JEA 96

REVIEW: A. Lajtar, J. van der Vliet, Qasr Ibrim: The Greek and Coptic Inscriptions

Adam Lajtar, Jacques van der Vliet, Qasr Ibrim: The Greek and Coptic Inscriptions (Journal of Juristic Papyrology Supplement XIII). Warsaw: University of Warsaw Press, 2010. Pp. x, 336. ISBN 9788392591924. $115.00.

Reviewed by Pieter W. van der Horst, formerly Utrecht University (pwvdh@xs4all.nl)

Qasr Ibrim is an archaeological site in the southern area of Egypt (between Aswan and Abu Simbel) that in antiquity and the Middle Ages was part of Nubia. In the sixth century CE, Nubia converted to Christianity and remained a country with a rich Christian culture till the fourteenth century when it was forced to accept Islam. The town of Qasr Ibrim had a cathedral, several churches, monasteries, and other buildings. Excavations have been going on there since the beginning of the previous century and these have yielded, inter alia, quite a number of inscriptions, both in Greek and in Coptic, not all of which have been published so far. The Polish epigraphist Lajtar and the Dutch Egyptologist Van der Vliet now present in this volume almost one hundred Christian inscriptions discovered during archaeological field work of the Egypt Exploration Society at Qasr Ibrim since 1963. All inscriptions are described in detail (in most cases with photos added), transcribed, translated, and commented upon. Since both editors have much experience in this field, they do an excellent job.

Etc. at BMCR

M. Vierros, Bilingual Notaries in Hellenistic Egypt : A Study of Language Use

Bilingual Notaries in Hellenistic Egypt : A Study of Language Use
Author: Vierros, Marja

Medarbetare: Helsingfors universitet, humanistiska fakulteten, institutionen för världens kulturer
Nivå: Doktorsavhandling (monografi)

Abstrakt:
The impact of Greek-Egyptian bilingualism on language use and linguistic competence is the key issue in this dissertation. The language use in a corpus of 148 Greek notarial contracts is analyzed on phonological, morphological and syntactic levels. The texts were written by bilingual notaries (agoranomoi) in Upper Egypt in the later Hellenistic period. They present, for the most part, very good administrative Greek. On the other hand, their language contains variation and idiosyncrasies that were earlier condemned as ungrammatical and bad Greek, and were not subjected to closer analysis.

In order to reach plausible explanations for those phenomena, a thorough research into the sociohistorical and linguistic context was needed before the linguistic analysis. The general linguistic landscape, the population pattern and the status and frequency of Greek literacy in Ptolemaic Egypt in general, and in Upper Egypt in particular, are presented. Through a detailed examination of the notaries themselves (their names, families and handwriting), it became evident that there were one to three persons at the notarial office writing under the signature of one notary. Often the documents under one notary's name were written in the same hand. We get, therefore, exceptionally close to studying idiolects in written material from antiquity.

The qualitative linguistic analysis revealed that the notaries made relatively few orthographic mistakes that reflect the ongoing phonological changes and they mastered the morphological forms. The problems arose at the syntactic level, for example, with the pattern of agreement between the noun groups or a noun with its modifiers. The significant structural differences between Greek and Egyptian can be behind the innovative strategies used by some of the notaries. Moreover, certain syntactic structures were clearly transferred from the notaries first language, Egyptian. This is obvious in the relative clause structure. Transfer can be found in other structures, as well, although, we must not forget the influence of parallel Greek structures. Sometimes these can act simultaneously.

The interesting linguistic strategies and transfer features come mostly from the hand of one notary, Hermias. Some other notaries show similar patterns, for example, Hermias' cousin, Ammonios. Hermias' texts reveal that he probably spoke Greek more than his predecessors. It is possible to conclude, then, that the notaries of the later generations were more fluently bilingual; their two languages were partly integrated in their minds as an interlanguage combining elements from both languages. The earlier notaries had the two languages functionally separated and they followed the standardized contract formulae more rigidly.

