The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-11-18
IN OLD O%XYRHYNCUs.
REMAINS OF ANCIENT GREcIAN
CAPITAL.
Greek Human Nature Is Found to lse
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Find 1t
Was the Same Fifteen Cent urlcs Ago
Valuable Records. A

uAAO uAluCl 1uUU1ou III LI4C uCUll 40
Of fallen houses and temples B. p.
Grenfell and A. S. Hunt Of the Egypt
Exploration Fund have found valuable
papyri and objects Of domestic use pre-
served from the ancient and famous
classic Greek town in Egypt, Oxyrhyn-
Gus. These relics have been carried to
England and arranged in three sec
tons, the first containing the nan
scripts of parts of the New Testament
and other reputed apostolic writings;
and second, parts of the Greek classics,
and the third, private and public docu-
ments written by officials and other
inhabitants Of Oxyrhyncus.
Among the classical fragments is a
leaf of Sophocles' "Oedipus URANUS"
about six centuries earlier than any of
his manuscripts extant. There are
also some lines from one Of Menander's
comedies, belonging to the first cen
fury, and parts Of Homer's "Iliad" and
odyssey"
Receipts, letters, Wills, contracts and
similar documents indicate that the
Ordinary proceedings of the Greeks of
the first three centuries were only
slightly different from those of today.
Even in that remote period married
people brought their troubles into
court. One of the old petitions
brought to light by the ~excavators re-
cites:
ITO Heraclides, Priest, Chief Justice
and Superintendent Of Chrematistae
and other courts, from SYRIA, daughter
Of Theon: l married Sarapion, bring
ing him by cession a doWry amounting
to 200 drachmae of silver. AS he had
no means of his own at all, l received
him into my parents house, and l,
for my part, conducted myself blame
lessly in all respects. But %Sarapion,
having squandered my dowry as he
pleased, was constantly ~ill-treating me
and insulting nj and using violence
toward me, and, having reduced M to
poverty, he finally deserted me, leaving
mi in a destitute condition. There
fore, I beg you, in order that he may
be compelled perforce to pay back my
dowry, with an addition of half its
amount. This petition is without
prejudice to the other claims that |
have upon him."
This, at the beginning of the Chris
tian era, sounds not unlike plants
made at the end of the nineteenth CEN
fury. A father of the first century
writes to his SON:
Cornelius, to His Dearest Son, HE
rax, Greeting-All of us now lend our
love to you and yours. Regarding that
man about whom you have written to
me so often, don't make any claim un-
til l come to you in peace with YES
tinus and the donkeys, too, for %. W
l shall be coming when mercier is
over. At present l have several press
have we'll to all the men. At the same
time pay great attention to your books,
like a student, and then you will get
the benefit of them. You will receive
by, Omorphas the white garments.
which. are to be worn with the purple
cloaks; the other you will wear with
the green. l am going to send you by
stock of provisions, and the other pair
Of crimson cloaks. Till, however, An
onbas comes you must pay for the
provisioning of yourself and your
household >oht of your W cash. Till
l send him (Which will be in Tobi) pay
out for yourself what you like-to
Thronemus, 16 drachmae; to Myron
and the rest, 9 drachmae; to Secundus,
IL. Send Phrosimus to Ascleplades in
my name, and let him get an answer
to the letter I wrote him, and send it
to me. Tell me anything 1 car do for
you. Good-by, my boy.
"Tobi, 18TH"
One document Of the first century re-
lates to the mouse catcher. who is to
be paid eight drachmae in advance,
So that he may catch mice while they
are with young, and thus diminish the
household plague.
Among the medical prescriptions is
this for earache: Dilute some gum
with balsam of lilies, and add honey
and extract Of roses. Twist some wool
with oil in it round a probe, warm and
drop in"
At Fayum, near Oxyrhyncus, have
been found some of the earliest ex-
tant writing on vellum, dating to the
reign Of Titus, 1881 A. D.. also a doc
ument in Greek shorthand, belonging
to the sixth century.
Dreyfus Case and the Figure 8.
n correspondent Of the Westminster