Hostname: page-component-5db58dd55d-4jdj6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-06-29T02:47:07.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

P.Oxy. 2456 and the chronology of Euripides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2025

P.J. Finglass
P.J. Finglass*
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Bristol
*
Email: patrick.finglass@bristol.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The list of Euripidean plays in P.Oxy. 2456, whose primary principle of arrangement is by alphabetical order of first letter, has a secondary principle of arrangement, namely chronology of first performance date. This discovery provides a relative dating, and/or termini ante vel post quos, for 15 plays. The ordering in the papyrus is compared to orderings of other ancient lists of classical dramas, including a list of Aristophanes’ comedies whose arrangement by the same combination of principles was identified by Wilamowitz. A source for this arrangement is proposed, namely Callimachus’ Pinakes.

Keywords

EuripideschronologyGreek papyriAristophanesCallimachus

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 145 , November 2025 , pp. 232 - 245
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Blum, R. (1977) Kallimachos und die Literaturverzeichnung bei den Griechen. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der Biobibliographie (Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens 18, Lieferungen 1 and 2) (Frankfurt)Google Scholar
Blum, R. (1991) Kallimachos: The Alexandrian Library and the Origins of Bibliography (tr. H.H. Wellisch) (Madison)Google Scholar
Cairns, D.L. and Liapis, V. (eds) (2006) Dionysalexandros: Essays on Aeschylus and His Fellow Tragedians in Honour of Alexander F. Garvie (Swansea)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carrara, P. (2007) ‘Editori e commentari di Euripide della prima età ellenistica’, in Pretagostini, R. and Dettori, E. (eds), La cultura letteraria ellenistica. Persistenza, innovazione, trasmissione. Atti del Convegno COFIN 2003, Università di Roma ‘Tor Vergata’, 19–21 settembre 2005 (Seminari Romani di Cultura Greca Quaderni 10) (Rome) 247–55Google Scholar
Castellaneta, S. (2022) ‘Su una hypothesis del Temeno o dei Temenidi di Euripide: note testuali a P.Oxy. 27.2455, fr. 11’, Frammenti sulla Scena 3, 1–13 https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/fss/article/download/8200/6894/27277 Google Scholar
Chourmouziades, N.C. (Χουρμουζιάδης, Ν.Χ.) (1968) ‘Σατυρικά’, Hellenika 21, 160–63Google Scholar
Coles, R.A. and Barns, J.W.B. (1965) ‘Fragments of dramatic hypotheses from Oxyrhynchus’, CQ n.s. 15, 52–57 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collard, C. and Cropp, M.J. (2008) Euripides: Fragments (2 vols) (Loeb Classical Library 504, 506) (Cambridge MA and London)Google Scholar
Cropp, M.J. (2019) Minor Greek Tragedians, Volume 1: The Fifth Century. Fragments from the Tragedies with Selected Testimonia (Liverpool)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cropp, M.J. (2020) ‘Euripides or Critias, or neither? Reflections on an unresolved question’, in Lamari, A., Montanari, F. and Novokhatko, A. (eds), Fragmentation in Ancient Greek Drama (Trends in Classics supplement 84) (Berlin and Boston) 235–56CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cropp, M.J. and Fick, G. (1985) Resolutions and Chronology in Euripides: The Fragmentary Tragedies (Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies supplement 43) (London)Google Scholar
Cropp, M.J. and Fick, G.. (2025) ‘Resolutions and chronology revisited: revised estimates for the dating of Euripides’ fragmentary tragedies’, in Nicolai, R. and Sonnino, M. (eds), Euripide: prospettive di ricerca (Seminari Romani di Cultura Greca Quaderni 35) (Rome) 5–37 Google Scholar
Daly, L.W. (1967) Contributions to a History of Alphabetization in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Collection Latomus 90) (Brussels)Google Scholar
