DCLP

Introduction

Medical prescriptions for eye diseases. The text is copied on the verso of a fragment (cut in two pieces after being unearthed; fr. 1 26x32.5 cm; fr. 2 28.1x33 cm) preserving on the recto a report of confiscated property in and around Hermoupolis dated to AD 161 (P.Tebt. 2.342). The majority of the recipes in this collection are labeled kollyria; many of these salves seem to be for medicating the eyes, while some few appear of dermatological use. Their individuality is specified in the headings that precede the lists of ingredients; directions are occasionally inserted within the lists. The text is arranged in eight narrow columns, with cols. 3 and 7 a bit shorter and cols. 2, 4, 6, and 8 extending further down into the bottom margin by an additional line or two. Only the bottom margin of the papyrus is preserved in full. The scribe excises the final line at 8.27, obliterating what he has first written; by this point he apparently has no desire to make use of the still empty bottom margin (ca. 2–3 cm) to finish off the last recipe. The hand is cursive and the copier sometimes writes less than satisfactory Greek, encountering greater difficulties the farther he goes with his copying either because he may not have been very familiar with this type of copying, or perhaps he is compelled, for some reason, to work in haste.

(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Luca Iori 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 editions (ed.pr. = B.P. Grenfell - A.S. Hunt - E.J. Goodspeed, P.Tebt. II 273; ed.alt. = A.E. Hanson, GMP II 5).)

Apparatus

Notes

• 2.6.

  It is likely that a new recipe begins at the top of col. 2 (now lost), because of the appearance of ὕδωρ χρῶ in the last line of col. 1. If the first recipe be short (e.g. col. 2.[1]–[5]), there is room for a second recipe beginning with a one-line heading at col. 2.[6] and continuing through col. 2.13.

• 14.

  Grenfell and Hunt report πρὸϲ τὰ τρ[α]χ̣έ̣α βλέφα[ρ]α, reading only the right-hand portion of ll. 14–5.

• 19.

  [ἄλ]λ̣ο̣ presumably "another children's kollyrion", although no children's kollyrion in the medical writers replicates the recipe.

• 24.

  "The totally opposite kollyrion", but in what way this kollyrion is opposite and whether it is opposite to the one which directly precedes it is not made clear.

• 28.

  Since no ὕδωρ χρῶ is visible at the bottom of col. 2, it is likely the recipe continues at the top of col. 3 (now lost).

• 3.13.

  At least 12 lines are lost from the top of col. 3, and only the barest traces remain at 3.12, where it is not possible to organize them into ὕδωρ χρῶ. Nonetheless, a new recipe does begin at col. 3.13.

• 16.

  The left-hand dot of a diaeresis seems visible over the upsilon.

• 25.

  ἀμμ[ωνιακοῦ(?)] presumably "gum ammoniac", as is also partly preserved at col. 5.22 (ἀμ̣[μ]ω̣[νιακ]οῦ), but, when written in full at col. 8.9, it is ἀμμωνιακῆϲ. After col. 3.25 some two lines are apparently left blank, as also happens in col. 7.

• 4.5.

  Presumably ll. 1-5 complete the recipe which begins at col. 3.13.

• 16.

  Although the initial omicron appears to represent a correction from alpha, the spelling with an initial alpha is attested elsewhere, see Fournet 2004, 195.

• 29.

  The recipe beginning at col. 4.23 apparently continues with additional metallic substances in col. 5.[1]–4 at the start of the next column, albeit with the loss of one line at the top.

• 5.2.

  When the roll was cut in two, apparently for mounting between glass, the initial letters of the ingredients at col. 5.2–7 appear on the first section of the papyrus (e.g. λ[ , κ[ , κ[ , π[ , ϲ[ , ρ-), while the remainder of most or all of each word is on what is now the second piece, with minimal gap of one or two letters at col. 5.3–6. The list of ingredients which begins at col. 4.29 continues into column 5, apparently completed only with the appearance of the new rubric at col. 5.14.

• 8.

  All the letters of κηροῦ, are visible, at least in part; the mu and alpha of μν̣ᾶ are also clear, while the remaining traces in between are compatible with nu.

• 14.

  The space after ὑ̣π̣[ ] in col. 5.14 seems better filled by ὑ̣π̣[οϲφάγματα] with a total of 20 letters to the line, than by ὑ̣π̣[ώπια] with a total of only 15 letters, but either is possible.

• 16.

  For ll. 16-24 see Aët, 7.41 (CMG 8.2, 294–5 Oliv.).

• 20.

  Both the apparent diaeresis over the vague traces of an initial upsilon, plus the adjective κ̣υπρίου immediately thereafter, make the reading υ̣[ἰοῦ] (l. ἰοῦ) likely here.

• 6.4.

  The recipe beginning in col. 5.25–7 is either an extremely short one, or it continues at the beginning of col. 6.[1], and is still listing the metals at col. 6.5–7. In any case, completion of a recipe comes at col. 6.11 with an indented ὕδωρ χρῶ, followed by a new rubric.

• 12.

  Marganne 1981, 323 suggests that the scribe wrote βραχ(έα) by mistake, when he ought to have written τραχέα.

• 7.3.

  In the two lines missing at the top of col. 7, the title for a new recipe is most likely to occur, as col. 6 ends with ὕδωρ χρῶ. The listing of ingredients begins at col. 7.3 ending at col. 7.9, but only amounts are preserved.

• 17.

  This line may also have contained the sum of the amounts of the ingredients listed at 7.13–6, as happens at 7.10 and 7.24, but the papyrus is lost at this point.

• 24.

  After 7.24 two lines are left blank, making col. 7 a bit shorter than cols. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8, but about the same length as col. 3.

• 8.3.

  Traces of the diaeresis above initial upsilon seem clear.

• 5.

  A very short recipe (ll. 1-5) reaches its conclusion here with ὕδωρ χρῶ.

• 6.

  Beginning of a new recipe.

• 27.

  The scribe ends col. 8 by crossing out the line with a stroke about three letter spaces in length and sufficient to obliterate whatever he has first written.