DCLP Transcription [xml]
Introduction
The papyrus preserves parts of a single column containing 43 lines written in a small-sized informal hand, on the back of a letter. Only the right margin is partially preserved. The handwriting suggests a dating to the 2nd cent. AD, but the apostrophe used to separate double consonants may well date the text to the early 3rd cent. The text is organized into sections by headings in the form of a question: on such topic see I. Andorlini, ‘Testi medici per la scuola: raccolte di definizioni e questionari nei papiri’, in A. Garzya, J. Jouanna (eds.), Les Textes médicaux grecs: Tradition et ecdotique (Naples 1999) 7-15. Recently published parallels are GMP 1.6 (see also Hanson 2003), P.Strasb. gr. inv. 849 (ed. by Magdelaine 2004), and P.Oslo inv. 1576 (ed. by Maravela-Solbakk and Leith 2007). The question-headings, which are in eisthesis, might have been accompanied by paragraphus or diple. Horizontal strokes mark the end of answers at ll. 20 and 32. The text is a sistematic exposition of surgery consisting in divisions into its ‘forms’ and also into different classes of surgical operations. Two sections can be distinguished ll. 1-20 and 21-42. Some parallels of concious systematizations of the branch of medecine can be found e.g. in Mnesith.Ath. frr. 10-11 Bertier, Herophil. T42-49 von Staden, and Erasistr. fr. 32 Garofalo. The present text may derive from a form of introductory handbook on medicine, but the complexity of the divisions suggests a derivation from the introductory section of a book entirely devoted to surgery (see BKT III 22-26 and P.Oxy. III 437).
1[ -ca.?- ] ̣[ ̣] ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ]
[μεθο]δικὸν δὲ τό̣ τ[ινος] με̣θόδ[ου·]
[τὸ δὲ] σχηματικόν ἐστιν τὸ τ̣ῶ[ν]
[ἐπιτη]δίων(*) σχημάτων ὥσπερ̣
5[ὅταν] λ̣έγωμ̣εν ἀνάροπον(*) ἢ
[κατάρ]ο̣πον σ̣χηματίζιν(*) τὸν
[κάμν]ο̣ντα(*)· τὸ δὲ σχῆμα τὸ το̣-
[μικόν] ἐστιν τ̣ὸ τῶν ἐπιτηδίων̣(*)
[τμημ]ά̣των ὥσπερ ὅταν λέ-
10[γωμε]ν πλαγιοτομῖν(*) ἢ λοξ[ο-]
[τομῖν·](*) τὸ δὲ καιρικόν ἐστιν
[καθ᾿ ὃ δ]η̣λοῦνται αἱ μετὰ τὴν̣
[χειρου]ργίαν θεραπῖαι(*)· τὸ δὲ
[σημιω]τ̣ικόν ἐστιν καθ᾿ ὃ μετὰ
15[τὴν ση]μίωσιν(*) προλέγωμεν
[ἂν περ]ὶ τῶν ὄντων· ἐνκατ̣α̣-
[τομι]κ̣ὸν(*) δὲ τὸ τῆς λεγομένη̣ς̣
[ἐμβρυ]οτομίας· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἀπ̣[ -ca.?- ]
[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]ν(*) ὀνομάτων γνωριζό̣-
20[μενα] τυνχάνει(*). ―
((eisthesis)) κατὰ πόσους τρόπους
((eisthesis)) τὰ ἐν χειρουργίᾳ πάθη
((eisthesis)) μεθορεύει(*);
[κατὰ] μ̣ὲν ἁπλοῦς τρόπους
25[β, κατ]ὰ δὲ ἐπιμίκτους(*) β.
((eisthesis)) ποῖοί εἰσιν οἱ ἁπλοῖ
((eisthesis)) τρόποι;
[οἱ ἑνι]κ̣ὴν ἔχοντες ἐπαγ̣γε-
[λίαν. ἐ]π̣αγγέλλετα̣ι γὰρ ἢ εὐ̣-
30[πρέπι]α̣ν(*) ἢ ἀ̣πρέπ̣ι̣αν(*) καὶ πά-
[λιν ἢ κα]λ̣ῶς ζῆν ἢ κακῶ̣ς ει
[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]ε̣ρ(*) αὐτοῦ τοῦ ζῆν. ―[ -ca.?- ]
π̣οῖο̣[ί] εἰσιν οἱ {αι} ἐπ̣ί̣-
μικ[τ]οι(*) τρόποι;
35[οἱ δισ]σ̣ὴν ἔχον̣τ̣ες ἀπαγγε-
[λίαν](*). [ἐ]π̣αγγέλλεται γὰρ ἡ χε[ι-]
[ρουργί]α̣ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς ἐ-
[πιμίκ]τ̣ους(*) τρόπου̣ς καὶ ἐπὶ
[τῶν δι]σσὴν ἐχόν[τ]ων σωτη-
40[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ π]ροσαγεται̣(*) [ ̣ ̣] ̣[ ̣] ̣ ̣ ̣(*)
[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣]ως(*) ζῆν ἢ κ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ε̣υπρε̣[ -ca.?- ]
[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣](*) vac. ?
