The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29
RECENT FINDS OF PAPYRI.
Fragments of Classical Literature
and Interesting Documents.

-eN9' anu giving 10 the chronicles or the
Fhai aohs restorative enlargement far
| beyond our widest expectations, other
/ ldooIeIs are restoring to us the later chap
| teFs OF her history. when the lire OF the
haIaohs had succumbed to the conquer
INK Gfeek and Roman. The second INSTALL
meht OF Greco Roman papyri. from the ex-
ploratlons at Ben Hesa, the ancient Oxy-
! rhyncus. carried out by Messrs. Hunt ana
, Grenfeil, Is rich in historical material
II 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 Of
small provincial town in the Thebiad.
from this little town come classic frag-
, ments OF all the best known authors
Homer, Euripides. Thucydides. Plato. Ken
/ ophon, and an unknown work of Aris-
tophanes. II this wealth OF literature
was found in a minor centre such as
| OXyrhyncus, what might We have hoped
for had the treasures Of Alexandria been
preserved? The vast number Of papyri,
both literary and official. discovered dur
ing recent years in middle Egypt and the
Fayoum are alone proof OF the treasures
destroyed by the fanaticism Of Omar.
The series Of papyr1 now published do
not contain such treasures as The Logia
Of Jesus or the new poem of Sappho.
but we have a charming fragment OF
comedy Of Menander Of which little more
than the name was eXtant until now. II
is called "PerikeirOmene," or the Cropped
Lady" and relates to the story Of sol
der who in a 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 his
torical purposes one OF the most important
fragments recovered is a list of victors
from b. c. 4Se-i6S and 456-44S The pc
Rod embraced is a rich one in literature
and art and the new list will enable us
to attain greater accuracy in fixing the
dates of writing Of the Olympian Odes OF
Pindsr and Bacchylides and Of the sculp-
tors Polyclctus. MyrOn. and others.
II the find is important in the additions
it affords to our knowledge Of classical
times it is still more important in the
insight it affords into the innermOst cir
Giles Of domestic life. The period covered
by these documents-uameiy, the first cen
turtles before and after the Christian Era
was one Of great official activity. and the
affairs Of many families can be traced with
minute accuracy. There is a most inter
estiug series Of documents relating to the
domestic affairs Of a certain Tryph0u. a
weaver Of OXprhyncus. Born in the ear
4. D., he married a woman named Dsme-
irons, but the union lasted but a short
time, for in about 1876 A. d. we find him
presenting a petition thus wOrded to the
courts: Il married DemetrOus, the ddugh-
ter Of Heraclides. and for my part / pro-
vided for my wife, in a manner that ex-
ceeded my resources. But she became dis
satisfied with our union, and finally left
the house, carrying of property belonging
to me- He demands her punishment and
the return Of his property. The real source
Of the trouble was the "mOther-in-law,
as in modern cases.
Having rid himself of Demetrons, the
husband takes a new wife, but. as a meas
ure Of caution, only on trial for a period
apparently Of five months. The new wife
named Saraeus, brings him a dowry of
forty drachmae Of silver. a robe and a pair
of gold earrings. and these or the equiva-
lent value are to be returned at the end
of the five months, if the temporary union
is not successful. Soon after marriage
trouble appears in the form Of the dis
carded 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 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 a daughter were born, the second son,
ThoOuis. in a A. D.. and twelve years /
later was apprenticed to a weaver 10 J
learn the trade. his fathers eyesight hav-
ing grown too dim to teach him. All this I
time the wife, Saraeus, had not demand !
ed the dOWry which should have been
returned to her after five months trial, /
but, seven years after there seems TO /
have been a domestic crisis. though only .
of a passing nature, and We find the /
NJ al
bankers.
All family life does not appear TO have /
been quite so smooth as that Of Tryph0n /
as the following petition Of a .
wife shows: The plaintiff says i s.-
the daughter of TLeOu. married SaTapiOn, /
bringing him by cession a dowry amount /
ing to 200 drdchmae OF silver. As he was .
destitute of means I received him into 7
my parents house, and / for my part con-
Quoted myself blamelessly in all respects. /
But Sarapion, having squandered my /
dowry as he pleased. continually il /
treated me, using violence toward me. ard /
depriying me Of the necessaries Of life; I
finally he deserted me. leaving me in a /
state of destitution.' Although told some (
1900 years ago. there is a very modern /
aspect about the petition OF syria, and t il I
TO be hoped she vas well rid Of the brute.
Some of the private letters are very
quaint though we lack so rich a mOrsel |
as the letter of the boy Theon in the first /
series. Thus a writer breaks of in the |
middle of a letter relating to a law case |
n Alexandria to ask: Let me know about |
our bald headed friend; how is his hair !
growing again on top?' In another letter |
he writer declares 20 his sister as a token |
If sympathy. Il have not washed for a /
month" Woman's wardrobe was always a /
source Of trouble Thus in a letter from /
Alexandria to his sister q writer saws /
Many greetings and continued good /
health. You have not sent me one WORD |
ibout the clothes. either by letter or mes
age: they are still waiting for you. until |
'ou send me word" Such are but a few
sleauings from these brown tattered and /
CrH papers, which have lain for centuries
'eneath the sand of the Libyan Desert. TO |
,e at last reverently opened and read by
hose who prize these records OF the open
ng of our era. and each 10 add its quota
o the reconstruction Of the worlds history
The work Of the Egypt Exploration Fund
II this field OF Greco Roman research has
,eeu rich in results and Will We hope
Jill be continued with still greater sue
ess.
READERS OF BOOKS.