#greek papyrus

[blueiscoool]

1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Records Roman Tax Fraud Trial

The Greek document details a court case in ancient Palestine involving tax fraud and provides insight into trial preparations in the Roman Empire

Back in 2014, a researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem rediscovered an ancient papyrus while organizing a storeroom in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Dead Sea Scrolls Unit. Once found in the Judean Desert, the document’s script had previously been classified as Nabataean—an ancient Aramaic language—but papyrus expert Hannah Cotton knew better.

“When I saw it marked ‘Nabataean,’ I exclaimed, ‘It’s Greek to me!’” the researcher says in a statement by the university.

Cotton and a team of experts spent the next decade deciphering the 133-line text, and their findings were recently published in the journal Tyche. Turns out, the document is the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert, and its newly translated content is particularly unique: a Roman lawyer’s detailed notes about the trial of two men accused of tax fraud.

“This is the best-documented Roman court case from Judaea, apart from the trial of Jesus,” says study coauthor Avner Ecker, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the statement.

Per the study, the papyrus was likely written on the “eve of the Bar Kokhba Revolt,” a second-century Jewish uprising against Roman rule. The Roman Empire had colonized Judea—the southern part of ancient Palestine—some 200 years earlier. By 132 C.E., various Roman incursions upon Jewish life, including bans on religious practices, had taken their toll: The dwindling population of Jews in Palestine revolted. The rebellion, led by a man named Bar Kokhba, was crushed by the Romans in 135 C.E., and Jews were subsequently banned from Jerusalem.

The newly translated papyrus was written after Roman Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Judea around 130 C.E. and before the Bar Kokhba Revolt, per the study. It details Rome’s case against two individuals—Gadalias and Saulos—accused of forging documentation about selling and freeing slaves to bypass paying Roman taxes.

“Forgery and tax fraud carried severe penalties under Roman law, including hard labor or even capital punishment,” says study coauthor Anna Dolganov, a papyrus expert at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in the statement.

The papyrus was written in “vibrant and direct” language by a strategizing prosecutor, advising another lawyer about pieces of evidence and anticipating objections, per the statement. The document also contains a “rapidly drafted transcript of the judicial hearing itself.”

As Dolganov says in the statement, “This papyrus is extraordinary because it provides direct insight into trial preparations in this part of the Roman Empire.”

Significant portions of the document are missing, making conclusions about the trial’s participants difficult to draw. Still, the researchers write that the prosecutors were likely “functionaries of the Roman fiscal administration” and suggest the defendants were Jews. The papyrus also makes mention of “an informer who denounced the defendants to Roman authorities.”

As Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove writes, the papyrus sheds light on the long-debated question of whether or not ancient Jewish people owned slaves. The document mentions that Saulos’ family owns multiple slaves, but whether those enslaved people were Jewish is unclear.

The trial’s location and the case’s outcome also remain mysterious. Per the study, proceedings may have been interrupted by the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Somehow, this papyrus ended up among a collection of documents stored in caves in the Judean Desert—the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were rediscovered in the mid-20th century.

As study coauthor Fritz Mitthof, a historian at the University of Vienna, says in the statement, the papyrus showcases the Romans’ governmental reach: They regulated private transactions even in remote regions of their empire.

By Sonja Anderson.

[greek-mythology-utmv]

Swap

Species/figure: Dryad (Nature spirit)

Pronouns: he/it

Danger: Decent (2/6)

Power: Strong (3/6)

Magic: Strong (3/6)

Height: 5'2"/157 cm

Abilities: Communication with plants and wildlife, accelerated plant growth, control of plants

Diet: Absorbs energy from host forest as well as sunlight and water. Health is directly related to health of surrounding woods.

Personally: Upbeat, energetic, and overconfident to a fault. Tends to have a black-and-white view of the world that often leads to difficulties in relationships but is still determined to make friends everywhere he goes.

Story: Swap considers himself to be the leader of the other dryad and woodfolk, and most are too charmed or too tired of it to argue. Views the woodland as the best possible climate for all creatures and wants to spread it across the world, seemingly unaware of how this might negatively impact others. When he's not training or attempting to expand the forest, Swap's usually hanging around Ccino's cafe to meet everyone new who comes to town. When it does make a friend, that person is often plagued by bountiful gifts of fruit and flowers.

