The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20
RECENT FINDS OF PAPYRI
Fragments of Classical Literature
Discovered in Egypt.
Original Papers Containing EXAM
ME. of Literary Activity in Days of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Plays and
documents of Legal Character
Among the Excayatcd Curiositics.

to vindicate to her utmost extent her tile
of the land of letters. While decirh rsrs
and explorers are restoring to us the his
tory and civilization of the most remote
ages end giving to the chronicles of the
Pharaohs restorative enlargement far be-
yond our widest expectations, other la
borers are restoring TO us the later chap
tiers of her history, when the line of the
Pharaohs had succumbed to the c5nquering
Greek and Roman. The second install
ment of Graeco-Roman papyri. from the
explorations at Ben Hesa, the ancient
Oxyrhyncus. carried out by Messrs. Hunt
and GreenfeIl, is rich in historical ma
terial.
1t is indeed an astonishing revelation of
the literary activity in classic times in
Egypt that some hundreds of manuscripts
have been obtained from the ruins CT a
small provincial town in the Thebigd
From this little town come classic irag
ments of all the best known authors
Homer, Euripdes. Thucydides, Plato,
Xenophon, and an unknown work of Aris-
tophanes. If this wealth of literature was
found in a minor centre such as OxyIhn-
Gus, what might We have hoped for had the
treasures of Alexandria been preserved!
The vast number of papyri, both literary
and official, discovered during recent years
in middle Egypt and the Tayoum are alone
proof of the treasures destroyed b. the
faaaticism of Omar
The series of papyri now published do
not contain such treasures as THE Logia
of Jesus" or the new poem CT Sappho. but
we have charming fragment of a comedy
OF Menander of which little more than the
name was extant until now. 1t is called
.Perikeiromene." or the Cropped Lady"
and 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 that it is to be hoped
that more will be found. For historical
purposes. one of the most important frag-
ments recovered is a list OF yictors from
B. c. 4S0-46S and 456-44S. The period en-
braced is rich one in literature and art,
and the new list will enable US to attain
greater accuracy in fixing the dates OF
writing the Olympian odes of Pindar and
Bacchylides. and of the sculptors Polycle-
tus. Myron. and others
II the find is important in the additions
it affords to our knowledge of classical
times 1t is still more important in the In
sight it affords into the innermost circles
of domestic life. The period covered by
these documents-namely. the first centu-
ries before and after the Christian Era
was one of great official activity. and thus
the number of legal documents is great.
end the affairs of many families can be
traced with minute accuracy. There is a
most interesting series of documents re-
lating to the domestic affairs Of certain
Tryphon. a weaver of Oxyrhyncus. Born
in the year A. D.. he married a woman
named Demetrons, but the union lasted but
a short time, for in about 1875 A. D. We
find him presenting a petition thus word
ed to the courts: Il married Demetrons,
the daughter of Heraclides. and for my
part provided for my wife, in manner
that exceeded my resources. But she be-
came dissatisfied with our union. and fin
ally left the house. carrying OFF property
belonging to me-" He demands her pun
ishment and the return of his property.
The real source of the trouble was the
mother in iaw," as in modern cases.
Having ridded himself of Demetrons,
E the husband takes new wife. but as a
measure of caution. only on trial for pc
riod apparently OF five months. The Few
wife, named Saraeus. brings him dowry
Of forty drachmae of silver. robe, and a
pair of gold earrings, and these OF the
equivalent value are to be returned at the
end of the five months if the temporary
union is not successful. Soon after mar
discarded wife. her mother, and friends.
who assault the new bride. and once mo.e
the "affaire Tryphon' is before the courts.
Punishment being melted out, the house
hold is once more in peace.
From the newly discovered records we
can trace the history very clearly. The
pair lived together in. happiness for at
least twenty-three years. and two sons and
daughter were born, the second son.
lie sv,
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 Saraeus had not demanded the
dowry which should have been returned TO
her after five months trial, but seven
years after there seems to have been do
nestle crisis. though only OF passing ma
ture. and We find the dowry paid through
firm of local bankers.
All family life does not appear to have
been quite SO smooth as that of Tryphon S
household. as the following petition of a
wife shows. The plaintiff says: Il, SYRIA,
the daughter of Theon married Sarapion,
bringing him by cession dowry amounting
to 200 drachmae of silver. AS he was des-
titute of means / received him into my
Parents house. and for my part conduct
cd myself blamelessly in all respects. But
Sarapion having squandered my dowry as
he pleased, continually llltrealeo ana IN
suited me- using violence toward me, and
depriving me OF the necessaries of life
finally he deserted me. leaving me in a
state of restitution" Although told some
eighteen hundred years ago. there is a very
modern aspect about the petition Of SYRIA.
and IL is TO be hoped she was well rid of
the brute.
Some of the private letters are very
quaint, though we lack so rich morsel
as the letter of the boy Theon in the
first series. Thus a writer breaks off
in the middle of letter relating to a
law case in Alexandria to ask: Let me
know about our baldheaded friend: how
is his hair growing again on top?" In
another letter the writer declares to his
sister as token of sympathy. Il have
not washed for a month" Woman's ward
robe was always a source of trouble. Thus
in q letter from Alexandria to his sister
writer says: Many greetings and con-
t:nued good health. You have not sent
me one word about the clothes. either by
letter or message: they are still waiting
for you. until you send me word" Such
are but few gleanings from these brown,
tattered and torn papers. which have lain
for centuries beneath the sand of the
Libyan Desert. to be at last reverently
opened and read by those who prize these
records of the opening of our era and each
10 add its quota to the reconstruction of
the worlds history. The work of the
Egypt Exploration Fund in this field OF
Greco-Roman research has been rich in
results. and Will. we hope, be continued
xxrft IL.