Deciphering the Cippus Perusinus through Paleo‑Balkan and Latin Elements
Petrit Laze, Independent Researcher
Date: 27 December 2025
Abstract
This paper presents a complete, line‑by‑line reading of the Cippus Perusinus as a coherent narrative text, with a parallel translation into English and Albanian. The guiding criterion is internal coherence: a proposed segmentation must preserve the engraved phonemic sequence and yield a syntactically and narratively self‑supporting text. The reading is developed through a comparative lens that includes Paleo‑Balkan materials (Albanian alongside Greek where relevant) as well as Latin, while avoiding reconstructions that require altering the inscription. The document is offered as a philological object: a single continuous text whose structure can be tested against itself (agreement patterns, genitival chains, clause linkage, and narrative continuity), rather than accepted or rejected a priori. Readers are invited to evaluate the proposal at its strongest point-its structural consistency across the full inscription-and to compare it with existing segmentation practices. If the text holds together under grammatical and narrative weight, it motivates further scrutiny on empirical grounds.
Opening Statement
THIS IS THE TEXT of the Cippus Perusinus as reconstructed in this reading.
The presentation below is not a set of isolated word‑guesses, but a single continuous text with a unified narrative arc. Readers are invited not to accept or reject this reading a priori, but to test it at its strongest point: its structural coherence. A text that holds together under its own grammatical and narrative weight merits examination as a unified philological object.
Full Text
- Etruscan (as segmented here) - English - Albanian.
I - Te urat tan na la rez ula me vaχr.
Our wise ones have left us rays/light below, in the grave.
Të urët (urtët) tanë, na lanë rreze/dritë poshtë/ulë më varr.
II - Lautn Velθina'š eštla, Afuna š’ slel eθ ca ru te zan fušl e ri tesn.
The remains of Highness Velthina, Afuna brings, and he has kept the entrance (of the cave) sealed, and now rests.
Eshtra të Lartësi Velthinës, Afuna ç'sjell, edh ka ru (ruajtur) të zënë futjen (hyrjen) e rri tashmë.
III - Š’ te iš Rašneš i pa ama, χen naper χi i Velθina-θuraš araš.
As if he were an Etruscan who had never existed, he enters through the grace of Velthina’s radiant utterance/spirit.
Si të ish etrusk i pa qenë, hyn nëpër hir i thënieve të arta/ndritura të Velthinës.
IV - Peraš cem ul, mlescul. Out there (near) we sat, gathered together.
Më tej (përjashta) jemi ulur, mbledhur/bashkë.
V - Zu ci enesci epl tu laru Auleši, Velθina'š arznal clenši.
Here the priest rises to praise Aulesi, the son-in-spirit of Velthina.
Zu (zuri) ky prifti epër të lëvdojë Aulesin, birin në frymë të Velthinës.
VI - Θi i θil šcuna cenu, eplc felic.
Word by word, they came here - old and young.
Llaf i llafit (duke folur) shkuan këtu, plak-bir.
VII - Larθal, š’ Afune'š clen, θunχul θe falaš.
Larthal, son of Afuna, listens to spoken words.
Larthali, djali Afunës, dëgjon thënie fjalësh.
VIII - Χie m’ fušl e Velθina.
A shadow of Velthina stands at the entrance (of the cave).
Hije në futje [hyrje (e shpellës)] e Velthinës.
IX - Xin θa cap, e mu ni clet, ma su.
He moves to embrace him - even at the head - but cannot.
Hyn ta kapë, e mu në kryet (kokë) por s'mund.
X - Naper šranc, zl-θi i falšti Velθina.
Through a drawing-near movement, loudly Velthina spoke.
Nëpër tërheqje, zëshëm i fliste Velthina.
XI - Xut naper penezš ma su. He reaches through the appearing vision, but cannot.
Hutet nëpër pamje, por s'mund.
XII - "Ac nina?" clel Afuna.
"Is anyone here?" cries Afuna.
"Ndonji këtu" klith Afuna.
XIII - Velθina m' ler zinia.
Velthina leaves the darkness (of the cave).
Velthina më lë zinë [terrin (e shpellës)].
XIV - Inte ma mer cnl.
Again he takes the path forward.
Ende (përsëri) ma mer lëvizjen.
XV - Velθina zia, š’ aten e tesne.
Velthina - dark (unseen) - just as then, so now.
Velthina - zi [terr (i padukshëm)] - si atëherë e tani.
XVI - E ca Velθina-θuraš! – θa ura, χe lutes ne Rašne.
“It belongs to Velthina’s spirit,” said the Oracle, “and prayed at Rashne.”
E ka (i përket) shpirtit të Velthinës, tha Urata (orakulli), e lutësh në Rashne.
XVII - Ce i tesn, š’ te iš Rašneš Χimθ, špelθ uta šcuna; Afuna mena χen.
As if there were the god Rashne himself, they hurried inside; Afuna enters in (the cave).
Që tani, si të ish Hyu Rashnesh, shpejt ata shkuan, Afuna hyn brenda (në shpellë).
XVIII - Naper ci cnl - χare, utu še Velθina š’ atena.
In this motion of wonder, there he sees Velthina once again.
Nëpër këtë lëvizje-hare, aty sheh Velthinën përsëri.
XIX - Zu ci enesci i pa špela ne θi fulumχva.
Here the priest perceives the stars within the cave’s revelations.
Zu (zuri) ky prifti i pa yjet në rrëfime shpelle.