Stretch

Species/figure: Naiad (water spirit)

Pronouns: he/it

Danger: Decent (2/6)

Power: Weak (1/6)

Magic: Formidable (4/6)

Height: 6'5"/195 cm

Abilities: Communication with marine life, control of water

Diet: None; health related to state of the river (pollution, water levels, etc)

Personally: Fairly friendly and laid back, prefers to watch his brother's antics from afar but will step in if needed. Happy to help out any travelers, especially if he doesn't have to get up from his chair or actually, y'know, do anything. Master of puns.

Story: Looks after the lesser water spirits and marine life in the area...or is supposed to, anyway. Mostly just relaxes at Ccino's cafe, entertaining everyone with terrible jokes. Protective of his brother.

[oneirocide]

thinking of an undertale/underswap au where birds are the national symbol of the underground (a different bird for every region). they're symbols of freedom, prosperity, and strength--and, it is very important to mention, it began as propaganda. Gaster was experimenting on creating monsters capable of handling human-levels of determination without destabilising and figured using bird bones would allow a lab-made monster (sans and papyrus) to contain this without fusing human and monster genes and therefore creating (at best) a pile of semi-sentient goop.

these weapons would ideally be able to break the barrier and fight humans in place of monsters, with much higher success too. sans was designed with blue jay bones (for intelligence and aggression: blue jays eat mostly fruits/nuts/etc but do hunt small invertebrates and are known to be territorial and also decapitate other birds) while papyrus was created with the secretary bird (for raw strength and, again, aggression. just look at how that thing hunts).

the bros dont have wings but do grow feathers in various places and act like their bird counterparts. sans uses his hood to imitate the crest of a blue jay, only lowering it around papyrus. he is very protective of his brother, extremely intelligent and capable of mimicking the sounds of others eerily well. he also carries a hidden sadistic streak unexpected from what looks like a typical swap-variant. he also loves being high up and can often be found perched up in trees or on his brother.

papyrus is the quieter brother and also, can be a total jerk. he is a powerhouse, though dont underestimate his intelligence either--he's more than happy to take advantage of situations and knows his stuff. he is fiercely loyal and doesn't like large crowds. most assume he is not very active, but he likes to stake out his 'territory' often and is, in fact, terrifyingly fast when he wants to be. he is very good with children, too, and the first to adopt chara when she falls.

monsters even dress like birds. sans and papyrus are most noticeable, but undyne, alphys, mk, and a few others are noticeably dressed as well.

some of the swaps go like this

sans <--> papyrus (personality, blended roles)

undyne <--> alphys (personality)

asgore <--> toriel (personality, role)

muffet <--> grillby (role, blended personality)

gaster -> more aggressive/sadistic/insane, possibly gender swapped

chara (she/her) <--> frisk (they/them) (role swap)

mk (gender swap) etc

river person (nicknamed Charon/the Ferryman) -> was present during the human/monster war, got their name for their kill count and fondness of water. no one alive has ever seen their face

[brimo5]

Hades: What are you doing, brother? Zeus: (sitting beside a row of openings) Listening to the prayers. Want to try? Hades: Sure. (leans in to listen) Random prayer: Lord Sarapis, help me find Sarapias's turds! Hades: By Zeus! What is wrong with these people? Zeus: (indifferently) Now you know.

[marida]

Papyrus CCLXXII

This papyrus dates 1st century and it contains portions of book 3 of Homer's Odyssey. On the margins you can see the scholia, aka glosses that later authors and copists added in the margins of manuscripts to let the reader know grammatical, critical, explanatory comments about the survived text.

The first four books of The Odyssey are known to scholars as "Telemacheia": they narrate the young prince's quest for information about his father as well as his own journey toward manhood. We are in the presence of the very first Bildungsroman.

The portion shown in the picture contains the last verses of the book: Telemachus departs from Pylos where king Nestor had unfortunately little information about his dad Odysseus and leaves to Sparta to king Menelaus and his wife Helen.

"So soon as early Dawn appeared, the rosy-fingered, they yoked the horses and mounted the inlaid car, and drove forth from the gateway and the echoing portico. Then Peisistratus touched the horses with the whip to start them, and nothing loath the pair sped onward. So they came to the wheat-bearing plain, and thereafter pressed on toward their journey's end, so well did their swift horses bear them on. And the sun set and all the ways grew dark."

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Ancient Architectural Capitals

This image presents a variety of ancient architectural capitals, highlighting different styles and regions from ancient civilizations.

Capitals are the uppermost parts of columns, providing both decorative and functional elements in classical architecture.

