DOI Artikel:
Kenyon, Frederic George: Progress of Egyptology, [3]: Greco-Egyptian Literary Discoveries
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10055#0049
Gr.eco-Egyptian Literary Discoveries.
35
against Syria in b.c. 247-6.8 The other literary fragments published
by Prof. M aba fly are comparatively small and unimportant. In con-
clusion, though not falling strictly within the year, mention should be
made of the fragments of an early Greek romance on the subject of
Ninus, edited by Prof. Wilcken from among the papyri at Berlin.9
The non-literary papyri published during the past year are far more
numerous and, relatively to their subject, of greater importance than
any of the literary ones, unless it be the Medical Papyrus. Three con-
siderable publications of texts have been made. Prof. Wilcken and his
two colleagues, Drs. Krebs and Viereck, have continued the issue of the
Berlin papyri with admirable regularity and skill.10 Eleven parts, con-
taining 361 documents, have now been published, and indices to the
first ten of these are promised shortly to complete the first volume.
Prof. Mahaffy has published the rest of the Petrie papyri entrusted to
his care, and has thus completed a task involving enormous laboui^
patience and ingenuity.11 The third publication is the volume of the
British Museum Catalogue, containing the texts of all the non-literary
papyri acquired by the Museum up to the end of 1891, to which allusion
was made by way of prophecy in last year's Report.13 It may be worth
while to give a somewhat fuller account of each of these volumes.
The Berlin papyri are of first-rate importance for the internal history
of Egypt during the first two centuries and a half of our era. Until
recently, very few documents indeed had been discovered which belonged
to this period, and the palteography of these centuries was almost a
blank. But a few years ago a large find of papyri was evidently made
by natives near the modern village of Dimay, in the Faiyum, anciently
known as Socnopsei Nesus, the Island of the god Socnopious. Some of
these papyri are now in London and Vienna, and perhaps elsewhere ; but
the greater part of the find was secured for Berlin. The publication of
these (or ra ther of a portion of them, for the issue is by no means complete
yet) by Drs. Wilcken, Krebs_an.d_ Viereck leaves little to be desired.
The palaeographer and the student who wishes to work minutely on the
documents must indeed regret the absence of facsimiles, and the texts
are unaccompanied by comments ; but the texts themselves have
provided infinite material for historical and legal study. The details
of Roman administration in Egypt cau now be reconstructed far
more fully than before. The list of known legates of Egypt has been
amplified ; the official relationships between the various officers of the
Dome are being made clear ; and together with these official data, the
manner of life and the standard of civilization in Roman Egypt are
v 2
35
against Syria in b.c. 247-6.8 The other literary fragments published
by Prof. M aba fly are comparatively small and unimportant. In con-
clusion, though not falling strictly within the year, mention should be
made of the fragments of an early Greek romance on the subject of
Ninus, edited by Prof. Wilcken from among the papyri at Berlin.9
The non-literary papyri published during the past year are far more
numerous and, relatively to their subject, of greater importance than
any of the literary ones, unless it be the Medical Papyrus. Three con-
siderable publications of texts have been made. Prof. Wilcken and his
two colleagues, Drs. Krebs and Viereck, have continued the issue of the
Berlin papyri with admirable regularity and skill.10 Eleven parts, con-
taining 361 documents, have now been published, and indices to the
first ten of these are promised shortly to complete the first volume.
Prof. Mahaffy has published the rest of the Petrie papyri entrusted to
his care, and has thus completed a task involving enormous laboui^
patience and ingenuity.11 The third publication is the volume of the
British Museum Catalogue, containing the texts of all the non-literary
papyri acquired by the Museum up to the end of 1891, to which allusion
was made by way of prophecy in last year's Report.13 It may be worth
while to give a somewhat fuller account of each of these volumes.
The Berlin papyri are of first-rate importance for the internal history
of Egypt during the first two centuries and a half of our era. Until
recently, very few documents indeed had been discovered which belonged
to this period, and the palteography of these centuries was almost a
blank. But a few years ago a large find of papyri was evidently made
by natives near the modern village of Dimay, in the Faiyum, anciently
known as Socnopsei Nesus, the Island of the god Socnopious. Some of
these papyri are now in London and Vienna, and perhaps elsewhere ; but
the greater part of the find was secured for Berlin. The publication of
these (or ra ther of a portion of them, for the issue is by no means complete
yet) by Drs. Wilcken, Krebs_an.d_ Viereck leaves little to be desired.
The palaeographer and the student who wishes to work minutely on the
documents must indeed regret the absence of facsimiles, and the texts
are unaccompanied by comments ; but the texts themselves have
provided infinite material for historical and legal study. The details
of Roman administration in Egypt cau now be reconstructed far
more fully than before. The list of known legates of Egypt has been
amplified ; the official relationships between the various officers of the
Dome are being made clear ; and together with these official data, the
manner of life and the standard of civilization in Roman Egypt are
v 2