Golden apple

[swiftnicholas]

@Eureka

However, since Homeric Greek had no definite article, we can be sure that Linear-B had none either.

When Michael Ventris first deciphered parts of the Linear B tablets as Greek, he was alarmed because there was no definite article where he expected one, but when he consulted authorities on Homeric Greek, he was assured that it did indeed make sense. He also discovered things like the genitive ending -oio, and the digamma, which he didn’t immediately recognize as early Greek. It’s an exciting story.

[Eureka]

@swiftnicholas

@Eureka

However, since Homeric Greek had no definite article, we can be sure that Linear-B had none either.

When Michael Ventris first deciphered parts of the Linear B tablets as Greek, he was alarmed because there was no definite article where he expected one, but when he consulted authorities on Homeric Greek, he was assured that it did indeed make sense. He also discovered things like the genitive ending -oio, and the digamma, which he didn’t immediately recognize as early Greek. It’s an exciting story.

[Mr. T]I pity the foo’[/Mr. T]

How could he not have read any of Homer (ΟΜHΡΟΙΟ)? Some people are strange.

[swiftnicholas]

How could he not have read any of Homer (ΟΜHΡΟΙΟ)?

I know, it’s hard to believe. But Ventris wasn’t a classical scholar (I’m not even sure how much Greek he had), he was an architect. He did have an amazing talent for languages, though; Chadwick claims that he learned enough Swedish in two weeks to obtain a job there. One of the most exciting parts of the story is that he managed to decipher Linear B in his spare time, as a hobby! He worked by applying code-breaking techniques, searching for patterns of characters in the tablets.

[Bombichka]

@Eureka

Are you sure? (I think I read that it was the following vowel that was repeated.)

As I checked some Linear B transcriptions in Palmer, L., The Greek Language, I saw that you have the right impression about that.

I stand corrected.