The New Papyrological Primer

Book excerpt: The "New Papyrological Primer" is a fully revised and expanded edition of David and Groningen's 1964 standard introduction to Greek papyrological texts. The current edition contains 81 Greek texts, arranged in a chronological order, which illustrate various aspects of life in Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Egypt. Each text is provided with a short commentary and explanatory notes, which aim to allow students to understand the text and to place it accurately in its social context. A lengthy introduction provides general background information, data about the texts examined and discussion of a number of commonly neglected topics. A glossary of Greek terms is appended. The work contains numerous plates, illustrations and maps.