ASP panel at the APA (2012) call for Papers

The American Society of Papyrologists

Call for Papers for the January 2012 Meeting in Philadelphia, PA


The American Society of Papyrologists invites proposals for papers for a panel on “Culture and Society in Greek, Roman, and Early Byzantine Egypt” for the 2012 APA January 5-8 in Philadelphia, PA. Submissions for this panel must meet at least one of the following criteria:

(a) they must make use of evidence for ancient cultures and literatures preserved in papyri, ostraca, or wooden tablets (in Greek, Latin, Coptic, Demotic, Arabic, or other appropriate languages); 

(b) they must investigate aspects of the history, cultures, textual productions, or material culture of Egypt from the Hellenistic to the early Arab period. 

Submissions from scholars at both junior and senior levels are welcome. Prospective speakers must be members in good standing of the APA.

Please send abstracts to Raffaella Cribiore, rc119@NYU.edu by February 20, 2011. Abstracts should not exceed 600 words (one single-spaced page) and should not include the author’s name to ensure anonymous referral.

If sent by regular mail, abstracts should be postmarked by February 20, 2011 and addressed to: Raffaella Cribiore, New York University, Department of Classics, 100 Washington Square East, Silver Center, room 503L, New York, N.Y. 10003.

Sixth Papyrus Restoration Course, Lecce

Sixth Papyrus Restoration Course

(July 4-8, 2011)

            The Centro di Studi Papirologici of Lecce University is organizing the Sixth Papyrus Restoration Course, that will take place from 4^th to 8^th July, 2011. The Course will consist of both theoretical lectures (in Italian language) and practical exercises on papyri.

            The Course is open to anyone interested in the conservation, treatment and restoration of papyri in ancient and modern times. Those interested in enrolling can send their application,curriculum vitae and phone number to the Centro di Studi Papirologici by mail (Palazzo Parlangeli, via V.M. Stampacchia, 45, I-73100 Lecce, Italy, tel. 0039 0832 294606) or e-mail (cspapiri@unisalento.it) before May 15^th, 2011. For those accepted on the course the € 225,00 registration fee must be paid by June 15^th, 2011 by bank transfer to the following bank:

Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Piazza S.Oronzo, 73100 Lecce

addressed to: Dipartimento di Filologia Classica e Scienze Filosofiche of Lecce University

c/c: 606460.84

ABI: 1030

CAB: 16002

IBAN: IT41R0103016002000060648227

Please indicate your name and the name of the Course (“Corso di Restauro 2011”) in the remittance. Please send us the receipt for the payment via fax (0039 0832 294607). A certificate of attendance will be given to all the participants.

The Director of Centro

di Studi Papirologici and

of the Course

Prof. Mario Capasso

Prof. Mario Capasso

Direttore del Centro di Studi Papirologici dell'Università del Salento, Lecce

via V.M. Stampacchia, 45, 73100 Lecce

Tel. +39 0832 294606; fax +39 0832 294607

e-mail: mario.capasso@unisalento.it; cspapiri@unisalento.it

Day Conference: ASPETTI DI CIVILTÀ ANTICHE ATTRAVERSO I PAPIRI

UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Facoltà di Giurisprudenza Istituto di Filologia Classica e di Papirologia Istituto Giuridico

ASPETTI DI CIVILTÀ ANTICHE ATTRAVERSO I PAPIRI
Giornata di studio nel centenario della nascita di Orsolina Montevecchi
18 marzo 1911 - 18 marzo 2011

Venerdì 18 marzo 2011 Cripta Aula Magna - ore 10.00 Largo A. Gemelli, 1 - Milano


Ore 10.00
Saluto delle Autorità Accademiche
Angelo Bianchi Preside della Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia
Gabrio Forti Preside della Facoltà di Giurisprudenza

