ṣú la-a ___tu-um-ha-ṣú, — lā ___are squeezed, — 17.7--------------la-a ___----------------lā ___----------------(they) do not -------- Reverse 18.ti-qá-bi-lu ------ ù ta-an-šu-ku ___qabû — ! ___(just)(speak) yell — ! 18.5-------------ù ta-an-šu-ku ___----------------u našāku — ! ___----------------but bite — ! 19.qà-ti _LÚ_-lì ša yi-ma-ha-aš-ši ___qātu _LÚ_ ša mahāṣu — ! ___(the) HAND, _MAN_, that attacks — ! 20.kī a-na-ku i-ša-ha-tu ___Quotekī anāku 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 ___ṣabātu–at-mì(tamû) — ! ___Demolish — ! 26.ṭe-ah-ta-mu ù ___ṭehû u ___approach and 27.ti-ma-ha-ṣú-ka ___mahāṣu, — ! ___attack, — ! 28.i-pé--ú-ṣur-ru-na 29.LÚ-meš ša ṣa-ab-tu4 _IRI_ ___LÚmeš ṣabātu URU ___(the) menpl. who en-sieged (the) townUnQuote segue 30.i-li šu-ṣú-mì a-bi-ia ___ilu, — ezēzu abu-ia ___[(the) god(s) ((listened))], — defilers (of) Father-mine 31.ù ú-ṣur-ru : (–gl–) šu-nu ___u, – ezēru : (–gl–) šunu(=them) — ! ___and, – I curse them — ! ==See also==

• Line drawing, Obverse & Reverse • EA 252, CDLI (Chicago Digital Library Initiative) • CDLI listing of all EA Amarna letters, 1-382 • British Museum site for EA 252, Dimensions, 2.75 in (ht), 2.25 in (width) ==References==