The instructions of Shuruppak

The instructions of Shuruppak is a master piece of Sumerian literature. Being probably the oldest wisdom treaty that exists, it is also one of the oldest written works in the history of humanity. Few Sumerian writings have reached us but they were widely referenced by some of the most relevant Greek thinkers and they had a great influence on classical philosophy, both Greek and Roman. It is estimated that the work was written (carved in tablets) at the beginning of the third millennium before our era. Some parts of the original text have been lost and others have been translated from later copies made in Sumerian and Akkadian. The work has been translated into English by the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford.

Anonymous