A
second century Egyptian mummy that belongs to an unnamed private
collection (possibly in Italy) has provided literary scholars with a rare
treat: the oldest example of a Greek poetry book.
Details about the mummy
itself have not been provided. Apparently, though, the papyrus scroll was
wrapped with the body (some mummies of the same time period were wrapped
in papyrus as well, but this does not seem to have been the case). The
scroll has been examined by researchers at the University of Milan; their
findings will be discussed in depth at a November conference at the University
of Cincinnati.
The scroll contains 112
epigrams (i.e., short poems) written by the Greek poet Posidippus in the
3rd Century B.C. Two of the epigrams had previously been found in other
classical texts (and attributed to Posidippus).
The scroll is important for
its substantial length, its excellent preservation, and the poems' content
(they discuss many aspects of daily life during the rein of the Ptolemies).
For example, the epigrams discuss omens, shipwrecks, dedications, and
equestrian victories at sporting events.