[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣η̣[ -ca.?- ]
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Apparatus
^ 4. l. [ἐπιτη]δείων
^ 5. corr. ex ἀνάραπον, l. ἀνάρροπον
^ 6. l. σχηματίζειν
^ 7. or [πάσχ]ο̣ντα
^ 8. l. ἐπιτηδείων
^ 10. l. πλαγιοτομεῖν
^ 10-11. l. λοξ[ο]|[τομεῖν]
^ 13. l. θεραπεῖαι
^ 15. l. [ση]μείωσιν
^ 16-17. l. ἐγκατ̣α̣|[τομι]κ̣όν
^ 18-19. or ἀπ̣'|[αὐτῶ]ν <τῶν>
^ 20. l. τυγχάνει
^ 23. l. μεθοδεύεται
^ 25. l. ἐπιμείκτους
^ 28. γ̣’γε papyrus
^ 29. [ἐ]π̣αγ’γέλλετα̣ι papyrus
^ 29-30. l. εὐ̣|[πρέπει]α̣ν
^ 30. l. ἀπρέπειαν
^ 32. or [μὴ ὑπ]ὲ̣ρ
^ 33-34. l. ἐπ̣ί̣|μεικ[τ]οι
^ 35-36. l. ἐπαγγε|[λίαν] : ἀπαγ’γε papyrus
^ 36. [ἐ]π̣αγ’γέλλεται papyrus
^ 37-38. l. ἐ|[πιμείκ]τ̣ους
^ 39-40. or σωτη|[ρίαν· π]ροσάγεται̣
^ 40. or [γὰ]ρ̣ [α]ὕ̣τ̣η̣(?)
^ 41. or [τῷ καλ]ῶς
^ 41-42. or κ[αὶ τῇ] ε̣ὐπρε̣|[πίᾳ -ca.?- ] (l. ε̣ὐπρε̣|[πείᾳ -ca.?- ])
Notes
- 1-20.
That further unnamed forms are referred to at ll. 18-20 indicates that they were listed before each was explained individually in the surviving passage. To judge from parallel formulations, a total number of forms may also have been given at the beginning, and we can infer that this total would have come to at least nine (with the first, now lost, being introduced by in an initial μέν clause).
- 2.
[μεθο]δικόν is clearly suggested by με̣θόδ[ου] at the end of the line (see ll. 16-18 for a parallel construction). This would presumably refer to the selection of a suitable procedure upon examination of the patient.
- 3-4.
Between l. 3 and l. 4, there is a trace of an ascending diagonal above delta, but apparently too high to form part of a letter.
- 10-11.
It is difficult to determine precisely the nature of the contrast between πλαγιοτομεῖν (‘cutting obliquely’) and λοξοτομεῖν (‘cutting at an angle’), unless of course they are meant as synonyms (see the three forms of incision described by Antillus apud Aët. 3.15 [CMG 8.1, 274 Oliv.]).
- 18-9.
There is insufficient space for both the article, which seems necessary, and another word before ὀνομάτων.
- 23.
The unattested μεθορεύει, which could mean something like ‘to share boundaries with’, is probably an error. An emendation to μεθοδεύει (‘treats’-’cures’) is the simplest solution paleographically, but we are left without an obvious subject. The passive μεθοδεύεται would give the most satisfactory sense, i.e. ‘In how many ways are the affections in surgery treated?’.
- 35-42.
The precise meaning of this passage on the compound ways remains somewhat obscure. σωτηρίαν (ll. 39-40) should be taken as the object of ἐπαγγείλεται. Although it would seem unnatural to separate it from δισσήν in this way at l.39, the phrase τῶν δισσὴν ἐχόντων can be read as referring back to ll. 35-36, with ἐπαγγελίαν subsequently left understood. At the end of l. 40, the traces might admit of a reading such as [α]ὕ̣τ̣η̣, giving perhaps e.g. [π]ροσάγεται̣ [γὰ]ρ̣ [α]ὕ̣τ̣η̣, but this is very unclear.