The following styles are illustrated:

Egyptian Papyrus Capital

– A design inspired by the papyrus plant, common in ancient Egyptian architecture, symbolizing the Nile's vegetation.

Egyptian Date-Palm Capital

– This capital features palm leaves, a motif representing fertility and abundance in ancient Egypt.

Persian Animal Capital

– Notable for its intricate carvings of animals, this style reflects the opulence and symbolic artistry of ancient Persia.

Greek Doric Capital

– A simple, sturdy design characterized by its plain, rounded shape, representing the earliest and most austere form of Greek architecture.

Greek Ionic Capital

– Famous for its scroll-like volutes, this elegant style is more ornate than Doric, used in many temples and buildings in ancient Greece.

Greek Corinthian Capital

– Highly decorative, featuring acanthus leaves, this capital became prominent in later Greek and Roman architecture for its intricate beauty.

Roman Corinthian Capital

– Derived from the Greek Corinthian style, the Roman version is more detailed and elaborate, reflecting the grandeur of the Roman Empire.

Indian Foliage Capital (150 B.C.)

– Marked by lush, detailed carvings of plant forms, this style illustrates the naturalistic artistry prominent in ancient Indian architecture.

Indian Plain Capital (400 A.D.)

– A more restrained, straightforward design, this capital highlights the evolution of Indian architecture towards simplicity during later periods.

These capitals showcase the diversity and evolution of ancient architecture across cultures, blending aesthetics with symbolism and structural support.

[aaronofithaca05]

Odysseus the potion maker crack fic

It might be a chat fic or a pov, I´m not sure, stay tune to whatever silly idea sticks!

[aboutanancientenquiry]

"Circa 350 BCE

A papyrus fragment of The Persae by the Greek musician and dithyrambic poet, Timotheus (Timotheos) of Miletus, discovered in Abusir, Egypt, is probably the earliest surviving papyrus of a Greek text found in Egypt. It is preserved in the Staatliches Museum, Berlin (P. Berol. 9875).

The text was first edited and published by Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Möllendorff as Timotheos, Die Perser, aus einem Papyrus von Abusir im Aufrage der deutschen Orientgesellschaft (1903).

Morison, Politics and Script. . . . Barker ed. (1972) 11, pl. 8 describes the Greek writing on the papyrus as "Formal book-script; square; monoline; unserifed."

Timotheus of Miletus was ancient Greek musician and dithyrambic poet (ca 446-357 BCE).

It is accepted that this papyrus fragment dates from ca 350 BCE, before the conquest of Egypt by Alexander. It is perhaps the most ancient extant legible remain of an ancient Greek book (books had during the Classical period as material papyrus and were in the form of scroll- or roll, as historians of Classical Antiquity prefer to call it).

[covenawhite66]

Euripides was a playwright from ancient Greece. There are 19 full plays we believe he wrote.

Lost fragments of his plays “Ino” and “Polyidus" were found in the grave of an older woman and child.

Both plays involve death and family relationships.

Polyidus is about King Minos trying to revive his son from the dead. Ino is about the killing of the King's royal family. The killing was not by an outside force but convoluted fratricide.

[sagegreenfrogs]

out of context spoiler for the Apollo & Hyacinth AU Sorvus fic 😔

[blueiscoool]

1,600-Year-Old Fragment Identified as Oldest Written Account of Jesus Christ's Childhood

A recently deciphered manuscript, dating back to the 4th or 5th century and stored in a university library in Hamburg, Germany, has been identified by researchers as the earliest surviving account of Jesus Christ's childhood.

"Our findings on this late antique Greek copy of the work confirm the current assessment that the 'Infancy Gospel of Thomas' was originally written in Greek," said papyrologist Gabriel Nocchi Macedo from the University of Liège in Belgium.

The papyrus fragment, dating back more than 1,600 years, had gone unnoticed for decades at the Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library, until Macedo and Dr. Lajos Berkes from the Institute for Christianity and Antiquity at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin identified its true origin.

The small fragment, which measures just over 4 inches by 2 inches, contains thirteen lines of Greek letters from late antique Egypt. The content was originally thought to be part of "an everyday document, such as a private letter or a shopping list, because the handwriting is so clumsy," said Berkes. "Then, by comparing it with numerous other digitized papyri, we deciphered it letter by letter and quickly realized it could not be an everyday document."

The researchers believe the copy of the Gospel was created as a writing exercise — given the clumsy handwriting and irregular lines — in a school or monastery, which would make it a much earlier surviving copy of the gospel than the 'Infancy Gospel of Thomas' manuscript from the 11th century.

