The Lemnian language was an ancient language spoken on the island of Lemnos in the northern Aegean Sea during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. It is considered an insular language and is known from a limited number of inscriptions found on the island.
The script used for writing Lemnian is similar to the Greek alphabet, but the language itself is not fully understood and remains largely untranslated. Scholars have made various attempts to decipher the Lemnian inscriptions, but due to the limited amount of material and the lack of related languages, the exact nature of the language and its linguistic affiliations remain uncertain.
Different Readings of the Lemnos Stele Inscription
Because of weathering, surface grooves, and the inherent ambiguity of several letter shapes, scholars have produced multiple versions of the text. Below are two widely cited readings:
Here are two examples. The first one is from the Wikipedia article on Lemnos stele:
Inscription A
hulaieš:naφuθ:šiaši – maraš:mav – sialχveiš:aviš – evisθu:šerunaiθ – šivai – aker:tavaršiu – vanalasial:šerunai:murinail
Inscription B
hulaieši:φukiasiale:šerunaiθ:evisθu:tuveruna – rum:haraliu:šivai:eptešiu:arai:tiš:φuke – šivai:aviš:sialχviš:marašm:aviš:aumai
And the second one is from the book “Lemnian language” by Rex E. Wallace, available here.
Inscription A
holaie⋮s ⋮ naφoθš ⋮ siasi: – mara⋮s ⋮ mav – šialχvei⋮s ⋮ avi⋮s⋮ – evišθo ⋮ seronaiθ sivai – vanalašial ⋮ seronaiθ ⋮ morinail aker : tarvasio
Inscription B
holaiesi : φokiašiale : seronaiθ : evišθo : toverona[]rom : haralio : sivai : eptesio : arai : tis : φoke
sivai : avis : šialχvis : marasm : avis : aomai
My reading and translation of the Lemnos Stele Inscription
Considering that the interpretation of the letters and the gaps between words is not “set in stone”, I have developed a unique interpretation while making minimal changes to the original text. Here is my proposed reading, and translation:
Inscription A
Holaiesna Φoq(u)siani – The spearmen of Phocis
Marasm Av(is) – first personal name, followed by a familly name
Sialgveiz Avis – second personal name and the same family name (brothers)
Evisqo Zeronaiq – third personal followed by a familly name
Vanalasial Zeronaim – fourth personal name and the same family name (brothers again)
orinail aker – raised (this) stone
tavarsio Zivai – for the eternal abode of Ziva (the deceased person)
Inscription B
Holaiesi Φukiasiale – Heroes of Phocis
Zerunaiq Evisqo – a personal name
toveronarom Haralio Zivai – for the eternal abode of Haralio Ziva
ep tesioaraitis Φoke – from the four Phocians
Zivai – to Ziva
Avis Sialgvis Marašm Avis – from… (repeated list of the names)
Aomai… – this part of the stele is broken and the rest of the word is not legible.
Notes on my translation of the Lemnos Stele Inscription
This reading relies on three core principles: Italic Morphology, Shared Indo-European Roots, and Greek Ethnonyms.
Holaiesna / Holaiesi – “Spearmen”
The stem holaie- plausibly relates to words for spears or javelins, similar to the Latin “volae” – spear.
Φoq(u)siani / Φukiasiale / Φoke – A Phocian Connection
Two of the forms, Φukiasiale and Φoke, are clearly attested in prior scholarship as ethnonyms.
Phocis was an ancient region in central Greece, situated to the northwest of Boeotia and north of the Gulf of Corinth. It was known for its rugged terrain and was home to several important cities in antiquity, including Delphi. In this text, the words Φoθ(u)siani, Φukiasiale, and Φoke probably mean “Phocians”.
However, while the two other instances – Φukiasiale, and Φoke are clearly readable and universaly accepted, my reading of Φoq(u)siani is unique. I propose a reading of Φoq(u)siani, restoring the presumed vowel u to align the word with established Italic ethnic morphology. This reconstruction fits the visual context of the damaged stele.
Latin regularly forms ethnic/tribal or regional designations with -iānī / -ienses / -ani:
- Corinthiānī – people of Corinth
- Bithyniānī – from Bithynia
- Dalmatiānī – from Dalmatia
So Phocis → Phocisiānī / Focisiani fits perfectly into Archaic Italic (Faliscan) morphology.
Personal Names and Patronymics
There are four personal names, followed by Patronymics.
Maras(i)m Av(is)
Sialgveiz Avis
Evisqo Zeronaiq
Vanalasial Zeronaim
The names listed exhibit a fascinating blend of languages, supporting the theory of a mobile, diverse military group:
- The name Maraš is well-attested in the Osco-Umbrian inscriptions, placing its origin within the broader Adriatic-Italic world. It is securely attested in at least nine Oscan inscriptions, including Pompeii (POMP-13, POMP-15a/b, POMP-1, POMP-2, POMP-3, POMP-6), Samnium (SAMN-4), and Pietrabbondante (Pietr-1). Several inscriptions contain both Maras and its gentilic derivative Maraheis, confirming its authenticity as an Italic personal name. See here.
- This suggests that the name in the Lemnian Stele is not an isolated curiosity, but rather aligns with a broader Italic onomastic tradition.
- The name Sialgveiz shows a clear phonetic parallel to the Etruscan family name Silqetana, confirming the shared Tyrsenian substrate.
- The name Avis is well-attested as a family prenom in both Etruscan and Sikel inscriptions.
- Zeronaiq: The crucial suffix -iq is interpreted as the Italic gentilic suffix -icus (or Faliscan -ico), meaning “belonging to” or “of the Zeronian Clan.”
orinail aker – raised (this) stone
Orin– can be interpreted as “raise, rise, erect,” with solid linguistic roots across Indo-European: Latin orior means “to rise,” Sabellian or-/ori- carries the sense “rise, lift, come up,” and PIE h₃er- also means “rise” or “lift.”
The word “aker” – meaning “stone” appears also in Sikel inscriptions, and this is how most scolars translate it. It has the same origin as the Greek word “akros”, ἄκρος – meaning “pointed, sharp”. See here.
In this particular context, the name Acropolis likely denoted a “stone city,” which stood in contrast to the prevalent wooden and mud constructions that encompassed it. This interpretation differs from the more common translation of “high city,” which is derived from this same word – “akros,” which signifies “pointed.”
tavarsio Zivai – for the eternal abode of Ziva
Tavarsio (“Eternal Abode”): This term can be linked to the Archaic Italic root traberna(Latin taberna), meaning a “hut” or “wooden structure.” In a funerary context, this signifies the “Eternal Home” or “Tomb-hut” of the deceased.
Inscription B
Holaiesi Φukiasiale – The spearmen of Phocis
Zerunaiq Evisqo – one personal name repeated
toveronarom Haralio Zivai – for the eternal abode of Haralio Ziva
ep tesioaraitis Φoke – from the four Phocians
The word “ep” is a cognate with the Greek “epi / apo” – “from”. See here.
The word “tesioraites” is a cognate with the Greek “tesoares” – “four”. See here.
Zivai – to Ziva
Avis Sialgviz Marašm Avisa – from… (repeated list of names)
Summary and Implications
This interpretation posits the Lemnian Stele as a dedication by four Phocian spearmen, who communicated using a dialect heavily influenced by Faliscan or a related Italic tongue (evidenced by the suffixes and funerary terms) while adopting local Tyrsenian names. They raised the stone to honor their comrade Ziva. This challenges the singular Tyrsenian view, presenting the text as evidence of a highly mobile, multicultural military presence in the ancient Aegean.
