Philinna Papyrus: Difference between revisions

The Philinna Papyrus is made up of two fragments: P. Amh. 11, published by [[Bernard Grenfell]] and [[Arthur Surridge Hunt]] in 1901, and P. Berol. 7504, published by [[Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff]] in 1907.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=33}} In 1942 [[Paul Maas (classical scholar)|Paul Maas]] identified that the two fragments were part of the same roll.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=33}} The surviving piecepieces isare 10 x 8.2 cm in total: the Amherst fragment is 6 x 4.2 cm, withand partsthe Berlin fragment is 10 x 4 cm. Parts of two columns survivingof the papyrus survive, written in a hand dating to the first century BC.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=34}} The verso of the papyrus preserves parts of two further columns, in a cursive hand from about the first century AD.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=34}}

The fragments were discovered in Egypt,{{sfn|Trismegistos}} most likely from [[Faiyum]].{{sfn|Faraone|Torallas Tovar|2022|p=12|loc=n.1}} P. Amh. 11 was purchased by Grenfell and Hunt on behalf of [[LordWilliam Tyssen-Amherst of Hackney|Lord Amherst]] between 1897 and 1900. In 1913 it was acquired by the [[J.P. Morgan Library,]] (now the Morgan Library & Museum) in New York. P. Berol. 7504 was bought at aroundby the same[[Berlin timeState byMuseums]] thefrom Berlin[[Heinrich MuseumsKarl Brugsch]] in 1891.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=34}}{{sfn|Faraone|Torallas Tovar|2022|p=12|loc=n.1}} Critical editions of the papyrus text are included in ''Papyri Graecae Magicae'' as PGM XX,{{sfn|Preisendanz|1974|p=145}} ''Supplementum Hellenisticum'' as SH 900,{{sfn|Lloyd-Jones|Parsons|1983|pp=399–400}} and ''Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies'' as GEMF 3.{{sfn|Faraone|Torallas Tovar|2022|pp=12-14}}

The Philinna Papyrus is part of a collection of spells in [[hexameter]]s verses.{{sfn|Faraone|1996|p=98}} Each spell has a title with the name and nationality of the author and the ailment which the charm is intended to cure.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=35}} The surviving portion of the papyrus preserves three spells.{{sfn|Daniel|1988|p=306}} The first spell is damaged, and it is not certain what it was for.{{sfn|Daniel|1988|p=306}} TheThis textdamaged printedspell inis ''PGM''²followed restoresby thetwo headingmore: asone [attributed προ]ςto κεφαλη(ς)a [πονονSyrian ] ("spellwoman for ainflammation, headache"and one by Philinna of Thessaly for headaches.{{sfn|BetzFaraone|19861996|p=25899}}), but RobertUnlike Danielother suggestssurviving insteadancient thatcollections "κεφαλη"of isspells, partthe ofPhilinna thePapyrus nationalitydoes not contain any descriptions of rituals to accompany the authorspells, and theChristopher wordFaraone shouldargues bethat restoredits asformat Κεφαλιη(νιδος)is ("ofmore [[Kefalonia]]")influenced by Hellenistic literary anthologies than other magical handbooks.{{sfn|DanielFaraone|19882000|p=306209}} ThisThe damaged spellpapyrus is followedunique byamong two[[Greek more:magical onepapyri]] attributedin toattributing athe Syrianspells womanit forcontains inflammation,to and one by Philinna of Thessaly for headacheswomen.{{sfn|FaraoneBaptista Sánchez|1996|p=992017}}

Lines 4–12 of the papyrus are a spell "προς παν κατακαλαυμα" ("for any inflammation"), attributed to a Syrian woman from Gadara.{{sfn|Betz|1986|p=258}} The name of the Syrian woman does not survive.{{sfn|Plant|2004|p=114}} Another version of the same spell is known from a papyrus from [[Oxyrhynchus]].{{sfn|Plant|2004|p=114}} The inflammation that the spell treats is probably a sort of skin condition, though the word κατακαλυμα is also used in ancient Greek medical texts for fever.{{sfn|FaoroneFaraone|1996|loc=n. 71}}

