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Mesopotamian Literature

Notes

Notes to Chapter 20. The kingship and the effects of the civilization

Giorgio Buccellati – August 2023

20.1 The tradition
20.2 Perception: the epic memory
20.3 On the origins of epics
20.4 The framework of the court
20.5 Voice: the tensionality of the action
20.6 Dating
20.7 The confrontation with the human world: the civil epics
20.8 The religious epics


ERRORS in databases:
  • "Boson1918Assiriologia.d": duplicate bibliography "Boson1918Assiriologia" for site "Akk-lg".
  • "Bottero1992Reasoning.d": duplicate bibliography "Bottero1992Reasoning" for site "Mes-rel".
  • "Buccellati1972Teodicea.d": duplicate bibliography "Buccellati1972Teodicea" for site "Mes-lit".
  • "Cauvin2000Birth.d": duplicate bibliography "Cauvin2000Birth" for site "Mes-rel".
  • "DMB.d": duplicate bibliography "DMB" for site "Mes-rel".
  • "Edzard2003Sumerian.d": duplicate bibliography "Edzard2003Sumerian" for site "Mes-rel".
  • "Oshima2014Sufferers.d": duplicate bibliography "Oshima2014Sufferers" for site "Mes-rel".
  • "Trinkaus1983Shanidar.d": duplicate bibliography "Trinkaus1983Shanidar" for site "Mes-rel".

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20.3 On the origins of epics

  1. Lexicographical notes

    **Words for “strategy” and “tactics”.

    dimma (Akkadian ṭēmu) stands for “thought, planning”: it can be understood as the anticipated course of action seen in its unfoding, hence “strategy.” It becomes “confused” (suh, Akkadian ešū) when one cannot follow as planned the intended course of action.

    ĝalga (Akkadian milku) stands for “instruction, order”: it can be seen as the actual field organization of the troops, hence “tactics.” It becomes scattered, or falls into state of disarray (bir, Akkadian sapāhu), when the intended organization falls apart.

    – [ Giorgio Buccellati, January 2022]

  2. See Roemer 1980 Akka, Cooper 1981 Agga, and Heimpel 1981 Agga.

    – [ Giorgio Buccellati, January 2022]