FF:DSMB21 Akkadian - Reading II - Course Information
DSMB21 Reading of Akkadian Texts II
Faculty of ArtsSpring 2025
- Extent and Intensity
- 0/4/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
- Teacher(s)
- PhDr. Lukáš Pecha, Ph.D. (lecturer)
- Guaranteed by
- PhDr. Lukáš Pecha, Ph.D.
Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Erlebachová
Supplier department: Department of Classical Studies – Faculty of Arts - Prerequisites (in Czech)
- DSMB16 Akkadian I && DSMB17 Akkadian II && DSMB20 Akkadian - Reading I
- Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
- fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Ancient History (programme FF, N-DST_) (3)
- Course objectives
- The purpose of this course is to improve the students’ knowledge of the Akkadian language using a variety of primary sources from later periods of Mesopotamian written tradition (1st millennium BC). Students will read difficult historical, magic, religious and literary texts.
- Learning outcomes
- By the completion of the course the student will:
- gain a very good knowledge of cuneiform script, Akkadian grammar, selected text genres, their literary form and style, historical and cultural context;
- further develop his/her abilities to work with complex sign systems, discuss and interpret them. - Syllabus
- 1. Reading historical texts, incantations, rituals, prayers and (epic) poetry in literary Akkadian (Standard Babylonian) and Assyrian from cuneiform autographs.
- 2. Discussion of various issues of grammar, lexicon, literary form and style, historical and cultural context of the sources.
- Literature
- required literature
- Borger, R., Mesopotamisches Zeichenlexikon, Münster 2004.
- Soden, W. von, Akkadisches Handwörterbuch, Wiesbaden 1965–1981.
- UNGNAD, Arthur. Akkadian grammar. Edited by Lubor Matouš, Translated by Harry A. Hoffner. 5th corr. ed. Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, 1993, xix, 185. ISBN 1555408001. info
- recommended literature
- Abusch, T., The Magical Ceremony Maqlû: A Critical Edition, Leiden – Boston 2015.
- Abusch, T., The Witchcraft Series Maqlû, Atlanta 2015.
- Abusch, T. – Schwemer, D., Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-Witchcraft Rituals, vol. 1, Leiden – Boston 2011.
- A concise dictionary of Akkadian. Edited by Jeremy Black - A. R. George - J. N. Postgate - Tina Breckwoldt. 2nd (corr.) print. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2000, xxiv, 450. ISBN 9783447042642. info
- Bord, L.-J. – Mugnaioni, R., L’écriture cunéiforme: syllabaire sumérien, babylonien, assyrien, Paris 2002.
- George, A.R., The Assyrian Elegy: Form and Meaning. In: Melville, S.C. – Slotsky, A.L. (ed.), Opening the Tablet Box: Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Benjamin R. Foster, Leiden – Boston 2010, str. 203–216.
- George, A.R., The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: Introduction, Critical Edition and Cuneiform Texts, 2 vols. Oxford 2003.
- Groneberg, B.R.M., Syntax, Morphologie und Stil der jungbabylonischen „hymnischen“ Literatur, Wiesbaden – Stuttgart 1987.
- Hämeen-Anttila, J., A Sketch of Neo-Assyrian Grammar, Helsinki 2000.
- Labat, R. – Malbran-Labat, F., Manuel d’épigraphie akkadienne: signes, syllabaire, idéogrammes, Paris 1988 (6th ed.).
- Epos o Gilgamešovi. Translated by Lubor Matouš. Vyd. 4., v Mladé frontě 2. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1997, 148 s. ISBN 8020402810. info
- Epos o Gilgamešovi. Translated by Jiří Prosecký - Blahoslav Hruška - Marek Rychtařík, Illustra. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2003, 410 s. ISBN 807106517X. info
- Mayer, W., Sargons Feldzug gegen Urartu – 714 v. Chr. Text und Übersetzung. Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft zu Berlin 115 (1983): str. 65–132.
- Mayer, W.R., Das Ritual KAR 26 mit dem Gebet “Marduk 24”. Orientalia Nova Series 68 (1999): str. 145–163.
- Oshima, T., Babylonian Prayers to Marduk, Tübingen 2011.
- Schwemer, D., The Anti-Witchcraft Ritual Maqlû: The Cuneiform Sources of a Magic Ceremony from Ancient Mesopotamia, Wiesbaden 2017.
- Schwemer, D., Rituale und Beschwörungen gegen Schadenzauber, Wiesbaden 2007.
- Soden, W. von, Grundriss der akkadischen Grammatik, Roma 1995 (3rd ed.).
- Soden, W. von – Röllig, W., Das akkadische Syllabar, Roma 1991 (4th ed.).
- Ungnad, A. – Matouš, L., Grammatik des Akkadischen, München 1969 (5th ed.).
- Teaching methods
- Seminar reading and discussion of cuneiform primary sources, active participation of students necessary, independent preparation of texts to be read in the next class.
- Assessment methods
- Written examination testing the ability to read and translate difficult Akkadian texts from cuneiform, and to comment on their content as well as historical and cultural context.
- Language of instruction
- Czech
- Further Comments
- The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
- Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
- Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/DSMB21