The charm is of the type known as [[historiola]], wherein a myth is told which is analogous to the desired outcome of the spell.{{sfn|Faraone|1997|p=48}} In the story, seven maidens put out a fire with pitchers of water.{{sfn|Maas|1942|p=37}} No other version of this story is known in [[Greek mythology]], though there are parallels with an [[Egyptian myth]] about [[Isis]] and [[Horus]], and even earlier Egyptian and Mesopotamian healing magic.{{sfn|Faraone|1997|p=49}} The Syrian woman's spell on the Philinna Papyrus is the earliest surviving instance of a historiola in [[Magic in the Greco-Roman world|ancient Greek magic]].{{sfn|Ritner|1998|p=1028}} A third- or fourth-century AD papyrus from Oxyrhynchus<ref>PMG XXa = GEMF 45</ref> apparently preserves two prose versions of this spell.{{sfn|Faraone|Torallas Tovar|2022|p=467}}

Lines 13&ndash;19 are a spell for headaches, attributed to Philinna the Thessalian.{{sfn|Betz|1986|p=259}} ThisThe identity of this Philinna is uncertain. Maas suggests that she is fictitious, and that the name Philinna was chosen as a common Greek name.{{sfn|Dickie|1994|p=119}} However, in later magical papyri the men to whom spells are attributed tend to be famous, and Matthew Dickie argues that the same is likely to be true of Philinna.{{sfn|Dickie|1994|p=120}} He suggests that she may be the same as the Philinna from [[Larissa]] who was the mother of [[Philip Arrhidaeus]], one of the sons of [[Philip II of Macedon]] and half-brother of [[Alexander the Great]].{{sfn|Dickie|1994|p=121}}

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* {{cite journalbook|editor-last=DanielBetz|editor-first=RobertHans W.Dieter|title=AThe noteGreek onMagical thePapyri Philinnain PapyrusTranslation (PGMIncluding XXthe 1&ndash;2)Demotic Spells|year=19881986|journalpublisher=ZeitschriftUniversity fürof PapyrologieChicago und Epigraphik|volume=73Press|refisbn=harv0226044440}}

* {{cite journal|last=DickieDaniel|first=MatthewRobert W.|title=TheA Identitynote of Philinna inon the Philinna Papyrus ('PGM²' XX.15 1&ndash; 'SH' 900.152)|year=19941988|journal=Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik|volume=10073|refpage=harv306 |jstor=20186887 }}

* {{cite journal|last=FaraoneDickie|first=ChristopherMatthew AW.|title=TakingThe theIdentity "Nestor'sof CupPhilinna Inscription"in Seriously:the EroticPhilinna MagicPapyrus and('PGM²' ConditionalXX.15; Curses'SH' in the Earliest Inscribed Hexameters900.15)|year=19961994|journal=ClassicalZeitschrift Antiquityfür Papyrologie und Epigraphik|volume=15|issue=1100|pages=77–112|ref=harv|doi=10.2307/25011032119–122 |jstor=2501103220189015 }}

* {{cite journal|last=Faraone|first=Christopher A.|title=SalvationTaking the "Nestor's Cup Inscription" Seriously: Erotic Magic and FemaleConditional HeroicsCurses in the ParodosEarliest ofInscribed Aristophanes' ''Lysistrata''Hexameters|year=19971996|journal=JournalClassical of Hellenic StudiesAntiquity|volume=11715|pagesissue=38–591|refpages=harv77–112|doi=10.2307/63254925011032|jstor=63254925011032}}

* {{cite journal|last=MaasFaraone|first=PChristopher A.|title=TheSalvation Philinnaand PapyrusFemale Heroics in the Parodos of Aristophanes' ''Lysistrata''|year=19421997|journal=The Journal of Hellenic Studies|volume=62117|pages=33–38|ref=harv38–59|doi=10.2307/626711632549|jstor=626711632549|s2cid=163041704 }}