DCLP Transcription [xml]
Introduction
Medical prescription of ξηρίον. A long, narrow strip of papyrus, broken on the top, with a little margin on the left; on the right the margin of ca. 1,5 cm is several times filled with long strokes (actually extensions of the final sigmas and hypsilons rather than proper line fillers as described in the editions). The verso is blank. Originally considered a list of herbs and spices (ed.pr.), it has eventually been recognized as a list of ingredients (ed.alt., ed.ter.) for a dry medicament (ξηρίον) against podagra, paralleled by prescriptions recorded by Alexander Trallianus (12.16-20) and above all Aetius (12.69 = 128,11-14 Kost.). The lack of amounts can be explained by the fact that all the ingredients had to be used in the same quantity, and indeed Aetius' prescription closes with the summary indication ἀνὰ λι. α', i.e. 1 libra each. The cursive handwriting is dated to the 6th cent. AD.
(This papyrus has been digitally edited by Maddalena Mauriello 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. = E.M. Husselman, P.Coll.Youtie II 87; ed.alt. = L.C. Youtie, SB XIV 12142; ed.ter. = A.M. Ieraci Bio, "Estratto Provvisorio del Corpus dei Papiri Greci di Medicina", ed. I. Andorlini, Firenze 1998, pp. 66-9).)
λίθος Ἀσίου ἄνθους(*)
σαμσούχου(*)
ἑλλεβόρου λευκοῦ
5καρυοφύλλου
ναρδοστάχου(*)
λιβάνου(*)
μαστίχης
κισσύρεως(*)
10ἀμύλλου(*)
ἀλλκυονίου(*)
σταφίδος ἀγρίας(*)
Κυμωλίας(*)
λιθαργύρου
15κυπέρεως(*)
σχύνου(*) ἄνθους
βωογρώσσου(*)
vac. 1 line
[ -ca.?- ] ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣[ -ca.?- ](*)
[ -ca.?- ] Traces [ -ca.?- ](*)
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Apparatus
^ 1. ἀρ̣(ώματα) ed.pr.
^ 2. l. λίθου, λιθοσπέρ<μ>ου κ̣α̣θα̣ρ̣ο̣ῦ̣ ed.pr.
^ 3. l. σαμψούχου
^ 6. l. ναρδοστάχυος
^ 7. λιβανο ̣ prev. ed.
^ 9. l. κισσήρεως, κισεύρεως ed.pr.
^ 10. l. ἀμύλου, ἀμάλλου ed.pr.
^ 11. l. ἀλκυονίου, N. Reggiani via PN : ἀλλκυονίου ed.ter. : ἀλκυονίου (ἀλκυονίου (l. ἀλκυονείου)αλκυονιου corr. ex αλ⟦λ⟧κυονιου) ed.alt. : ἀλκυονίου (l. ἀλκυονείου) ed.pr.
^ 12. σταφιδευτα̣ί̣ας ed.pr.
^ 13. l. Κιμωλίας, κυμ̣β̣αλίας ed.pr.
^ 15. l. κυπήρεως
^ 16. l. σχοίνου, σχέν̣ου ed.pr.
^ 17. l. βoυγλώσσου, βι....ρα̣σσου ed.pr.
^ 18. or | ἄ̣λ̣λ̣ο̣, ed.ter. after ed.alt. : ed.pr.
^ 19. N. Reggiani from photo : prev. ed.
Notes
- 1.
ἄλλο is a common heading of prescriptions that follow one another after a first recipe, which carries the specific title. The word has been omitted in the ed.pr. and tentatively identified as ἀρ(ώματα) in the introduction.
- 2.
λίθος Ἄσιος, the "Asian stone" (cf. Gal. 12.194 K.), the "flower" of which (a salt deposit) was used against podagra (Dsc. MM 5.124 = 3.92 Wellmann). The word had not occurred yet in papyri.
- 5.
ναρδόσταχους, in this compound form, has been found only once heretofore in papyri, P.Ant. 2 64,17
- 11.
σταφὶς ἀγρία has been found only once heretofore in papyri, P.Ryl. 1 29a,23.
- 14.
κυπήρεως from nom. κύπηρις, a variant of κυπέρις, -ιδος. The form is found in P.Oxy. 2 374.
- 16.
βωογρώσσου this is the first attestation of the word in papyri.
- 18.
A new recipe may have begun here, or the preceding recipe may have continued with the practical directions for making the medicament.