Ore 10.30
Carla Balconi
L’opera scientifica di Orsolina Montevecchi

Guido Bastianini
Testi cristiani nei papiri

Rosario Pintaudi
Archeologia e papiri

Ore 15.30
Giovanni Negri
Papirologia e diritti dell’antichità

Livia Migliardi Zingale
Orsolina Montevecchi, i papiri e il diritto romano

Hans-Albert Rupprecht
Greci ed Egiziani nella prassi giuridica quotidiana

M. Hasitzka(Hg.): Koptische dokumentarische und literarische Texte

Hasitzka, Monika  (Hg.): Koptische dokumentarische und literarische Texte “First International Summer School in Coptic Papyrology 2006" in der Papyrussammlung der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek Corpus Papyrorum Raineri,
De Gruyter: Berlin New York 2011
ISBN 978-3-11-023967-6
Reihe: Corpus Papyrorum Raineri (CPR) XXXI

Der Band enthält 21 dokumentarische und 2 literarische Texte aus der Wiener Papyrussammlung. Es sind Privat- bzw. Geschäftsbriefe, Listen, Bestellungen, eine Pachturkunde, eine Quittung, Verträge, eine Zeugenaussage und zwei Homelien. Die Sprache dieser Zeugnisse ist Saidisch. Die Schriftträger sind Papyrus, Papier und Ostraka.

The volume contains 21 documentary and 2 literary texts from the Vienna papyrus collection; private and business letters, lists, orders, a lease, a receipt, contracts, the testimony of a witness and two homilies. The majority of the texts presented here most likely come from the Hermopolite Nome, one probably from Achmim and two from the region of Aphrodito. The documents are written in Sahidic on papyrus, paper and ostraca.


29.5 x 21 cm
X, 106 Seiten
28 Abb.
16 Tafeln mit 28 Abb. (= Rasterbilder)
20-seitiger Tafelteil, eingesteckt in eine Dreiecktasche im Nachsatz
Sprachen: Deutsch, Englisch
Erschienen bei De Gruyter am 31. 1. 2011
ISBN 978-3-11-023967-6

Weblog: M. Berti, Fragmentary Texts: Collecting and representing fragments of lost authors and works

ZPE 176 (2011)

Abascal, J. M. – Alföldy, G. – Cebrián, R., R(es) p(ublica) S(egobrigensis vel Segobrigensium) ... 291

Alonso Déniz, A., ἐκλογιζούσθω for ἐκλογιζέσθω in IG IX.12(4), 798.104. Two False
Characters in Search of an Author ... 163

Ameling, W., Die Gefallenen der Phyle Erechtheis im Jahr 490 v. Chr. ... 10

Andreassi, M., Implicazioni magiche in Meleagro AP 5.152 ... 69

Bencivenni, A., “Massima considerazione”. Forma dell’ordine e immagini del potere
nella corrispondenza di Seleuco IV ... 139

Bonati, I., Note testuali a P. Tebt. I 4 (Hom. B 95–210) ...  1

Bravo, B., Una tavoletta d’osso da Olbia Pontica della seconda metà del VI secolo a.C.
(SEG XXXVI, 694): Apollo di Didyma e la nascita di Olbiē polis ... 99

Claytor, W. G., P.Fordham inv. 5: a Ptolemaic Petition to the Archidikastes ... 213

Colomo, D., Euripides’ Ur-Medea between Hypotheseis and Declamation ... 45

Coloru, O., Old and New Magical Inscriptions ... 135

Dale, A., Topics in Alcman’s Partheneion ... 24

Daris, S., Appunti per un verbale di assemblea ... 205

Dart, C. J. – Vervaet, F. J., The Significance of the Naval Triumph in Roman History
(260–29 BC) ... 267


Depauw, M., Physical Descriptions, Registration and εἰκονίζειν with New Interpretations
for P. Par. 65 and P. Oxy. I 34 ... 189

Eck, W. – Pangerl, A., Diplome für das Heer in Dakien... 221
– Drei Konstitutionen im Jahr 123 für Truppen von Dacia Porolissensis unter dem Präsidialprokurator Livius Gratus... 234
– Diplome für Prätorianersoldaten aus der Herrschaftszeit der Philippi... 243

