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Ptolemaios and the ‘Lighthouse’: Greek culture in the Memphite Serapeum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2013

Dorothy J. Thompson
Dorothy J. Thompson
Affiliation:
Girton College, Cambridge
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Extract

‘Lord Proteus: the saviour of the Hellenes, this watchman of Pharos, was built by Sostratos, son of Dexiphanes, a Cnidian. In Egypt there are no mountain-peaks, as in the islands: but low lies the breakwater where ships may harbour. Therefore this tower, cleaving the sky straight and upright, shines in the daytime countless leagues away: and all night long the sailor who runs with the waves shall see a great light blazing from its summit. And he may run even to the Bull's horn, and yet not miss the god of safety, O Proteus, whosoever sails this way.’

So, in Denys Page's translation, runs the contemporary commemoration by Poseidippos of Pella of the Pharos of Alexandria, the lighthouse which formed one of the wonders of the ancient world. So too, choosing as a continuing theme the most striking monuments of the new Ptolemaic regime in Egypt, the same poet commemorated the temple of Arsinoe-Aphrodite on Cape Zephyrion, east of the city ‘midway between the beach of Pharos and the mouth of Canopos’, whence the lock of Queen Berenike was soon to disappear.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society (Second Series) , Volume 33 , 1987 , pp. 105 - 121
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s). Published online by Cambridge University Press 1987

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References

NOTES

1. Gow, A. S. F. and Page, D. L., The Greek anthology (1965), lines 3099-3119, nos. xi and xiiGoogle Scholar; Fraser, P. M., Ptolemaic Alexandria (1972) II 810–12, nn. 129, 139Google Scholar; Chamoux, F., ‘L'épigramme de Poseidippos sur le phare d'Alexandrie’, Le monde grec. Hommages à Cl. Préaux, ed. Bingen, J., Cambier, G., Nachtergael, G. (1975) 214–22Google Scholar.

2. P. Louvre 7172, also known as Weil, P. after the original editor, Weil, H., Un papyrus inédit de la bilbiothèque de M. Ambroise Firmin-Didot (1879)Google Scholar.

3. For such an approach see already Clarysse, W., ‘Literary papyri in documentary “archives”’, Egypt and the Hellenistic world, Studia Hellenistica 27 (1985), 43–61Google Scholar.

4. Urkunden der Ptolemäerzeit (=UPZ) I (1927)Google Scholar; SB 7617-18 are later additions; many texts are illustrated in Boswinkel, E. and Sijpesteijn, P. J., Greek papyri, ostraca and mummy labels (1968)Google Scholar.

5. For example Dryton (among whose papers there survives ‘The Alexandrian erotic fragment’), Lewis, N., The Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt (1986) 88–103Google Scholar.

6. If Apollonios was approaching eighteen when Ptolemaios started his attempt to enrol him in the army, he was born 14 December 175 B.C.; see UPZ 20.68 for his birthday. Wilcken, , UPZ pp. 110–11Google Scholar, reckons on an earlier birthdate.

7. UPZ 147.

8. Lewis, , Greeks in Egypt 69–87Google Scholar, is the most recent study.

9. UPZ 5.22 (163 B.C.).

10. Wilcken, , UPZ pp. 52–77Google Scholar, with references to the earlier work of Revillout and Sethe; further, Delekat, L., Katoche, Hierodulie und Adoptionsfreilassung, Münchener Beiträge zur Papyrusforschung und antiken Rechtsgeschichte 47 (1964)Google Scholar and Clarysse, W., ‘UPZ I 6a, a reconstruction by Revillout’, Enchoria 14 (1986) 43–9Google Scholar.

11. UPZ 10 (160 B.C.), cf. 9 (161/0 B.C.)

12. Wilcken identifies and describes the two hands of Ptolemaios and Apollonios, UPZ pp. 112, 115.

13. UPZ 14 (157 B.C).

14. Fraser, , Ptolemaic Alexandria II 849Google Scholar n. 346. Text in Blass, F., Eudoxi ars astronomica (1887)Google Scholar with translation by Tannery, P., Recherches sur l'histoire de l'astronomie ancienne (1893) 283–94Google Scholar. The work is not recognised by Laserre, F., Die Fagmente des Eudoxos von Knidos (1966)Google Scholar.

15. Page, D. L., Greek literary papyri (1941)Google Scholar, no. 112; Devéria, T., Papyrus grecs du Louvre. Planches (1865) pl. IXGoogle Scholar; cf. Vogt, E., ‘Das Akrostichon in der griechischen Literatur’, Antike und Abendland 13 (1967) 80–95Google Scholar at 89.

