Comment by amelung
5 days ago
I think the image shown at the top right is the entire text that was discovered: because if you count all the lines (including even the ones where no mortal can see actual letters), you get 30. I admire the experts who can make sense out of it. Words are not separated by blanks. The first line in the second column may start with «ΚΑΙΤΟΙ ΠΩ…» ‹and yet wh…›. Below that perhaps «Η ΜΕΙΖΟΝ …» ‹or greater›. Further below even I can read clearly a «ΦΑΙΝΕΤΑΙ» ‹he / she / it appears›. Even further down I read «ΚΑΙ ΔΙΑ ΤΟΥΤΟΥ» ‹and through / per / via this›.
Papyrologists are amazing. It takes a ton of training to be able to make sense of all those fragments.
ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΤΩ … Η ΜΕΙΖΟΝ… ΑΛΛΑ ΤΑ Δ ΑΜΦΟΤΕ… ΔΗΛΟΥΤΑΙ… ΠΕΥΣΗ ΠΑΝ ΓΑΡ ΦΑΙΝΕΤΑΙ.. ΚΟΙΛΑ.. ΦΑΣΜΑΤΑ … ΓΥΙΩΝ ΟΣΣΟΝ … ΜΕΙΖΟΝΑ … ΚΑΙ ΔΙΑ ΤΟΥΤΟΥ … ΟΥΤΕ ΩΤΑ .. ΟΥΔΑΝ ΓΛΩΣΣΑ …
Not understanding Greek, I ran that through Google Translate (Greek -> English) just to see what it might say.
> AND THIS … THE MAJOR … BUT THE BOTH … ARE MEANING … PEUSIS PAN GAR SEEMS.. OBVIOUS.. SPECTRA … OF SONGS SO … MAJOR … AND THEREFORE … NOT EVEN EARS .. NO LANGUAGE
What form of Greek would that be? (I don't know much more than "ancient Greek" vs "modern Greek".)
> PEUSIS PAN GAR SEEMS
I think the Greek doesn't read «ΠΕΥΣΗ ΠΑΝ ΓΑΡ» but «ΠΕΥΣΗΙ ΠΑΝ ΓΑΡ» with «Ι», and «ΠΕΥΣΗΙ» = «πευσῃ» could be the 2nd sg. of the future of «πυνθάνομαι» ‹learn›. «ΠΑΝ» would be ‹all, every(thing)›, «ΓΑΡ» ‹namely, because (postponed)›. ‹… you will learn, everything namely …›? I don't know. – The «ΦΑΙΝΕΤΑΙ» ‹seems, appears› is on the next line, after some missing words.
Looking more carefully at the original image (http://www.thehistoryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Emp...) I can see the mapping of letterforms you made. Thanks for that!
Respect! even if I can't agree with every detail, e.g. «ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΤΩ» would require the «Υ» and the «Τ» to be quite different from the «Υ»s and «Τ»s in clearer cases, e.g. in the «ΚΑΙ ΔΙΑ ΤΟΥΤΟΥ» we both read as such. So I would stick to «ΚΑΙΤΟΙΠΩ…».
I dunno, it's all Greek to me.
(I'll see myself out).
Ah, you're right. "30 verses" made it sound like more than what you can see on that image. Luckily most of the papyrus is very legible! even if fragmented...