Espluga, X., First History of a Forged Inscription (CIL II 149*): A Joke about Cyriacus
of Ancona by Francesco Contarini (1450 circa) ...  295

Gagliardi, P., PLAKATO IUDICE TE. Per la lettura dei vv. 8–9 del papiro di Gallo ... 82

García-Dils de la Vega, S. – Saquete Chamizo, J. C. – Ordóñez Agulla, S., Una uotorum
nuncupatio en Colonia Augusta Firma (Écija–Sevilla) ... 281

Gerhard, Y., La «coupe de Nestor»: reconstitution du vers 1 ... 7

Johnston, A., A Megarian Mystery ...  177

Jones, C. P., An Apamean at Philippopolis ... 96

Kaldellis, A. – López-Ruiz, C., A New Reading of the Stele of Andron (IG II/III2 10665):
Only One Son Died, Not Two ... 57

Kwapisz, J., Posidippus at Sea ... 63

Laes, C., Midwives in Greek Inscriptions in Hellenistic and Roman Antiquity ... 154

Lougovaya, J., Isopsephisms in P.Jena II 15a–b... 200

Luppe, W., Die ‚Palamedes‘- und die ‚Polyidos‘-Hypothesis: P.Mich. Inv. 3020(a) 52 –
Nochmalszu μονόστυλος ... 56

Mili, M., The Thessalian Ainians or the Ainians of Thessaly? Dedications and Games of Identity in Roman Thessaly ... 169

Mugnai, N., Equites singulares Augusti: Un nuovo diploma militare del regno di Adriano ...  262

Ordóñez Agulla, S. – Saquete Chamizo, J. C. – García-Dils de la Vega, S., Una uotorum nuncupatio en Colonia Augusta Firma (Écija–Sevilla) ... 281

Rasmussen, A. H., A Note on the Appointment of Priests in Attic gene ... 120

Simelidis, Ch., Callimachus, Epigram 9.6 G.–P. and Gregory of Nazianzus, Carmen I 2.14.101 ...  60

Tsantsanoglou, K., ΕΧΕΜΒΡΟΤΟΣ ΑΡΚΑΣ ... 39

Urano, S., Kolletiones and frumentarii: New Readings of TAM 3, 1417–1418. Two Petitionary Inscriptions from Ağabey Köy and Mendechora ... 179

van ’t Wout, P. E., Neglected Evidence for the Nature of ἀτιμία. Agora P 17615 and DTA 107 ... 126

DM André Laronde

Jean Gascou report:


André Laronde, professeur émérite de l'université Paris-Sorbonne, membre de l'institut de France, dont les travaux sur la Cyrénaïque concernaientde près notre discipline, est décédé subitement mardi 1er février.


Principales publications : - 1971. Nouveau choix d'inscriptions grecques (ouvrage collectif). - 1982. Mémoire d'Allevard (direction) - 1987. Cyrène et la Libye hellénistique. Libykai Historiai. De l'époque républicaine au principat d'Auguste. - 1988. " La Cyrénaïque romaine, des origines à la fin des Sévères (96 av. J.-C.- 235 ap. J.-C.) " (in Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II, 10, 1). - 1990. Ricerche archeologiche nei porti della Libia, Apollonia e Leptis Magna. - 1996. La civilisation hellénistique. - 1996. La Libye à travers les cartes postales, 1900-1940. - 1996. " Apollonia de Cyrénaïque : archéologie et histoire " (in Journal des Savants). - 2000 . Précis d'histoire ancienne. - 2000. La Libye. - 2001 L'Afrique antique, histoire et monuments (en collaboration avec J.-Cl. Golvin). - Sous presse. Prosopographia Cyrenaica.
- Éditeur de Karthago. Revue d'Archéologie méditerranéenne, corédacteur de L'Année épigraphique (depuis 1987), membre du comité de rédaction d'Antiquités africaines (1984-1994), du comité de rédaction et du comité scientifique de la Revue des Études grecques et du comité de rédaction deSileno. Rivista di Studi classici e cristiani (depuis 1986).

