Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 222
The Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 222 ( P. Oxy. 222 or P. Oxy. II 222 ) is a list of winners of the ancient Olympic Games, written in Greek by an unknown author . It is one of the Oxyrhynchus papyri discovered in Oxyrhynchus and named after the place . The text is written on papyrus in the form of a scroll and dates from the 3rd century . The papyrus was discovered in Oxyrhynchus in 1897 by Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt and published by them in 1899. It is kept in the British Library (Department of Manuscripts, Papyrus 1185) in London .
description
The document was made by an unknown copyist . The recto contains a list of Olympic champions from the years 480 BC. BC to 468 BC BC and 456 BC BC to 448 BC BC, the verso a balance sheet. The dimensions are 180 mm × 95 mm.
The text is written in small capital letters.
meaning
According to Grenfell and Hunt, "the number of points of interest on which the papyrus sheds new light is very considerable."
A few examples of these points are as follows:
- The papyrus definitely confirms the beginning of the Pythian Games in 582 BC. In addition, the exact dates of origin of three of Pindar's victories, which had been controversial until then, could be determined. The papyrus also dates Pindar's First Olympic Ode and the Fifth Ode of Bakchylides to 452 BC. Chr.
- This papyrus proves that Bakchylides around / after 452 BC. Died, and not as previously assumed around 468 BC. Chr.
- The document also proved that Polyklet and Pythagoras of Rhegion were born in the fifth century BC. Had their creative time.
- In addition, the text clarified a long controversial question of the interpretation of a passage of the Nicomachean Ethics (vii 4.2) of Aristotle .
- The more general value of this papyrus and the other papyri found lies in their impact on the broader question of the credibility of the early scholiasts . Since it was found in a distant and relatively insignificant city in the Hellenic world (in Egypt), it shows that such information was common and easily accessible. Given such prevalence, falsification of the text by ancient authors would have been easily recognized. This makes it very unlikely that such authors would have copied incorrectly and traditionally dealt with their texts in a text-critical , i.e. very precise manner.
literature
- Bernard Pyne Grenfell, Arthur Surridge Hunt: Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Vol. II. Egypt Exploration Society, London 1898, pp. 85-95 full text .
