Introduction
Medical recipes. Τhe papyrus (23.2 x 41 cm) is written contra fibras on the verso of a commentary of Iliad Β 751-827 (P. Oxy. 8.1086). Three columns are neatly entire, and there are traces of a fourth, but practically nothing of it remains. Col. I is preceded by a blank space considerably wider than the margins between the columns and therefore was presumably the commencement, the roll which contained the Homeric scholia having been subdivided before the prescriptions came to be inserted in it. The fragment contains a miscellaneous collection of 15 recipes, assembled without an organizing principle and often separated by paragraphoi. The layout shows eistheseis, ektheseis and centered words. Prescriptions include local applications for wounds and sores, leprosy, flow of blood, polypus, and to induce sneezing, and potions for quartan fever, liver complaints, dropsy, insomnia, and convulsions. The text is copied in a personal, quite large and rather inaccurate curvise hand, showing a noticeable fondness for η instead of ει before another vowel.
DCLP transcription: 63118 [xml]
Τὸ μήλινον κολλ(ύριον) πρὸς ῥεῦμα(*)
καὶ ἑλκώματα καὶ πληγὰς
καὶ αἱμάλωπας·
καδμήας(*) (δραχμαὶ) δ, ψιμιθίο(υ) (δραχμαὶ) η,
5 ἀμύλου (δραχμαὶ) δ, λίθ(ου) σχι(στοῦ) πεπλ(υμένου) (δραχμὴ) α,
κρόκο(υ) (δραχμὴ) α, ὀπίου (τριώβολον), κόμμε(ως) (δραχμαὶ) δ,
ὕδωρ.
ἀρε̣τ̣ὴ̣{ι}(*) πρὸς λεπτὰ ῥεύματα
καὶ ἑλκώματα.
10 ἀμύλου (δραχμαὶ) η, στίμεως (δραχμαὶ) β,
ὀπίου (τριώβολον), λεπίδος (τριώβολον),
ψιμιθίο(υ) (δραχμαὶ) β, κόμμε(ως) (δραχμαὶ) β,
ὕδωρ.
λεπρική· {ἀ}κανθαρίδ(ων) (δραχμὴ) α, ἄμι,
15εὐζώμου σπέρμα(τος), πα̣ρα̣ιθου(*),
μελανθίου, σινάπε(ως), καρδάμου,
πίσσης ὑγρᾶς. χρῶ{ι} τοῖς
τόποις.
ἴσχαιμον· χαλκίτιδει λήᾳ(*) χρῶ{ι}
20καὶ εὐθέως ἐπιστήσει.
——
αἷμα ἀπὸ μυκτήρων στῆσαι· μάνναν
φύρασον χυλῶι πράσωι(*) καὶ ἐνάλιψον
τὸν χυλὸν ἐνδόθεν.
—— column ii
πταρνικόν∙(*) ἑλλεβόρου λευκοῦ
25προσφατώτερον τρίψας ἐμφύσα{ς}
εἰς τοὺς μυκτῆρας, ἢ στρουθήωι
ὡσαύτως ἢ καστορήῳ(*) ὡσαύτως.
——
πρὸς ὀζαίνας∙ ἀρσενικὸν τρῖψον
λῆον, ὕπτιον κατακλίνας τὸν ἄν-
30θρωπον θεράπευε, ἢ ἑλλεβόρωι
μέλανι ὡσαύτως χρῆσον.(*).
——
πρὸς πυλύπους(*) τούς ἐμ μυκτήρ{εσ}-
σιν(*) γε{ι}νομένους∙ ἀφροῦ νίτρου ὀπτοῦ (τριώβολον),
κυμίνου (δραχμή), ἴρεως (δραχμή)∙ τρείψας(*) ἐμφύσ{ησ}ον(*)
35εἰς τοὺς μυκτῆρας, ἐὰν δὲ ξηρότεροι
ὦσι συκη̣ιο̣υ(*) τὸν φλοιὸν ξηρὸν τρίψας
λῆον ἐμφύσα.
——
πρὸς τοὺς τεταρταίους∙ ὀποῦ σιλφήου (ὀβολός),
ζμύρνη(ς) (ὀβολός). ἄλλο \ψ̣α̣ῖ̣ε̣/(*)∙ κωνήο(υ) (δραχμαὶ) γ, ὑοσκυάμο(υ) (δραχμαὶ) γ,
40ὀπίου (δραχμαὶ) β, καστορήου (δραχμὴ) α, ἑλλεβόρου μέ(λανος) (δραχμὴ) α,
λῆα(*) ποιήσας καὶ χωρὶς ἕκαστον ἀναπλά-
σας μεθ’ ὕδατος κολλύρια πο<ί>ει ἡλίκον
Αἰγύπ(τιον) κύαμον, εἶτα{ν} ἐν τῆι σκιᾷ(*) ξηρά-
νας ταῦτα νήστηι δίδου π<ι>εῖν τρίψας ἐν γλυ-|κέωι(*) ἱμικοτυλίωι(*), προλούσας πρὸ τῆς λήμ-
ψεω(ς) ὁρῶν(*) β καὶ φακὸν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας
προτιθείς, καὶ σκεπάζειν ἱματίοις.
—— column iii
πότημα πρὸς ἡπ̣[α]τ̣ι̣κ̣[ο]ύς·
ἀκόρου (δραχμή), πανάκους (ὀβολός), νάρδου (ὀβολός),
50δαύκου{ς} (δραχμαὶ) β. vac. ? . βρα[δέως]
πινέτω{ι} μετὰ γλυκέως ἢ μέλι̣τ̣ọ[ς.]
