Translating Akkadian clay tablets with ChatGPT?
Some people have been "strengthening" Chat GPT by re-running the same query several times, then combining the various outputs. I asked GPT 4 to translate one of the linked snippets <i>twice</i>, pasted in the original plus the variants, and told it to merge all three into an improved translation. I also gave it metadata and context from the page. Without that, it complained that an isolated snippet of Sumerian or Akkadian is too difficult to translate:<p><pre><code>    Esarhaddon, the great king, the powerful king,
    King of the Universe, King of Assyria, Governor of Babylon,
    King of Sumer and Akkad, King of the Four Corners of the Universe,
    Wisely nurtured by the great gods,
    From his earliest days, Assur, Shamash, Enlil, and Ishtar,
    The gods of Nineveh and the gods of Assur,
    For the kingship of Assyria, have determined his fate.
    The circumstances of my origins, my noble lineage, they caused me to understand.
    In the service of Assur, Sin, Shamash, Enlil, and Ishtar,
    The gods of Nineveh and the gods of Assur, they created me,
    Amidst my numerous heroic deeds, my valor has no equal,
    They said, "This is the one, let him rule!"
    Shamash and Adad revealed this to me through a favorable omen,
    They declared to me: 'You are the one who will shepherd our people',
    Their weighty destiny, they assigned, and the land of Assyria became great,
    My numerous offspring, the product of my loins, they caused to grow and multiply.
    Before Assur, Sin, Shamash, Ishtar, Marduk, the gods of Assyria,
    The gods, my helpers, who reside in heaven and earth, they have enlarged my reign.
    Their weighty command, they caused to be heard,
    In the days of abundance, from dawn to dusk, in their temples, they have decreed my fate.
</code></pre>
This is from the first 20 lines of: <a href="https://cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts/422293/reader/201278" rel="nofollow">https://cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts/422293/reader/201...</a><p>I found a professional translation here: <a href="http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/Q003230" rel="nofollow">http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/rinap/Q003230</a><p><pre><code>    The palace of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, 
    king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, 
    king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, true shepherd, 
    favorite of the great gods,
    whom from his childhood the gods Aššur, Šamaš, Bēl, and Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, 
    (and) Ištar of Arbela named for the kingship of Assyria
    I am my older brothers’ youngest brother (and) by the command of the 
    gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, and Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela, (my) father, who engendered me, 
    elevated me firmly in the assembly of my brothers, 
    saying: ‘This is the son who will succeed me.’ 
    He questioned the gods Šamaš and Adad by divination, and they answered him with a firm ‘yes,’ 
    saying: ‘He is your replacement.’ He heeded their important word(s) and gathered together the people 
    of Assyria, young (and) old, (and) my brothers, the seed of the house of my father.     
    Before the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, (and) Marduk, the gods of Assyria, 
    the gods who live in heaven and netherworld, he made them swear their solemn oath(s) concerning the safe-guarding of my succession.
    In a favorable month, on a propitious day, in accordance with their sublime command, 
    I joyfully entered the House of Succession, an awe-inspiring place within which the appointing to kingship (takes place).
</code></pre>
The gist of it seems to match the GPT 4 translation pretty well, and if anything, I prefer the GPT 4 version, as it is more readable!