Letters as Correspondence, Letters as Literature

This article examines the use of letters and correspondence for literary purposes in ancient Mesopotamia. Cuneiform evidence reveals that there are many letters written between real people for everyday purposes of communication which were clearly literary. There are letters in which the vocabulary and language used are often far removed from the mundane diction of administrative and family letters. This article explores the complex relationship between archival and literary letters in cuneiform culture.

This article examines the use of letters and correspondence for literary purposes in ancient Mesopotamia. Cuneiform evidence reveals that there are many letters written between real people for everyday purposes of communication which were clearly literary. There are letters in which the vocabulary and language used are often far removed from the mundane diction of administrative and family letters. This article explores the complex relationship between archival and literary letters in cuneiform culture.