XX - Špel θi, rene θi.
The cave speaks, the clouds speak.
Shpella thotë (flet), retë thonë (flasin).
XXI - Ešt ac Velθina - ac ilun - e tu ru ne šcu ne Zea.
Velthina is there - there he shines - and while guarding us, he ascends to Zeus.
Është aty Velthina - aty ndriçon - e duke na ruajtur ne, shkon në Zeus.
XXII - Zu ci enesci: "a θu mi cš Afunaš, pen θ’na ama Velθina?"
The priest: “Who will tell me, Afuna, saw there were Velthina?”
Zu (zuri) ky prifti: a mi thotë kush Afunës, pa t'na ish Velthina?
XXIII - Afuna-θur u ni e i n’ zer' i una cla, θil θunχulθl.
The utterance of Afuna was heard as the voice of a cry - an audible call.
Thënia e Afunës u ndje në zëri i një qarje, thirrje të dëgjueshme.
XXIV - Iχ ca ceχa ziχuχe.
That we have written.
Këtë kemi shkruar.
Core Lexical Correspodences
Etruscan English Albanian.
ura oracle orakull / uratë
tan our tanë
rez ray/light rreze/dritë
ula down poshtë/ulë
vahr grave/tomb varr
lautn nobleman / i lartë/fisnik
eštla bones/remains eshtra
fušl entrance hyrje/futje
ri rest(s) rri
rašneš of Rashne i/e Rashnes
ama been (p.p. of ame) qenë/ishin
thuraš utterance/spirit thënie/shpirt
araš golden/radiant i artë/i ndritur
peraš thereafter më tej/përjashtë
epl upper/superior epër/epror
eplc elder plak
thunhul heard dëgjon
the saying thenie
falaš of words fjalash
hie shadow/ghost hije
cap grasp/seize kap/përqafoj
ac here këtu
ac nina! someone here! ndonji këtu!
clel cries klith
mer takes mer
lutes prayed (he) lutësh/lutej
rašne Rashne (deity) Rashne
zea Zeus/God Zeus/Zot
špel cave shpellë
špelth quickly shpejt
Targeted Structural Notes on Lines I–V
Commentary is typological (morphology/syntax)
Text segment /Proposed function/ Typological / morphological comment
I: Te urat tan
definite NP ("the wise ones")
Phrase treated as a unit. Definiteness is read as end‑marking (as in Albanian), not by a prefixed definite article. "te" is handled as a functional element within the phrase rather than an English‑style article.
I: na la rez ula me vahr
clausal core: OBJ +
VERB + OBJ + LOC
Straight narrative clause with recipient/object "na" and verb "la". "ula me vahr" is read as a locative sequence (“down/below + in/into + grave”).
II: Velθina'š eštla
Genitive chain. Genitive marker -š attaches to a proper name and governs a following noun (“Velthina’s remains”). This provides a strong structural cue for segmentation in scriptio continua.
II: Afuna š'slel
agent + present action. Maintains present‑tense narration (“Afuna brings”), matching the inscription’s sequence rather than paraphrasing into a passive.
II: ca ru te zan fušl e ri tesn
Resultative + state interpreted as ‘has kept/secured the entrance sealed’ plus a stative ‘rests now’. The sequence is tested for internal consistency with later motion/visibility verbs in the narrative.
III: Š’ te iš Rašneš i pa ama
comparative/as‑if
frame
Reads as a marked clause‑opening comparison (‘as if…’) followed by a genitival form ‘of Rashne’. The phrase is treated as a narrative frame rather than a standalone nominal.
III: χen naper χi ... movement + path
phrase
Verb of entering/moving combined with a path phrase (‘through/along’). The same path logic is checked against later ‘naper’ clauses.
IV: Peraš cem ul, mlescul
setting and posture Deictic/locative “peraš” introduces a scene shift (‘thereafter / further on’), with ‘cem ul’ as a finite predicate (‘we sat’).
V: Zu ci enesci epl tu laru Auleši
event‑onset + role NP. + infinitival goal
‘Zu’ is treated as an event boundary
(“then/began/rose”), ‘enesci’ as a role noun (priest), and ‘tu laru’ as purposive/infinitival linkage (‘to praise’).
V: Velθina'š arznal clenši
double dependency, second genitive chain: ‘Velthina’s … son’. Middle element ‘arznal’ is constrained by position: it must function as a single modifier between genitive and head noun, not as multiple words.
Methodological Implications (Closing)
This Part II is designed to be testable. The proposal stands or falls on whether the inscription can be read as a single continuous text without forcing the epigraphic sequence. The central evaluation criteria are: (1) stability of segmentation across the whole inscription; (2) recurrence of grammatical cues (notably genitive chains and clause linkers); (3) narrative continuity (actors, setting, and event progression); and (4) minimal deformation of engraved forms. Where comparative support is plausible (Paleo‑Balkan, Latin), it is used as an auxiliary lens; where it is not, the reading is constrained by internal syntax.
The aim of this study is not to solicit assent, but to invite methodological replication.
If alternative segmentations of the same inscription can generate a fully coherent continuous text - while preserving all graphic elements, respecting the same structural constraints (genitival chains, clause linkage, agreement patterns, and narrative continuity), and accounting for every attested form - then such readings should be placed side by side and evaluated as competing philological objects.
In the absence of such complete alternative texts, partial glosses, tentative segmentations, or thematic interpretations cannot function as equivalent points of comparison.
No comments:
Post a Comment