DOI article:
Kenyon, Frederic George: Progress of Egyptology: graeco-roman Egypt,1901-1902
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12054#0053
GrBAECO-EOMAN EGYPT.
39
which shows the author to be jUcaeus. Unfortunately the text is too
much mutilated to admit of satisfactory restoration. Dr. Schubart assigns
the papyrus to the first, or at latest to the second century; but even the
later of these dates appears too early. The writing is rather the slightly
sloping hand of the third century, and, by a curious coincidence, a second
example of it occurs in another publication of the past year. This is the
philosophical fragment published by Prof. Comparetti in the Festschrift
presented to Prof. Theodor Gomperz on bis seventieth birthday.3 This,
bears on its verso a letter written in a hand of the third century ; and the
philosophical treatise on the recto may be assigned to the early part of the
same century. The text, which is very imperfect, is ethical in character,
and contains an attack on the views of the Stoics with regard to compassion
or philanthropy. Prof. Comparetti's restoration is open to the criticism
that it involves a column over four inches in breadth, which is very
unusual, if not impossible.
The Gomperz Festschrift likewise contains another fragmentary
philosophical work, namely a collection of anecdotes concerning the Cynic
Diogenes, edited by Dr. Wessely, from a papyrus in the Eainer collection.4
It was found with papyri of the reign of Augustus, and is assigned by the
editor to the first half of the first century B.C. Of the six columns of
which it consists, the second, third, fourth, and half the sixth are so far
perfect as to admit of nearly continuous restoration. One of the anecdotes
recurs in Diogenes Laertius; the rest are new.
Of a different character is a papyrus fragment at Strassburg, which has
been published by Prof. B. Keil.3 It contains only twenty-six lines, all of
which are defective at the beginning to an uncertain extent; yet on this
slender basis the Strassburg professor has erected a volume of 341 pages.
The feat is not so unreasonable as it sounds; for the papyrus contains an
abstract of a historical work dealing with the events of the fifth century
B.C., from about 450 to the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants. Since each
event is briefly summarised in a single sentence, the restoration of the
imperfect text and the discussion of the historical statements involved lend
themselves easily to very detailed treatment. Many of the restorations,
it is to be feared, are highly problematical, and the whole labours under
the defect (pointed out by M. Seymour de Eicci6) that it involves a
quite unparalleled width of column; but the substance of much of the text
is clearly recoverable, and Prof. Keil's discussion of it forms a valuable
contribution to the history of Athens during the time of her supremacy.
Another Strassburg publication is perhaps liable to the same criticism
as to excessive commentary. Prof. Eeitzenstein has published fragments
39
which shows the author to be jUcaeus. Unfortunately the text is too
much mutilated to admit of satisfactory restoration. Dr. Schubart assigns
the papyrus to the first, or at latest to the second century; but even the
later of these dates appears too early. The writing is rather the slightly
sloping hand of the third century, and, by a curious coincidence, a second
example of it occurs in another publication of the past year. This is the
philosophical fragment published by Prof. Comparetti in the Festschrift
presented to Prof. Theodor Gomperz on bis seventieth birthday.3 This,
bears on its verso a letter written in a hand of the third century ; and the
philosophical treatise on the recto may be assigned to the early part of the
same century. The text, which is very imperfect, is ethical in character,
and contains an attack on the views of the Stoics with regard to compassion
or philanthropy. Prof. Comparetti's restoration is open to the criticism
that it involves a column over four inches in breadth, which is very
unusual, if not impossible.
The Gomperz Festschrift likewise contains another fragmentary
philosophical work, namely a collection of anecdotes concerning the Cynic
Diogenes, edited by Dr. Wessely, from a papyrus in the Eainer collection.4
It was found with papyri of the reign of Augustus, and is assigned by the
editor to the first half of the first century B.C. Of the six columns of
which it consists, the second, third, fourth, and half the sixth are so far
perfect as to admit of nearly continuous restoration. One of the anecdotes
recurs in Diogenes Laertius; the rest are new.
Of a different character is a papyrus fragment at Strassburg, which has
been published by Prof. B. Keil.3 It contains only twenty-six lines, all of
which are defective at the beginning to an uncertain extent; yet on this
slender basis the Strassburg professor has erected a volume of 341 pages.
The feat is not so unreasonable as it sounds; for the papyrus contains an
abstract of a historical work dealing with the events of the fifth century
B.C., from about 450 to the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants. Since each
event is briefly summarised in a single sentence, the restoration of the
imperfect text and the discussion of the historical statements involved lend
themselves easily to very detailed treatment. Many of the restorations,
it is to be feared, are highly problematical, and the whole labours under
the defect (pointed out by M. Seymour de Eicci6) that it involves a
quite unparalleled width of column; but the substance of much of the text
is clearly recoverable, and Prof. Keil's discussion of it forms a valuable
contribution to the history of Athens during the time of her supremacy.
Another Strassburg publication is perhaps liable to the same criticism
as to excessive commentary. Prof. Eeitzenstein has published fragments