"The fragment is of extraordinary interest for research," said Berkes. "On the one hand, because we were able to date it to the 4th to 5th century, making it the earliest known copy. On the other hand, because we were able to gain new insights into the transmission of the text."

While the words in the document are not from the Bible, they describe a "miracle," according to the Gospel of Thomas, that Jesus performed as a 5-year-old child as he moulded soft clay from a river into sparrows and then brought them to life.

By Sheri Walsh.

[phoenix-joy]

Author & Timestamp: Tomas Weber for Scientific American March 19, 2024 (over a month old as of May 3, 2024)

Note: This article contains what I perceive to be dismissiveness of peoples' concerns about AI's impact on modern life. Perhaps I've misinterpreted that, but wanted to give a heads up for anyone reading the full text (17 min read).

Note: I did not include anything that ties to the 'inside story' or the specific scroll in question, I've simply pulled out useful background information elements.

Extract:

For four centuries monks and princes, papyrologists and archaeologists, classicists and computer scientists have struggled [...] to detect any letters or words inside the scrolls [...] without destroying them in the process. If we could read them, as classicists and papyrologists have long hoped to do, we might discover lost works of classical literature or philosophy or records of history and science. Perhaps [...] tragedies by Sophocles or Aeschylus or the lost writings of Livy. “The possibilities,” says David Blank, a professor of classics at the University of California, Los Angeles, “are enormous.”

Almost all classical literature has come down to us from medieval monks, choosy in what they resolved to copy. As a result, relatively little “original” writing from antiquity exists [...]. We have seven plays by Aeschylus, but we know the tragedian wrote at least 10 times more than that. The preserved papyri in Herculaneum are our best shot at rescuing lost works, and some classicists suspect that even more texts could remain in areas of the villa yet to be excavated.

[...] In addition to works by [...] the poets Virgil and Horace, there’s also [a chance] of finding writing from authors [not currently known to modern scholars].

[...]

[...] If the technological advances continue and [are used to read other] unopened scrolls, says Tobias Reinhardt, a classics scholar at the University of Oxford [...], “we could see a recovery of ancient texts at a volume not seen since the Renaissance.”

[...]

[This] technology [...] could be adapted for deciphering other lost texts [...] In 1993, 140 carbonized papyrus scrolls dating from the sixth century C.E. were discovered in a Byzantine church in Petra, Jordan. Blackened and fragile, they were considered unreadable. And tens of thousands of fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls have never been read because so many are stuck together.

[...]

Ancient Egyptian mummy masks were also made of papyrus, arranged in layers coated with plaster—a material called cartonnage, essentially a kind of papier-mâché. That papyrus often contained writing, which has been difficult to decipher without destroying the plaster.

[...]

In the fourth century B.C.E. Greek historian Xenophon noted on his return from Mesopotamia that there was a bustling trade in scrolls across the Black Sea. This means there are almost certainly sunken ships on the seafloor that contain boxes of papyrus rolls, according to Richard Janko, a classics professor and papyrologist at the University of Michigan. These scrolls are probably still preserved in this sea, which has exceptionally low oxygen and salinity for a marine environment.

[...]

Hundreds of papyrus scrolls in the ancient city of Herculaneum were preserved after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. For thousands of years, no one could open them without doing irreparable damage.

Credit: Courtesy of EduceLab/University of Kentucky

High-energy scans allow scientists to virtually unwrap the scrolls into 3-D images, so that AI tools can be applied to look for invisible patterns in the ink.

Credit: Courtesy of EduceLab/University of Kentucky

Credit: Matthew Twombly; Christy Chapman/University of Kentucky and Stephen Parsons/Vesuvius Challenge (consultants); Amanda T. Hobbs (background research)

/end of extract

[h3rta-space-stat1on]

Salad spinner. Spin 4 me.

[mrayan3]

When you look at the ancient writings, would you think about what will we leave for the next centuries ?

Location: Gem Museum Cairo Egypt

[sohaibsmart]

1,900-12 months-Outdated Papyrus Reveals Prison Case from Roman Empire

Written in Greek, this papyrus is a memorandum for a judicial listening to earlier than a Roman official within the province of Judea or Arabia within the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, after his go to to the area in 129/130 CE and earlier than the outbreak of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132. The papyrus comprises an off-the-cuff report of the listening to, which issues the prosecution of a lot…

[thepastisalreadywritten]