Dardano, V. (2021) ‘Elenco di libro dal porto del Pireo’, Axon 5, 187–201 Google Scholar
Diggle, J. (2005) ‘Rhythmical prose in the Euripidean hypotheses’, in Bastianini, G. and Casanova, A. (eds), Euripide e i papiri. Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi, Firenze, 10–11 giugno 2004 (Studi e Testi di Papirologia NS 7) (Florence) 27–67 Google Scholar
Dubischar, M. (2015) ‘Typology of philological writings’, in Montanari, F., Matthaios, S. and Rengakos, A. (eds), Brill’s Companion to Ancient Greek Scholarship 2 (Leiden and Boston) 545–99Google Scholar
Finglass, P.J. (2020) ‘The textual transmission of Euripides’ dramas’, in Markantonatos, A. (ed.), Brill’s Companion to Euripides 1 (Leiden and Boston) 29–48 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finglass, P.J. (2022) ‘Column-length in the Newest Sappho’, ZPE 223, 1–6 Google Scholar
Finglass, P.J. (2024) Euripides and the Myth of Perseus: Two Lost Greek Tragedies Illuminated by a New Papyrus (Sozomena 21) (Berlin and Boston)Google Scholar
Finglass, P.J. (2025) ‘Euripides’ Ino, Phrixus A, and Phrixus B: a new relative chronology’, in Nicolai, R. and Sonnino, M. (eds), Euripide: prospettive di ricerca (Seminari Romani di Cultura Greca Quaderni 35) (Rome) 39–42.Google Scholar
Finglass, P.J. (forthcoming) Sappho and Alcaeus: The Corpus of Lesbian Poetry (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries) (Cambridge)Google Scholar
Flanders, J. (2020) A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order (New York)Google Scholar
Gibert, J. (2004) ‘Archelaus’, in Collard, C., Cropp, M.J. and Gibert, J., Euripides: Selected Fragmentary Plays , Volume II: Alexandros (together with Palamedes and Sisyphus), Oedipus, Andromeda, Antiope, Hypsipyle, Archelaus (Warminster) 330–62Google Scholar
Harder, M.A. (1985) Euripides’ Kresphontes and Archelaos (Mnemosyne supplement 87) (Leiden) [‘A.’ on cover, ‘M.A.’ on title page]Google Scholar
Houston, G.W. (2009) ‘Papyrological evidence for book collections and libraries in the Roman empire’, in Johnson, W.A. and Parker, H.N. (eds), Ancient Literacies: The Culture of Reading in Greece and Rome (Oxford and New York) 233–67Google Scholar
Houston, G.W. (2014) Inside Roman Libraries: Book Collections and Their Management in Antiquity (Chapel Hill)Google Scholar
Koumanoudes, S.A. (1872) ‘Ἀττικῆς ἐπιγραφαὶ ἀνέκδοτοι’, Αθήναιον 1, 5–8 Google Scholar
Kovacs, D. (2018) Euripides: Troades (Oxford)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreij, M. de (2022) ‘Sappho’s second book’, CPh 117, 603–25Google Scholar
Krenas, N. (2011) ‘Callimachus’ philology’, in Acosta-Hughes, B., Lehnus, L. and Stephens, S. (eds), Brill’s Companion to Callimachus (Leiden and Boston) 118–33Google Scholar
La’da, C.A. (2011) ‘A new tax list from Hellenistic Egypt: a preliminary report’, AAntHung 51, 23–9Google Scholar
La’da, C.A. (2022) ‘What is an alphabet good for?’, in Steele, P.M. and Boyes, P.J. (eds), Writing around the Ancient Mediterranean: Practices and Adaptations (Oxford and Philadelphia) 9–21 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Looy, H. van (1964) Zes Verloren Tragedies van Euripides. Ἀλκμέων ὁ διὰ Ψωφῖδος, Ἀλκμέων ὁ διὰ Κορίνθου, Φρίξος αʹ, Φρίξος βʹ, Μϵλανίππη ἡ σοφή, Μϵλανίππη ἡ δϵσμῶτις. Studie met kritische uitgave en vertaling der fragmenten (Verhandelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België. Klasse der Letteren 51) (Brussels)Google Scholar
Magnani, M. (2022a) ‘Σάτυροι = Σατυρικὸν (δρᾶμα)’, in Mastellari, V., Ornaghi, M. and Zimmermann, B. (eds), Chorodidaskalia: studi di poesia e performance in onore di Angela Andrisano (Studia Comica 15) (Göttingen) 179–84CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magnani, M. (2022b) ‘Osservazioni sul Sileo satirico di Euripide’, Frammenti sulla Scena, 3, 28–49 https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/fss/article/download/8192/6886/27261 Google Scholar
