New-York tribune., 1900-04-01
RECENT FINDS OF PAPYRI.
VALUABLE FRAGMENTS OF CLASSICAL
LITERATURE AND INTERESTING
DOCUMENTS RECOVERED
From The London Globe.

are restoring to US the history and civilization Of
the most remote ages and giving to the chrCni-
cles OF the Pharaohs n restorative enlargement
far beyond widest expectations other
laborecS restoring to US the later chapters of
her history, when the line of the Pharaohs had
succumbed to the conquering Greek and Roman
The second instalment of GrecO-Roman papyrt,
from the explorations at Ben Hesa the ancient
Oxyrnyncus. carried out by Messrs Hunt and
GrenfeIl is rich in historical material.
II Is indeed an astonishing revelation Of the
| hlerary activity IN classic times in Egypt that
some hundreds Of manuscripts have been OBJ
tanned from the ruins Of a small provincial town
| in the Thebiad. From this little town come
| classic fragments of all the best known
authors-HOmer, Eurpdes ThUcydides Plato,
Aenophon and an unknown work of Aristoph-
anes- If this wealth Of literature found
IN d minor centre SUCH as Oxyrhyncus what
might we have hoped for had the treasures of
Alexandria been preserved? The vast number
u pdpyrl Dotn literary and official, discovered
during recent years in Middle Egypt and the
tayoum are alone proof of the treasures de-
stroyed by the fanaticism OF Omar.
The series Of papyri now published do not con-
| tain such treasures as The Logia of Jesus" or
the poem Of Sappho but we have a charn-
ing fragment of 4 comedy of Menander of which
little more than the was extant until now
1t is called "Perikeromene,' or the Cropped
Lady anC relates to the story OF a soldier who
in drunken fit cut off the locks of his mistress
The small fragment OF the last act is so pleasing
tnat 1t Is TO be hoped that more will be found
For historical purposes, Of the most i'm
portant fragments recovered is n list Of victors
from 2. c. 4S0-46S and 456-44S. The period en-
braced is Il rich in literature and art and
the list viii enable US to attain greater ac-
curacy in fixing the dates Of writing OF the
Olympian odes of Pindar and Bacchvlides and
OF the scUlptOrs Polycletus, Myron and others
II the find is important in the additions it af-
lords TO our knowledge of classical times il Is
still more important in the insight il affords into
the lnnermost circles Of domestic life The
period covered by these dOcuments-nanely, the
first centuries before and after the Christian
E4ra-Was one or great official activity, and thus
the number Of legal documents is great. and the
affairs Of many families be traced with
minute accuracy. There is a most interesting
documents domestic a
fairs of a certain Tryphon. 4 weaver OF OXyrhyn-
Gus. Born in the year 8 A D. he married a
woman named DenetronS, but the union lasted
but a short time. for in about 4-3J A. D. we
nnd MIN presenting a petition thus worded to
the courts: Il married Dem6trons, the daugh-
ter OF Herachdes and for my part provided
for my wife, in a manner that exceeded my
sources. But she became dissatisfied with our
union, and nnally left the house, carrying on
property belonging to me" He demands her
punishment and the return OF his property. The
real source Of the trouble was the "rnother-in-
law" in modern cases
Having ridded himself of Denetrons. the hus-
band takes a new wife, but, a measure oc eau
ton, only on trial for period apparently Of
five months. The wife, named Saraus
brings him a dOwry OF forty drachmR Of silver.
a robe and pair Of gold earrings and these or
the equivalent value are to be returned at ths
end Of the five months IL the temporary union
is not successful Soon after marriage trouble
appears IN the form or the discarded wife, her
mother and friends. who assault the new bride.
and once more the "affaire Tryphon'' is before
the courts. Punishment being meted out the
household is once more in peace.
From the newly discovered records
trace the history very clearly. The pair lived
together in happiness for at least twenty-three
years, and two SONS and daughter born,
the second son, ThOOnis, in "a A. D.. and twelve
years later was apprenticed to a weaver to learn
the trade, his fathers eyesight having grown
too dim to teach him. All this time the wife OF
SarRus had not demanded the dowry which
should have been returned to her after Eve
months trial, but seven years after there seems
to have been a domestic crisis, though only OF
a passing nature. and we find the dCwry paid
through a firm Of local bankers.
All family life does not appear to have been
quite smooth as that of Tryphons household.
the following petition of a wife shows: The
plaintiff says-"I, Syra, the daughter OF Theon.
married SarapiOn. bringing him by Cession a
dOwry amounting to 200 drachm4 Of silver As
he destitute OF means I received him into
my parents house. and for my part conducted
myself blamelessly in all respects But Sara
piOn, having squandered my dOwry he pleased
continually illtreated and insulted me, using
violence toward me. and depTiving OF the
necessares Of life finally he deserted me. leaving
in state Of restitution" Although told
some eighteen hundred years ago, there is a
very modern aspect about the petition OF syria,
and 1t is to be hoped she well rid Of the
brute
Some Of the private letters are very quaint
though We lack rich a morsel the letter Of
the boy TheOn in the first series. Thus a writer
breaks off in the middle OF a letter relating to
a law case in Alexandria to ask: Let know
about our bald headed friend; how is his hair
growing again on tOp?" In another letter the
writer declares to his sister as a token OF SYM
pathy, Il have not washed for a month";
trouble Thus in letter from Alexandria to
his sister 4 writer says. Many and