ἄλλο· πανάκους (δραχμαὶ) β, ακαρους(*) (δραχμαὶ) β,
δαύκου{ς} (δραχμή), νάρδου (ὀβολός)· μετὰ
γλυκέως καὶ μέλιτος καὶ
55στροβίλων κ[ρ]αμενων(*) δὸς π<ι>εῖν.
ἄλλο ἐνεργὲς ἱκανῶς· κιννάμο(υ) [ ̣ ̣,]
ζμύρνης (δραχμαὶ) ι, νάρδου (δραχμαὶ) ϛ, σε<σέ>λε̣[ως]
Αἰθιοπικοῦ (δραχμαὶ) ϛ· μετ’ ᾠ{ω}οῦ λεά̣[νας](*)
χωρὶς ἕκα̣[σ]τ̣ο̣ν καὶ κενταυρεί̣[ου]
60χυλῶι ἀναπλάσα[ς] ἡλίκον Αἰ[γύπ(τιον)]
κυάμου(*) δ[ί]δου π<ι>εῖν ἐν μελικρ[ά-]
τωι θερμῶι.
——
πότημα ὑδρωπικῶν· ὀρεοσ{σ}ελίνο(υ) ̣[,]
μυρσίνη(ς) (δραχμαὶ) η, καρύων πικρῶ(ν) (δραχμαὶ) δ,
65δαύκου σπέρμα(τος) (δραχμαὶ) ϛ.
ὑπνωτικὸν πότημα· ὑοσ̣κ̣[υάμου ̣ ̣,]
ἀννήσου (δραχμὴ) α, ὀπίου (τριώβολον)· μείξ[ας δός.]
——
κατασπαστ̣ικός(*)· αβ̣ρυα̣νου(*) (δραχμὴ) α, λ̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣]
69,msχρ(ηστός).
70λ̣ι̣αθ̣εω̣ν -3-4- ( )(*) εντ̣ο̣( )(*) (δραχμαὶ) δ. [ -ca.?- ]
Apparatus
^ i.1. or ῥεύμα<τα>
^ i.4. l. καδμείας
^ i.8. Lundon 2004, 122-125 : ἀρε̣σ̣τ̣ὴ̣{ι} prev. ed.
^ i.15. l. πυρέθρου (corr)
^ i.19. l. λείᾳ
^ i.22. l. πράσου
^ ii.24. l. πταρμικόν
^ ii.27. l. καστορείῳ
^ ii.31. l. χρῆσαι
^ ii.32. l. πολύπους
^ ii.32-33. Lundon 2004, 126 : μυκτήρεσ|σιν prev. ed.
^ ii.34. corr. ex τραιψασ
^ ii.34. corr. ex
^ ii.36. l. σικύου (corr)
^ ii.39. Lundon 2004, 127-129 : \/ψ̣ώ̣μ̣ισ(μα) prev. ed.
^ ii.41. l. λεῖα
^ ii.43. corr. ex
^ ii.44-45. l. γλυ |κέως (corr)
^ ii.45. l. ἡμικοτυλίωι
^ ii.46. l. ὡρῶν
^ iii.52. l. ἀκόρου (corr)
^ iii.55. l. κεκραμένων
^ iii.58. or λευ̣[κοῦ](?)
^ iii.61. l. κύαμον
^ iii.68. Lundon 2004, 129-130 : κατασπασμ̣ικός prev. ed.
^ iii.68. l. ἀβροτόνου (corr)
^ iii.70. or τ̣[ι]κ̣ο̣υ̣
^ iii.70. or ἐν ὕδ(ατι)
Editorial History; All History; (detailed)
© Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Notes
- 8.
Even if he had supported the reading ἀπεστή{ι}, Hunt had already considered ἀρετή{ι} (see P.Oxy. 8.1088.114 and Lundon 2004, 123).
- 14.
The initial α was probably added owing to some confusion with ἄκανθα.
- 15.
παραιθου is fairly clear, but it is not a known word. Probably, πυρέθρου is meant (see Dsc. MM 3.79 W).
- 28.
the end of the line a horizontal stroke might be interpreted as the sign of 1 obol, but the amount seems immaterial here, and a rather smaller dash at the end of the next line clearly has no such meaning.
- 32.
It is not an Aeolic dative as suggested by Hunt ad loc., but it probably results from the juxtaposition of the dative desinence -σιν and the (uncorrect and not corrected) nominative form -ες (Lundon 2004, 126).
- 36.
συκηιου might be for συκ(ε)ίου, but that word is only used in the sense of a decoction of figs. Possibly σικύου is meant.
- 39.
Although very rare and never attested in medical recipes, the imperative form ψαῖε (“grind down”) suits very well the context and was probably inserted above the line to give prudential advise on proper use of hemlock (κωνήο(υ) ((δραχμαὶ)) γ), which has toxic properties.
- 55.
κ[ρ]αμενων seems to have been written for κεκραμένων: there would barely be room for κ[αί] even if αμενων were a word.
- 57-58.
the letter before the lacuna may be iota, but since σέλινον Αἰθιοπικόν is apparently not a known variety, it seems likely that there was another lipography and that σέσελι Αἰθιοπικόν was meant (see Dsc. MM 3.54 W).
- 68.
The letter before iota could suggest tau rather than mu. κατασπασμ̣ικός, read by Hunt, would be hapax, whereas κατασπαστ̣ικός fits very well the context (see Lundon 2004, 129-130). For ἀβροτόνου see Dsc. MM 3.26 W. The marginal note of approbation, written as usual in the form of a monogram, was repeated in the margin of the lost fourth column.