OPES – Oslo Papyri Electronic System

Background and Physical Properties

Material:

Papyrus

Connections:

–

Size:

3 x 16 cm

Lines:

23

Publication side:

Verso (Recto: unpublished)

Palaeographic description:

The script is an informal, inelegant semi-cursive, penned quickly. The letters are fair-sized, upright capitals of irregular module. The hand bears remote reminiscences of the ‘chancery style of Subatianus Aquila’ and of the ‘formal mixed style’, and is datable to the first half of the 3rd cent. CE by comparison with P.Oxy. VIII 1100 (dated 28.10–26.11.206 CE) [TM21725] and PSI XII 1240 (dated 13.03–28.08.222 CE) [TM17408].

State of preservation:

A rectangular strip of light brown papyrus. Upper margin of 1.5 cm and lower margin of 0.7 cm. Part of the upper margin was folded back onto the recto side when the fragment was put under glass. The fragment consists of two adjacent areas of differing widths. The first 10 lines fit within a rectangle (3.0 x 7.1 cm including the upper margin), and the last 13 lines fit within a thin strip (1.3 x 8.9 cm including the lower margin).

Content

Date:

IIIrd century A.D.

Origin:

Oxyrhynchus or Oxyrhynchite, Egypt

Language:

Greek

Genre:

Paraliterary

Author:

–

Title / Type of text:

Medical catechism / Medical

Content:

A medical manual in the form of questions and answers preserving simple definitions of hemorrhage, inguinal hernia (ἐντεροκήλη) and hydrocele. Lines 1-5 overlap with P.Oxy LXXX 5239 [TM 388545].

Subjects:

Medicine Manual Catechism Medical Definitions Tumour Hernia Hydrocele

Named people:

–

Named places:

–

English translation:

What is αἱμορραγία? A violent effusion of blood with emission. What is ἐντεροκήλη? A prolapse of the intestine initially into the groin, and then even into the scrotum itself. What is ὑδροκήλη? A collection of idle fluid, under the ἐλυτροειδής tunic, or the δαρτός tunic, or under the scrotum... (The translation is based on the ed.pr., as well as on the parallel constructions in P.Oxy LXXX 5239.)

Provenance:

Cairo, Egypt

Acquisition:

Purchased by Samson Eitrem from Maurice Nahman.

Acquisition year:

1936

Editions

• Maravela-Solbakk A - Leith D, Proceedings of the 24th International Congress of papyrology, Helsinki, 2007, 637-650, picture: Pl XXXI

Further Literature

Catalogues

TM 68976 / LDAB 10246 / M-P³ 02340.020

Discussions

• Bonati, I. (2020). 'Definitions and Technical Terminology in the Erôtapokriseis on Papyrus', in M. Meeusen (ed.), Ancient Greek Medicine in Questions and Answers. Diagnostics, Didactics, Dialectics, pp. 154-180. Leiden.
• Leith, D. (2009). 'Question-Types in Medical Catechisms on Papyrus', in L. Taub and A. Doody (eds.), Authorial Voices in Greco-Roman Technical Writing, pp. 107-124. Trier.
• Leith, D. (2014). 'P.Oxy. 5239: Medical Definitions', in M. Hirt, D. Leith and W. B. Henry (eds.), The Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Volume LXXX, pp. 96-99. London.
• Reggiani, N. (2019). 'Ancient Doctors' Literacies and the Digital Edition of Papyri of Medical Content', Classics@ 17: https://classics-at.chs.harvard.edu/classics17-reggiani-2/
• Reggiani, N. (2020). 'Digitizing Medical Papyri in Question-and-Answer Format', in M. Meeusen (ed.), Ancient Greek Medicine in Questions and Answers. Diagnostics, Didactics, Dialectics, pp. 181-212. Leiden.