16. XXII.21 - XXIII.14.

17. Strabo 17.1.29; Diog. Laert. 8.86; Sen. QNat. 7.3.

18. UPZ 77 ii.32; 20.67-9; see Clarysse, , Studia Hellenistica 27 (1983) 58Google Scholar. For the months see P. Par. 4 = Pack, R. A., The Greek and Latin literary texts from Greco-Roman Egypt. ed. 2 (1965) no. 2332Google Scholar; for traces of a similar list, Guéraud, O. and Jouguet, P., Un livre d'écolier du IIIe siècle avant J.-C. (1938) lines 19-20Google Scholar.

19. XXIV.2-4, didaskalea ouranios.

20. Weitzmann, K., Ancient book illustrations. Martin Classical Lectures 16 (1959) 6Google Scholar with fig. 2 and Illustrations in roll and codex. A study of the origin and method of text illustration (1970) 49–50Google Scholar with plate XIII.37. For the baboon compare that on the Chicago clepsydra published by Quaegebeur, J., ‘Documents concerning a cult of Arsinoe Philadelphus at Memphis’, JNES 30 (1971) 239–70 at 259–62Google Scholar, with plate III.

21. The treatise is written in the same hand as UPZ 110 (164 B.C.) on the verso.

22. Fowden, G., The Egyptian Hermes (1986)Google Scholar.

23. Smith, H. S., A visit to ancient Egypt (1974) 21–43Google Scholar; Ray, J. D., The archive of Hor (1976) 130–44Google Scholar.

24. UPZ 110 (164 B.C.) and 111 (163 B.C.); on the papyrus, 111 follows 145 (see 110, introduction).

25. UPZ 144 and 145, with the acrostic between.

26. n. 11 above. The matter was eventually solved in September 153 B.C. when their brother Sarapion married the neighbour's daughter, UPZ 66.

27. On the availability and cost of papyrus see Lewis, N., Papyrus in classical antiquity (1974) 129–34Google Scholar; Orrieux, Cl., Zénon de Caunos, ‘parépidemos’ et le destin grec (1985) 163–4Google Scholar. Such re-use is common.

28. UPZ 101.17 (159 B.C.), cross-wise. As above, the phrase may simply signify ‘literature’.

29. Strabo 17.1.32, second to Alexandria.

30. Cavini, W., Studi su papiri greci di logica e medicina. Accademia toscana di scienze e lettere “La Columbaria”, Studi 74 (1985) 85–121Google Scholar, convincingly rejects the earlier ascription of this piece to Chrysippos. (I am grateful to D. N. Sedley for this reference.) The text may be found in von Arnim, J., Stoicorum veterum fragmenta II (1923)Google Scholar frag. 180 and is illustrated in Norsa, M., La scrittura letteraria greca dal secolo IV. a.c. all'VII d.c. (1939)Google Scholar Tav. 36.

31. UPZ 79; 90; 101.

32. UPZ 81; Clarysse, , ‘De droom van Koning Nektanebo op een griekse papyrus’, Schrijvend Verleden, ed. Veenhof, K. R. (1983) 367–71Google Scholar; Koenen, L., ‘The dream of Nektanebos’, BASP 22 (1985) 171–94Google Scholar, discusses the literary context, comments on the importance of the dream for its copyist (p. 193) and argues for a division into cola, with the rhythmization of heavy words as representing the Egyptian original.

33. At least three extracts have been recorded and others may as yet go unrecognised; P. Louvre 2414: Hughes, G. R., ‘The blunders of an inept scribe’, Studies in philology in honour of Ronald James Williams (1982) 51–67Google Scholar; P. Louvre 2377 and 2380 verso: Williams, R. J., ‘Some fragmentary demotic wisdom texts’, Studies in honor of George R. Hughes (1976) 263–71Google Scholar; Clarysse, , Studia Hellenistica 1983, 58–8Google Scholar, for other demotic texts in the archive.

34. See the plates in Weil (1879), the first and only full study of the papyrus as a whole; Gaiser, K., ‘Ein Lob Athens in der Komödie’, Gymnasium 75 (1968) 193–219Google Scholar with Tafel XXIV, illustrates columns v-vi.

35. P. Didot 1, ed. Sandbach, Menander OCT, pp. 328-30; Austin, C., Comicorum graecorum fragmenta in papyris reperta (1973)Google Scholar no. 287; Gomme, A. W. and Sandbach, F. H., Menander: a commentary (1973) 723–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

36. On the problem see Gomme and Sandbach (1973) 726. I here adopt Professor Sandbach's more recent suggestion of sphodra ergatēs, elided.

37. Frag. 99 Radt = Frag. 50 in H. Lloyd-Jones' appendix to Vol. II of the Loeb Aeschylus.

38. P. Didot 2, ed. Sandbach, Menander OCT, p. 330; Austin, Comicorum graecorum fragmenta no. 288; Gomme, and Sandbach, , Menander 726–9Google Scholar; see Zuntz, G., ‘Interpretation of a Menander fragment’, Proceedings of the British Academy 42 (1956) 209–46Google Scholar, for the Hypobolimaios.