DM Paul Mertens

Left - Right: Mario Capasso, Natascia Pellé, Madame Capasso,
Marie-Hélène Marganne & Paul Mertens (thanks to Prof. Marganne for this photo)

Marie-Hélène Marganne reports:

J’ai la profonde tristesse de vous faire part du décès, ce jeudi 3 févier 2011, de Paul MERTENS, Professeur Ordinaire Emérite à la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres de l'Université de Liège.

Né en 1925, Paul MERTENS était Président d'honneur du CEDOPAL, qu'il avait fondé le 28 juin 1990, peu avant son admission à l'éméritat. Il avait créé, dès 1961, les Archives Photographiques de Papyrologie Littéraire, et avait entrepris, en 1974, la troisième édition du Catalogue des papyrus littéraires grecs et latins, deux instrumentaque connaissent bien  les papyrologues. Titulaire des cours de papyrologie, de paléographie grecque, d'histoire de l'antiquité et d'exercices philologiques sur la langue grecque à l'Université de Liège, il a formé des générations de philologues et d'historiens qui l'admiraient autant pour sa science que pour ses grandes qualités humaines. Cette admiration et cette affection étaient partagées par de nombreux collègues et amis de par le monde.

Le défunt repose au funérarium de Liège, Robermont, Salons les Roses, où la famille reçoit les visites de 17h à 18h30. La cérémonie de crémation aura lieu le mardi 8 février, à 14 heures.

Marie-Hélène Marganne

Directrice du CEDOPAL

P. Sarischouli, Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris: The Myth

ΠΛΟΥΤΑΡΧΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΙΣΙΔΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΣΙΡΙΔΟΣ Ο μύθος
Συγγραφέας : Παναγιώτα Σαρίσχουλη
Κατηγορία : ΦΙΛΟΛΟΓΙΑ - ΔΟΚΙΜΙΑ
Έτος έκδοσης : 2011
Διαστάσεις : 17*24
Αριθμός σελίδων : 306
ISBN : 978-960-12-1979-0
Τιμή : 23,00 €
Περιγραφή : Το βιβλίο αυτό φιλοδοξεί να παρουσιάσει μια εισαγωγική και ερμηνευτική μελέτη του αιγυπτιακού μύθου της διαμάχης του Oσίριδος και του Τυφώνος-Σηθ, όπως τον διηγήθηκε ένας από τους σημαντικότερους Έλληνες συγγραφείς της ύστερης αρχαιότητας, ο Πλούταρχος. Η συγγραφέας παρουσιάζει μια επισκόπηση της σχέσης του Πλουτάρχου με την Αίγυπτο, την αιγυπτιακή γλώσσα και τη λατρεία του Oσίριδος, αναλύει τις υπάρχουσες πληροφορίες για τις πηγές, τη δομή, τον τόπο και χρόνο συγγραφής της πραγματείας και σχολιάζει το θρησκευτικό υπόβαθρο του πρωτότυπου αιγυπτιακού μύθου, συνδέοντας τον μύθο της Ίσιδος και του Oσίριδος με παράλληλους μύθους από την Ελλάδα, τη Φοινίκη και τη Μεσοποταμία. Ένα σημαντικό μέρος του υλικού προέρχεται από τις πληροφορίες που διασώζουν τόσο οι ελληνικοί όσο οι δημοτικοί και οι κοπτικοί μαγικοί πάπυροι, ενώ παρατίθενται επίσης οι ενδιαφέρουσες μαρτυρίες για τη λατρεία των Αιγυπτίων θεών που απαντούν σε κλασικούς, μεταγενέστερους, αλλά και εκκλησιαστικούς Έλληνες και Λατίνους συγγραφείς.