Minoan Hieroglyphics, Linear A and B

From UniLang Wiki

In the island of Crete in Greece some inscriptions found written with what is called the Minoan hieroglyphics. These hieroglyphics are certainly influenced by the Egyptian hieroglyphics and most of the scientists believe the language they represent is not Greek. At the same time (2000-1400 BC) many writing systems and also languages were used in Crete but also in other regions of Greece, like these found on the Phaestos Disk, Linear A and Cypriot-Minoan hieroglyphics used also in Cyprus. The Linear A script which is still undeciphered evolved from these hieroglyphics, and Linear B evolved later from Linear A. Linear B is deciphered and the language it represents is Greek. That makes the Linear B the first script ever used for the Greek language. Still, the fact that the caracters of the Linear B do not serve very well the Greek language and they seem to be created to represent the sounds of another language, is considered as an evident that the Linear A, from which Linear B arose, was not used by a Greek speaking population.
More about the Minoan hieroglyphics, Linear A and Linear B (in Spanish)
More about Linear A (in English)

Some arcaeologists still believe the language that the Minoan Hieroglyphics and Linear A represent could be Greek, something which is not accepted by the majority of the scientists since it is thought that the Greeks hadn't reached Greece at the time these scipts were used. Some of the supporters of the Greek theory have claimed that they deciphered the script found on the Phaestos Disk, which is not the same as Minoan hieroglyphics or Linear A. I have read that one of the most recent and serious efforts of translation of the Minoan hieroglyphics written on the Phaestos Disk is the one of Prof. G. Polymeros. He translated it believing that the language typed on it is Greek. Prof. Polymeros' translation is as follows:

The original text:

"ΙέÏ?εια ανακτοÏ?ική. / ιαθώ τε βόα / ιεÏ?ά μάτια ανήγογα σά. / ΕÏ?ατοία, ιαÏ?ήια τέλεια ανακτοÏ?όποι / ανήγαγα σα. / (Η) δε Πυθία μοι ειπέ τε βω, / δε μέγα ιλάσουσα θÏ?σω αίγας δέκα, νάπη, / φυγοιόα τε ποέjα ανασταθείσα / Ολα δίδω ιατά / Îœoι δίδω άλλα τόσα. / Και έσω εμοί, επίνοσα κειτοντία, / θεÏ?απεία. Ζάφυσα Γαία."

The modern Greek translation:

"ΙέÏ?εια ανακτοÏ?ική / φώναξε δυνατά για να γίνω καλά / ιεÏ?ά ιμάτια έφεÏ?α εδώ πάνω σ' εσένα. / Σεβαστή, σφάγια τέλεια, για τα ανάκτοÏ?α / έφεÏ?α εδώ πάνω για σένα. / Η δε Πυθία μου είπε νά 'Ï?θω σε σένα / κι αφοÏ? κάνω μεγάλο ιλασμό να θυσιάσω δέκα γίδες στην κοιλάδα / και θα φÏ?γω πεζή αφοÏ? σταθώ στα πόδια μου. / Ολα σου δίνω τα νοσήλεια / και θα σου δώσω και άλλα τόσα. / Και γίνε μου θαλεÏ?ή Γαία / θεÏ?απεÏ?Ï„Ï?ια της αÏ?Ï?ώστιας μου"

An effort for an English translation:

“Palace’s Priestess / shout loud so that I get healed / holy clothes I have brought up here to you. / Respectable, perfect (animals for sacrifices) I have brought up here to you for the Palace. / Pythia told me to come to you, and after I make a great propitiation / to sacrifice ten goats in the valley / and I will leave on foot after I [will be able to] stand on my feet [again]. / I shall give you all the healing expenses / and I will give you (the same amount in addition). / And become, [you] fertile Gaia, / healer of my illness�.

Words in parenthesis are expressions with no exact English equivalent. If anyone knows some he may add it. Words in square brackets are given here just to make the comprehension of the text easier to an English reader. They don't exist in the original text. The person that asks Gaia to heal her is a woman, something that can not be understood in the English text.

The Phaestos Disk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaestos_Disk

The Linear B script (1500-1200 BC) was in use during the Mycenaean period in many regions of Greece. It is deciphered by M. Ventris and the language it represents is Greek. Linear B evolved from the Linear A script.
More about Linear B (in English)