Professor R. T. Hallock generously allows me to publish here his text and translation of the hitherto unpublished Persepolis Fortification Tablet Q–1809, to which he has referred in CDAFIS (1978), 115.

17 mar-ri-iš 2KAŠ.lg m.Da-ti-3ya gal-mā du-iš 4hal-mi m.sunki-na 5ku-iz h.Iš-par-da-mar6pir-ra-da-zi-iš7-iz-zi-i[š] h.8Ba-ir-[ša]9m.sunki-ik-ka pa-raš10d.ITU.lg11Š-mi-man-taš12h.be-ul 27-um-13me-na h.Hi-da-li

1–37 marriš beer Datiya received as rations. 4–5He carried a sealed document of the king. 5–9He went forth from Sardis (via) express (service), went to the king (at) Persepolis. 10–1311th month, year 27.13(At) Hidali.

On its left edge it bears Seal 201, which should belong to the supplier at Hidali. It appears in the same position there two months earlier on PF1404. Earlier seals for suppliers at Hidali are Seals 84 (this and not Seal 201 is on PF1408) and 138. The seal on the reverse is a small stamp, with figure at left facing an altar with an animal on it, with a moon above.

A beer or wine ration of 70 quarts marks its recipient as a very high personage. The figure recurs on PF1558 as the ration of Abbatema the Indian, who travels in considerable style (see Lewis, Sparta and Persia 5 with n. 14; his rations vary considerably, and he only gets 30 quarts in PF1556), and has been suggested as a likely ration for apparent sisters of the king (Hallock, CDAFI 8 (1978), 115). To our knowledge it is only exceeded by Parnaka, uncle of the king and chief economic official of Persis, who is on 90 quarts (PF664–5), and Gobryas, father of Mardonios, one of the greatest men of the kingdom, who is on 100 quarts (PF688).