DCLP

Introduction

Prescription. The two fragments belong to a papyrus sheet written on the recto along the fibers. The verso is blank. The first fragment preserves part of the upper margin and remains of 4 lines, the second one contains the lower margin and minimal remains of 2 lines. The surviving text contains basis ingredients of pharmaceutical, cosmetic and alimentary products, and the dosages suggest we are dealing with a recipe possibly intended for individual use. The three substances mentioned in the papyrus, i.e. οἴνου, ῥόδων̣ and κρόκου, occur together especially in kollyria (cf. Aet. Iatr. 7.112 [CMG 8.2, 378.9–12 Oliv.]; Paul.Aeg. Epit.med. 722.4.1ff. [CMG 9.2, 393.19 Heib.]). The script is medium-small sized, inelegant, penned with a medium thick pen, nevertheless it is easily legible. According to the Y-shaped υ and the high middle curve of μ, the hand could be dated to the 3rd c. AD.

(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Francesca Corazza as part of the Project "DIGMEDTEXT - Online Humanities Scholarship: A Digital Medical Library based on Ancient Texts" (ERC-AdG-2013, Grant Agreement no. 339828) funded by the European Research Council at the University of Parma (Principal Investigator: Prof. Isabella Andorlini). The digital edition is mostly based on the previous edition (A. Maravela, GMP II 6))

Apparatus

Notes

• 1.

  The fourth graphic sign is wavy and longer in comparison with the ι (occurring twice in the same line) and should most probably be identified with an abbreviation stroke. In this case the first partly visible word may have been a form of χύτρ(α) or χυτρ(ίδιον) "a (small) pot" (cf. Medicalia Online s.v.). The recipe might have been formulated as follows: verb (in imperative/ participle form) indicating a step in the preparation of the remedy: cf. Gal. Comp.med. per gen. 4.14 (13.756.18–757.1–2 K); Gal. Antid. 2.12 (14.177.4 K); Ps.-Gal. Remed.parab. 2.21 (14.459.9–12 K).

• 2.

  κρόκου - The saffron was used for the preparation of kollyria, cf. O.Claud. 2.220,4-9.