PREFACE

THIS volume contains three main groups of papyri. One was prepared for publication by Dr Adam Bülow-Jacobsen, another by Dr J. E. G. Whitehorne, both as doctoral theses in the University of London under the supervision of Sir Eric Turner; this original version has been revised against the papyri, and to some extent reworked, by Mr Parsons and Dr Rea. The third group was studied at a seminar in the Istituto Papirologico G. Vitelli G. Vitelli Papyrological Institute of the University of Florence, under the direction of Dr Coles; each member of the seminar contributes one text; their versions have been revised and translated by Dr Coles. We owe further substantial contributions to Dr S. A. Stephens and Dr J. C. Shelton.

The content is miscellaneous. There are fragmentary but interesting pieces of New Comedy (3431–2), a handsome Strabo (3447) and an even more handsome Dinarchus (3436–7) which have an interest for the textual critic; 3441 adds to the history of an Odyssean crux, 3454 to the history of Greek punctuation. 3455–6 include new items of metrological information. Among the documents, we note especially 3479 for the consuls of 361, 3495 for the time and motion of Oxyrhynchite fishermen, 3477 for the anacrisis preliminary examination or interrogation of slaves, and 3482 for the transference of catoecic relating to settler/soldier landholders land; 3463 and 3476 shed new light on the ephebate training corps for young citizens at Alexandria and Antinoopolis; 3470, 3472 and 3473 add to our knowledge of the temples — the admission of their priests, the uses of their precincts, and the miscellany of sacred junk that they accumulated.

We record our warm gratitude to Dr H. M. Cockle, who compiled the indexes; and to the Cambridge University Press for the accuracy and elegance of their production.

P. J. P.
J. R. R.
April 1982 E. G. T.

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