Select Papyri, Volume III: Poetry

by Various (Translator), D.L. Page (Translator)

The papyri found in Egypt have yielded fragments large and small of ancient literary authors. We include in this volume from the 5th4th centuries BCE fragments of two tragedies (one a satyr play by Aeschylus); of five by Sophocles; of ten by Euripides; of one by Ion; and of some plays not assignable. From Old Comedy, 5th century, we have fragments of one play each of Epicharmus, Cratinus, Pherecrates, Eupolis, and Plato; some fragments of Aristophanes; and unassignable fragments. From Middle Comedy and New Comedy, 4th and 3rd centuries, are twenty-six items including at least three by Menander and one each by Philemon, Timocles, and Straton. From mimes there are a fragment of Sophron and six unassignable, including 112 lines of clownish doings by the Indian Ocean. The lyric poetry, 7th century BCE4th CE, twenty-one mostly anonymous items, includes some of Sappho, Corinna, Pindar, Philicus, fragments of dithyrambic poetry, hymns, songs and so on. There are seventeen examples of elegiac and iambic, 7th century BCE3rd CE, including some Mimnermus, Amyntas, Leonidas, Antipater of Sidon, and Posidippus. The thirty items of hexameter poetry, 5th century BCE6th CE are mostly unassignable but include Panyasis, Erinna (a lovely fragment of her 'Distaff'), Euphorion, Pancrates, and Dionysius (the 'Bassarica').

The three-volume Loeb Classical Library edition of Select Papyri also includes volumes of public and private documents.

617 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

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Reviews

[Maya]

The queer imagery in Erinna's Distaff is sooo beautiful, and the fragmentary nature of her & Sappho's writing is devastating but very evocative (insert obvious metaphor about womanhood, queerness, and loss etc etc).

"… My lost friend,
here is my lament: I can’t bear that dark death-bed,
can’t bring myself to step outside my door, won’t look
on your stone face, won’t cry or cut my hair for shame …

But Baucis this crimson grief...is tearing me in two …"