DOI Artikel:
Kenyon, Frederic George: Progress of Egyptology: graeco-roman Egypt
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12053#0078
02
Progress of Egyptology.
broad columns from a roll (early fourth century) containing the Epistle to
the Hebrews (ii. 14-v. 5, x. 8-xi. 13, xi. 28-xii. 17). The text is markedly
akin to that of the Codex Vaticanus, and its testimony continues beyond
the point where that MS. unfortunately breaks off. The only remaining
theological text is a third specimen of a libellus, or certificate of having
offered pagan sacrifice, from the time of the Decian persecution ; two
others, at .Berlin and Vienna, were published by Krebs in 1893 and
Wessely in 1294.
The classical texts (forty-six in number, besides thirty-eight Homeric
fragments) likewise include some exceptional finds, notably four columns
from a Pindar MS., which give us sixty lines (mostly intact, though not
continuous, the tops of the columns being lost) from a irapdeveiov, or hymn
sung by a chorus of maidens, in honour of Aeoladas of Thebes, besides
some fifteen lines from another ode in honour of the same hero. Though
not to be compared with Pindar's finest work, this is a genuine literary
discovery of substantial size and value. For Latin scholars (a class gene-
rally neglected by the papyri) there is an equally remarkable bonne bouche
in the shape of a considerable fragment of an epitome of Livy ; it consists
of eight columns, of which three cover books 37-40, which are among the
extant portions of Livy's history, and five relate to books 48-55, of which
the original is lost. The new epitome differs altogether from that
previously extant, and, judging from that part of it which relates to the
extant books, it is fairly complete and trustworthy. It gives us several
new facts for the period b.c. 150-137. On the verso of the papyrus is
written the copy of the Epistle to the Hebrews, mentioned above, which
makes it possible to assign the Livy with confidence to the end of the third
or beginning of the fourth century; a fact wdiich gives it considerable
palaeographical importance.
Next in interest to these two MSS. comes a smaller papyrus containing
the argument of Cratinus' Dionyxalexanchos; a complete comedy by this
author, to place by the side of Aristophanes, would be one of the most
attractive gifts which the sands of Egypt could produce for us. The other
new pieces are of less importance. The fragments of known works include
specimens of Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Apollonius Ehodius, Theocritus,
Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Theophrastus, Isocrates, Demosthenes,
Aeschines ; the most valuable are a further portion of the good Thucydides
MS. published in the first Oxyrhynchus volume, and a considerable piece
of the Gyropandia.
In dealing with the theological and classical texts the editors have taken
many scholars and theologians into council, notably (as usual) Prof. Blass.
Progress of Egyptology.
broad columns from a roll (early fourth century) containing the Epistle to
the Hebrews (ii. 14-v. 5, x. 8-xi. 13, xi. 28-xii. 17). The text is markedly
akin to that of the Codex Vaticanus, and its testimony continues beyond
the point where that MS. unfortunately breaks off. The only remaining
theological text is a third specimen of a libellus, or certificate of having
offered pagan sacrifice, from the time of the Decian persecution ; two
others, at .Berlin and Vienna, were published by Krebs in 1893 and
Wessely in 1294.
The classical texts (forty-six in number, besides thirty-eight Homeric
fragments) likewise include some exceptional finds, notably four columns
from a Pindar MS., which give us sixty lines (mostly intact, though not
continuous, the tops of the columns being lost) from a irapdeveiov, or hymn
sung by a chorus of maidens, in honour of Aeoladas of Thebes, besides
some fifteen lines from another ode in honour of the same hero. Though
not to be compared with Pindar's finest work, this is a genuine literary
discovery of substantial size and value. For Latin scholars (a class gene-
rally neglected by the papyri) there is an equally remarkable bonne bouche
in the shape of a considerable fragment of an epitome of Livy ; it consists
of eight columns, of which three cover books 37-40, which are among the
extant portions of Livy's history, and five relate to books 48-55, of which
the original is lost. The new epitome differs altogether from that
previously extant, and, judging from that part of it which relates to the
extant books, it is fairly complete and trustworthy. It gives us several
new facts for the period b.c. 150-137. On the verso of the papyrus is
written the copy of the Epistle to the Hebrews, mentioned above, which
makes it possible to assign the Livy with confidence to the end of the third
or beginning of the fourth century; a fact wdiich gives it considerable
palaeographical importance.
Next in interest to these two MSS. comes a smaller papyrus containing
the argument of Cratinus' Dionyxalexanchos; a complete comedy by this
author, to place by the side of Aristophanes, would be one of the most
attractive gifts which the sands of Egypt could produce for us. The other
new pieces are of less importance. The fragments of known works include
specimens of Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Apollonius Ehodius, Theocritus,
Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Theophrastus, Isocrates, Demosthenes,
Aeschines ; the most valuable are a further portion of the good Thucydides
MS. published in the first Oxyrhynchus volume, and a considerable piece
of the Gyropandia.
In dealing with the theological and classical texts the editors have taken
many scholars and theologians into council, notably (as usual) Prof. Blass.