Mastronarde, D.J. (1994) Euripides: Phoenissae (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries 29) (Cambridge)Google Scholar
McNamee, K. and Esposito, E. (2023) Commentaria et lexica Graeca in papyris reperta. Pars I. Commentaria et lexica in auctores. Vol. 2: Callimachus–Hipponax. Fasc. 5.1. Euripides: Commentaria, marginalia, lexica (Berlin and Boston)Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2014) Le hypotheseis narrative dei drammi euripidei. Testo, contesto, fortuna (Pleiadi 16) (Rome)Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2016a) ‘5283. Hypotheses of Euripides’ Bacchae, Dictys, Danae, and other plays’, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 81, 111–34Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2016b) ‘5284. Hypotheses of Euripides’ Heracles and other plays’, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 81, 134–46Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2016c) ‘5285. Hypotheses of Euripides’ plays (more of XXVII 2455)’, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 81, 146–51Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2016d) ‘Title, ἀρχή, ὑπόθϵσις: notes on the heading and arrangement of the tragic hypotheses on papyrus’, in Derda, T., Łajtar, A. and Urbanik, J. (eds), Proceedings of the 27th International Conference of Papyrology 2 (3 vols) (The Journal of Juristic Papyrology Supplement 28) (Warsaw) 1185–1200 Google Scholar
Meccariello, C. (2021) ‘Eight and counting: new insights on the number and early transmission of Euripides’ satyr dramas’, in Antonopoulos, A.P., Christopoulos, M.M. and Harrison, G.W.M. (eds), Reconstructing Satyr Drama (MythosEikonPoiesis 12) (Berlin and Boston) 283–302 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moles, F. (2022) ‘Archaic heroism in Euripides’ Scyrians ’, in Bruno, N., Filosa, M. and Marinelli, G. (eds), Fragmented Memory: Omission, Selection, and Loss in Ancient and Medieval Literature and History (Beiträge zur Altertumskunde 404) (Berlin and Boston) 235–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nervegna, S. (2013) Menander in Antiquity: The Contexts of Reception (Cambridge)Google Scholar
Novati, F. (1879) ‘Index fabularum Aristophanis ex Codice Ambrosiano L 39 sup.’, Hermes 14, 461–64Google Scholar
Obbink, D. (2016) ‘Ten poems of Sappho: provenance, authenticity, and text of the new Sappho papyri’, in Bierl, A. and Lardinois, A. (eds), The Newest Sappho. P. Sapph. Obbink and P. GC inv. 105, frs. 1–4 (Studies in Archaic and Classical Greek Song 2; Mnemosyne supplement 392) (Leiden and Boston) 34–54 Google Scholar
Otranto, R. (2000) Antiche liste di libri su papiro (Sussidi Eruditi 49) (Rome)Google Scholar
Pechstein, N. (1998) Euripides Satyrographos: Ein Kommentar zu den Euripideischen Satyrspielfragmenten (Beiträge zur Altertumskunde 155) (Stuttgart and Leipzig)Google Scholar
Pfeiffer, R. (1968) History of Classical Scholarship: From the Beginnings to the End of the Hellenistic Age (Oxford)Google Scholar
Rocchi, L. (2021) Studies on P. Oxy. XXXI 2537 (Trends in Classics supplement 95) (Berlin and Boston)Google Scholar
Rossum-Steenbeek, M. van (1998) Greek Readers’ Digests? Studies on a Selection of Subliterary Papyri (Mnemosyne supplement 175) (Leiden, New York and Cologne)Google Scholar
Rutherford, I. (2001) Pindar’s Paeans: A Reading of the Fragments with a Survey of the Genre (Oxford)Google Scholar
Scullion, S. (2003) ‘Euripides and Macedon, or the silence of the Frogs ’, CQ n.s. 53, 389–400 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scullion, S. (2006) ‘The opening of Euripides’ Archelaus ’, in Cairns, D.L. and Liapis, V. (eds), Dionysalexandros: Essays on Aeschylus and His Fellow Tragedians in Honour of Alexander F. Garvie (Swansea) 185–200Google Scholar
Snell, B. (1935) ‘Zwei Töpfe mit Euripides-Papyri’, Hermes 70, 119–20 [≈ (1966) