The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-20
Oxyrhyncus.

1t Is gratifying to learn that DR.. GREN-
sFELL and DR.. HUNT, in what they looked
upon as their last search in a well win
moved Egyptian field, have been able
ITO secure rich archaeological treasures
that win appeal to both classes Of their
supporters. The best years Of their
lives have been given by these two
explorers to the search for literary
tpapyri at Oxyrhyncus and other prom
iising sites in lower Egypt, with the sup
port Of the Greco-Roman branch of the
Egypt Exploration Fund, and their dis
'coveries have been startling to classical
scholars and to the religious world in the
past as they are in these latest finds.
From the first hasty survey Of this
years digging up Of the oxyrhyncus
waste paper baskets they are able to re-
port the recovery Of a form of PINpAR's
poems. the peans, that was practically
lost, an important fragment of EURIP-
'IpEs's tragedy "Hypsipyle,' valuable
new readings and texts Of PLATO, DE-
MosrRENEs and LYsIAs, and enough Of
the lost poet CERcIpAs to give him a
place, instead Of a nero name, among the
classics. This salvage from the past
will more than justify in the minds Of
those interested in the classics the ex-
lpenditure Of money, Of time and Of labor
that these researches have called for.
A wholly different class of persons,
those reasonably interested by whatever
relates to the beginnings of Christianity,
Is gratified by the discovery of O small
fragment of a wholly unknown gospel
pf very early date. Whatever value
may be. assigned to this by t~heologians,
esfning as It does after the discovery Of
the 4Logia' and the Sayings Of JESUS
IL "Opens up a new field Of gospel criticism,
presenting views that prevailed at an
earlier period than the previous COM
m~enteries,
Important and striking as these dis
oovefies' are, they do not compare in real
importance with the more prosaic papers
that have come to light, Only those
who have tried to deal with Greek and
Roman history from the sources are
aware of'the slight foundations on which
widely, accepted statements rest and Of
the great gaps that are filed by merely
hearsay evidence. The great quantity
OF the private documents that have been
discovered has caused their Importance
to be lost sight of, yet the whole history
OF the earlier Roman Empire must be
rewritten In the light they have afforded.
In this latest find we are told that a long
fragment Of Greek history has been
discovered that may prove to be Of
more fihterial value than all the rest,
whatever its'iterary quality may be.
The salvage from Egypt, HYPERIpEs,
the Constitutions Of ARISTOTLE, BAG
cHYLIpEs, the Sappho poems, and these
later finds, not to mention the fragments
relating to the Christian religion, cannot
but raise hopes that greater discoveries
may be made. If a parchment page of
SALLUsT's "Catiline" turns up, why not
those lost books of Ivy or Of TAcITUs
or of PoLYBIUs that would give us
something clear and definite about
turning points in Roman history? If
long fragment about the P~eloponnesian
war, why not something about much
later days in Greece?
This latest scraping Of the Egyptian
gold field should not be the last. 1t is
not clear whether the oxyrhyncus
searohi by GREENFIELD and HUNT is
&poken of as final because the explor-
Srs intend to give up the work or be-
tause the money has given out. The
latter consideration should not prevail.
The. public interest that has enabled
men like NAvILLE and De MORGAN
and their emulators to trace the