Linear B: An Introduction

Description

This is a book which details and decyphers the dead language of Linear B. Linear B was one of the earliest written languages and was written by people who spoke "proto-Greek", i.e. the language which was later to become Classical Greek. The book lists the symbols, their pronunciation and the meanings. This introduction is suitable for the student with some knowledge of Greek who wishes to have access to Linear B material. Part One places the development of the Linear B script against its historical background; the earlier varieties of Aegean writing are discusses, and Ventris' decipherment of Linear B is described and the Mycenaean dialect of Greek is examined. In Part two, the reader is taken through a number of important Linear B texts. These are presented first in a 'normalised' transcription of the Linear B characters, so as to induce familiarity with the lay-out of the original texts, secondly in transliteration, and thirdly in translation where this is possible.

J.T. Hooker was Reader in Greek at University College London, UK. His publications include Homer: Iliad III, also published by Bloomsbury.