# Greek or Coptic



## astlanda

Hi!

Could you tell me, please, if the text on the following photo is in Greek or Coptic and what it is about?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12819143@N08/3099207423/sizes/l/in/set-72157610979856209/

It's an ancient graffity on a wall of the Ptolemaic temple in Deir al Madina, Luxor, Egypt, which was later turned to a church.


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## Outsider

Looks like Greek to me, but it's very far away. If it's from the Ptolemaic age it's probably Greek, though, right?


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## anthodocheio

In a part of the wall, where the writing is more clear it can be seen:

ΑΠΑ ΔΑΝΙΗΛ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ
ΑΠΑ ΠΕΒΩ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ
ΑΠΑ ΠΛΗΕΙΝ ΑΥΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ
ΑΠΑ ΕΝΩΧ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ
ΑΠΑ ΘΕΩΦΥΛΟΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΣ
ΑΠΑ ΠΕΤΡΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΧΟΡΙΤΗΣ
ΑΠΑ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΩ
ΑΠΑ ΜΑΘΘΑΙΟΣ ΑΗΜΤΟΝ
ΑΠΑ ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΗΤΕΡ(ΟΣ)

That makes it a list of names. Impossible to tell what ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ is..


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## anthodocheio

I also have no idea what the ΑΠΑ at the beginning stands for.
 
I can notice that the spelling is a bit free...


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## anthodocheio

I can also see at the top - right:
 
ΤΟΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΣΙΝ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ
Α. Π. ΜΑΥΡΟΚΟΡΔΑΤΟΣ
1854
 
Seems like a very interesting testimony to me...
 
 
PD: Sorry for having it all this in more than one posts…


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## astlanda

Ευχαριστω

My knowledge is limited to the very basic ancient Greek only. So I can't read it.
What does mean: "ΤΟΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΣΙΝ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ" ?

I believe that I can see some Coptic letters in that text.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_alphabet

ΑΠΑ may stand for Aramaic "abba":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_(Semitic)

Perhaps it is a list of Coptic priests.


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## anthodocheio

astlanda said:


> Ευχαριστω
> 
> My knowledge is limited to the very basic ancient Greek only. So I can't read it.
> What does mean: "ΤΟΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΣΙΝ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ" ?


I believe it is something like "Joy to the Greek people".


> I believe that I can see some Coptic letters in that text.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_alphabet


I don't know. I only saw the greek characters...


> ΑΠΑ may stand for Aramaic "abba":
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ab_(Semitic)
> 
> Perhaps it is a list of Coptic priests.


If it stands for Abba indead makes sense..


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## astlanda

Thanks for the translation.



anthodocheio said:


> I don't know. I only saw the greek characters...



 I can see a word "ΝΕΟϒϪΟϒΤΟ" repeated several times (e.g. after "ΑΠΑ ΜΑΘΘΑΙΟΣ ΑΗΜΤΟΝ"), which includes a Coptic "dandia".
And the "ΑΠΑ ΔΑΝΙΗΛ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ" is "ΑΠΑ ΔΑΝΙΗΛ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟϤ ϹΟϒΨΙΟΝΜϢΙΡ" with Coptic "fai" and "shai", isn't it?

Can you see any Greek sentence, that you understand, except "ΤΟΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΣΙΝ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ"?


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## ireney

Could it be one of the places where people through the ages etched their variations of "X was here"?


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## anthodocheio

astlanda said:


> Thanks for the translation.
> 
> 
> 
> I can see a word "ΝΕΟϒϪΟϒΤΟ" repeated several times (e.g. after "ΑΠΑ ΜΑΘΘΑΙΟΣ ΑΗΜΤΟΝ"), which includes a Coptic "dandia".
> And the "ΑΠΑ ΔΑΝΙΗΛ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟ" is "ΑΠΑ ΔΑΝΙΗΛ ΑΗΜΤΟΝΜΜΟϤ ϹΟϒΨΙΟΝΜϢΙΡ" with Coptic "fai" and "shai", isn't it?
> 
> Can you see any Greek sentence, that you understand, except "ΤΟΙΣ ΕΛΛΗΣΙΝ ΧΑΙΡΕΙΝ"?


 
Actually I can't. 

About "ΝΕΟϒϪΟϒΤΟ", I only managed to find if half a time more...

There are many parts I really can't understand. I'd say the half of what is written there. The other half are names (some of them more than once) and the word "πρεσβύτερος" ("elder" I think) next to them. I also believe I saw the word "άγιος" ("saint" or "holy").

About the Coptic letters you mention... I would never think that they are not Greek letters, written in a bit different way, if you hadn't mentioned it. So, I believe that's all the help you could get from me.
 
All the best!


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## anthodocheio

ireney said:


> Could it be one of the places where people through the ages etched their variations of "X was here"?


 
Hi Irene! 

It seems so. Doesn't it?

Nice seeing you and Happy New Year! (To all!)


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## astlanda

Ευχαριστω!

Thank you!


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