39. Gymnasium 1968, 205–06Google Scholar; as Professor Sandbach points out, this represents five sixths of an iambic line. There is a similar exhortation (‘work hard, men’) added in the last column of the Art of Eudoxos text.

40. UPZ 42-58.

41. Fraser, , Ptolemaic Alexandria I 323–4Google Scholar.

42. Lauer, J.-Ph., Saqqara (1976) 21–8Google Scholar.

43. UPZ 62; 120.11.

44. On the history of anthologies see the sound comments of Guéraud, O. and Jouguet, P., Un livre d'écolier du IIIe siècle avant J.-C. (1938) xxiv–xxxiGoogle Scholar; Turner, E. G., Greek papyri: an introduction (1968) 91–2CrossRefGoogle Scholar, on classification.

45. e.g. P.Cair.inv. 65445.130 (ed. Guéraud and Jouguet).

46. The paragraphi may be seen on the plates referred to in n. 34 above. They occur one line from the end of the Medea extract, twice in the Carians and between the Aeschylus and Menander passage; there is similar inconsistency in use in the first heroine's speech.

47. Turner, , Papyri 97Google Scholar; in the (now somewhat out-of-date) listing of Pack, R. A., The Greek and Latin literary texts from Greco-Roman Egypt, ed. 2 (1965), 39–43Google Scholar, only the Phoenissae and the Orestes rank higher entries. It is perhaps relevant that the three-syllable names Pelias and Jason (like Telephos, see n. 62 below) were used (with many others) in school reading exercises, P.Cair.inv. 65445.89-91.

48. Lines 140-54; Page, Greek Literary Papyri no. 105.

49. For the painted limestone stele (c. 200 B.C.) see Cambridge Ancient History. Plates to Volume VII Part I, new edition (1984) 12Google Scholar, no. 10. (Professor E. W. Handley has drawn attention to the trimeters).

50. Cf. Menander, , Epitrepontes 657Google Scholar.

51. P.Oxy. 2332.46-52, in a version from the third century A.D.; see Koenen, L., ZPE 2 (1968) 178–209Google Scholar; Congress 12 (1970) 249–54Google Scholar; ZPE 13 (1974) 313–19Google Scholar; ZPE 54 (1984) 9–13Google Scholar; Lloyd, A. B., Historia 31 (1982) 50–54Google Scholar.

52. For Knephis in a dream of Ptolemaios, see UPZ 78.35, 38 (159 B.C.).

53. teknopoēsthai, UPZ 4.5 (164 B.C.) (I do not accept Wilcken's understanding of this as ‘to adopt’; UPZ 78.25 (159 B.C.), his grey hairs.

54. P.dem.Bologna 3173, newly edited by Bresciani, E., Bedini, E., Paolini, L., Silvano, F., EVO 1 (1978) 95–9Google Scholar, with some modifications of J. D. Ray.

55. UPZ 77.i.1-13.

56. Perhaps the nine months of pregnancy? The account continues in the first person.

57. UPZ 77.ii.22-30.

58. See however UPZ 70 (152 B.C.) for his later violent rejection of ‘those who speak the truth’.

59. UPZ 78.28-39.

60. para to Hellēna me einai, UPZ (p. 648) 7.21-2 (163 B.C.); 8.14 (161 B.C.). Mention was also made of earlier attacks during the revolt (apostasis), UPZ 7.19-21.

61. Calderini, A., ‘Un nuovo papiro del Serapeo di Memfi nella raccolta Milanese’, Aegyptus 13 (1933) 674–89Google Scholar; SB 7617-18 = P. Med. I 27–8Google Scholar.

62. P.Med. I 15Google Scholar = Eur. fr. 102 Austin; Norsa, La scrittura letteraria Tav. 4 (with fuller text); Pack, Literary texts no. 448 with three other papyri from the same play recorded in 1965, cf. note 47 above; Handley, E. W. and Rea, J., The Telephus of Euripides, BICS Supplement 5 (London, 1957)Google Scholar, for the plot.

63. Especially lines 14-16, cf. already Clarysse (1983) 58; the final words, in a more scrawly pen, may be seen on Norsa's plate. Following Alexander Macedonians had become, with many others, honorary Greeks.

64. Earlier versions of this paper were read in Princeton in April and in Cambridge in October 1986. I am grateful for comments and criticism made on these occasions and especially to Professor F. H. Sandbach and Drs D. N. Sedley, R. L. Hunter and M. M. MacKenzie for further discussion and guidance.