DCLP Transcription [xml]
Introduction
Medical treatise (Dsc. MM 3.130.4-131.6 W).On the recto the fragment (5,5 x 8 cm) presents almost 11 lines of a single column, with traces of the initial letters of a second one visible to the right, after an intercolumnar space of 2 cm. At l. 7 the opening of a new chapter seems to be marked by another ekthesis, leaving an on-line space in the previous line. A sort of diple appears at the end of ll. 7, 9, apparently as a space-filler. The fragment is taken from Dioscorides Materia Medica and contains the final lines of the chapter on the plant ἡδύσαρον (Dsc. MM 3.130) and the opening lines of that on ὄνοσμα (Dsc. MM 3.131). The text appears to have preserved Dioscorides’ original ordering of his material, based on the properties of the items discussed, but it has been somewhat abbreviated, with both several pairs of words and the larger part of one sentence omitted at various points. The hand is neat and stylish, and dates back to the 2nd cent. AD.
- [σ]α̣μεν[ω ευσ]τ̣ο̣μαχον ποθεν
μ̣ειγνυται δε και αντιδοτοις
[σ]υμ μελιτι δε προστεθεν μει
5- [ξ]εως ατεκειν(*) ειναι δοκει φυε
- τ̣αι δε εν κρειθαις
((ekthesis)) [Ονο]σμα\ι/ οι δε νομιαν οι δε φλονει ((line-filler-mark))
- τιν οι δε ονωνιν καλουσιν φυλ
- [λ]α εχει ομοια τοις της αγχου ((line-filler-mark))
10- \σ/ες εστι̣ν δε ακα[ρπος κ]αι αναν
- [θ]η̣ς ριζιο̣[ν δ] εστι[ιν -ca.?- ]
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Apparatus
Notes
- 4.
The omission of πρὸ τῆς (cf. Dsc. MM 3.130 W) seems critical, since it is presumably important that the ἡδύσαρον with honey is drunk before intercourse for it to take contraceptive effect.
- 10-11.
What exactly is going on in the last line is not very clear, but the omission of most of the description of ὄνοσμα (cf. Dsc. MM 3.131 W) is surely significant, foreshadowing as Dioscorides’ text has been incorporated into later works such as Galen Simpl.medicament.temp. 6 (11.883-4 K); 8 (12.88 K) and Paul.Aeg. 7.3 (CMG 9.2, 214.6-8 and 247, 8-18 Heib.).