DOI article:
Kenyon, Frederic George: Progress of Egyptology: graeco-roman Egypt, 1902-1903
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12052#0053
40
Progbess of Egyptology.
a campaign against the Persians in Phrygia,5 which he identifies with that
of Chares in B.C. 355-4. The facts mentioned (the name of the satrap,
Tithraustes, whom he attacked, and the interruption of the campaign
through orders from Athens) appear to be new. There is no clue to the
author, but Dr. Wessely remarks that the papyrus is evidently a private
copy, not one written for trade purposes, and that it is probable that
only works of some considerable eminence would be thus transcribed for
private use.
From the Strassburg collection Dr. 0. Plasberg0 has published
(1) some iambic couplets in the manner of Menander, principally on the
subject of women, written in the second century on the back of a papyrus;
(2) brief scholia on Homer, II. v. 88-254. written early in the second
century, with abbreviations similar to some of those in the Aristotle
papyrus ; (3) a column of scholia on Od. xv. 436-457, which turns out to
belong to the MS. already published by Messrs. Grenfell and Hunt as
no. 18 among the Amherst Papyri, where it fills a gap between cols. 18
and 19 ; (4) a fresh version, on the back of a second century account, of
the hymn to Hermes which is already known, in more or less corrupt
forms, from the Paris and London magical papyri; (5) fragmentary
sayings or admonitions of a Christian character, perhaps logia, but
apparently not earlier than the fourth century, and very imperfect; (6) a
vellum fragment of the fifth century, containing Genesis xxv. 19-22,
xxvi. 3-4, in the Septuagint version ; and (7) a fragment of a papyrus book,
assigned to the fourth century, containing 2 Kings (= 2 Sam.) xv. 36—
xvi. 3. Partial facsimiles are given of the first and fifth of these.
Prof. Vitelli continues the publication of the papyri recently acquired by
him in Egypt by printing some fragments of a poem in hexameters of the
school of Nonnus.7 Portions of seventy-seven lines are preserved, on four
pages of a papyrus book of the fifth century or later, but in so imperfect a
state that it is impossible to obtain a connected sense from them. Mention
is made of the Egyptians and the Nile ; so that it is probably the work of a
native poet for local consumption.
This completes a somewhat scanty and unimportant list (apart from the
Timotheus) of new literary acquisitions. A more sumptuous banquet will
be provided by the third volume of Oxyrhynchus Papyri, which will
probably appear before this Keport, and which will contain a large harvest
of interesting literary fragments.
Turning to non-literary texts, the first place is unquestionably due to
the volume of Tebtunis Papyri published by Messrs. Grenfell, Hunt, and
Smyly in the course of last autumn.8 Mr. Smyly has been for several
Progbess of Egyptology.
a campaign against the Persians in Phrygia,5 which he identifies with that
of Chares in B.C. 355-4. The facts mentioned (the name of the satrap,
Tithraustes, whom he attacked, and the interruption of the campaign
through orders from Athens) appear to be new. There is no clue to the
author, but Dr. Wessely remarks that the papyrus is evidently a private
copy, not one written for trade purposes, and that it is probable that
only works of some considerable eminence would be thus transcribed for
private use.
From the Strassburg collection Dr. 0. Plasberg0 has published
(1) some iambic couplets in the manner of Menander, principally on the
subject of women, written in the second century on the back of a papyrus;
(2) brief scholia on Homer, II. v. 88-254. written early in the second
century, with abbreviations similar to some of those in the Aristotle
papyrus ; (3) a column of scholia on Od. xv. 436-457, which turns out to
belong to the MS. already published by Messrs. Grenfell and Hunt as
no. 18 among the Amherst Papyri, where it fills a gap between cols. 18
and 19 ; (4) a fresh version, on the back of a second century account, of
the hymn to Hermes which is already known, in more or less corrupt
forms, from the Paris and London magical papyri; (5) fragmentary
sayings or admonitions of a Christian character, perhaps logia, but
apparently not earlier than the fourth century, and very imperfect; (6) a
vellum fragment of the fifth century, containing Genesis xxv. 19-22,
xxvi. 3-4, in the Septuagint version ; and (7) a fragment of a papyrus book,
assigned to the fourth century, containing 2 Kings (= 2 Sam.) xv. 36—
xvi. 3. Partial facsimiles are given of the first and fifth of these.
Prof. Vitelli continues the publication of the papyri recently acquired by
him in Egypt by printing some fragments of a poem in hexameters of the
school of Nonnus.7 Portions of seventy-seven lines are preserved, on four
pages of a papyrus book of the fifth century or later, but in so imperfect a
state that it is impossible to obtain a connected sense from them. Mention
is made of the Egyptians and the Nile ; so that it is probably the work of a
native poet for local consumption.
This completes a somewhat scanty and unimportant list (apart from the
Timotheus) of new literary acquisitions. A more sumptuous banquet will
be provided by the third volume of Oxyrhynchus Papyri, which will
probably appear before this Keport, and which will contain a large harvest
of interesting literary fragments.
Turning to non-literary texts, the first place is unquestionably due to
the volume of Tebtunis Papyri published by Messrs. Grenfell, Hunt, and
Smyly in the course of last autumn.8 Mr. Smyly has been for several