This library is built in the open.
If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.

Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis artifact consists of three main joined fragments of brown papyrus with extensive lacunae and frayed edges. The surface is covered in a dense, cursive Greek script written in dark ink, characteristic of 4th-century administrative and magical documents. The text is arranged in columns, though the physical deterioration of the papyrus has obscured significant portions of the original record.
This document is a primary example of the 'technical' magical tradition of Late Antiquity, typically grouped with the Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM). It illustrates the integration of theurgy into daily Roman life, as official military business and esoteric recipes for amulets and charms are found within the same administrative record.
The fragment contains multiple lines of Greek cursive text. Due to the fragmented state and the nature of the hand, a full transcription is not provided, but the script includes standard administrative and magical terminology of the 4th century AD.
Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM)
This fragment belongs to the same cultural and linguistic corpus of Graeco-Egyptian magical handbooks and ritual texts.
Hermes Trismegistus
The magical papyri of this era frequently invoke Hermes or draw upon the technical Hermetic tradition for spells and invocations.
Object
scientific
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 4, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.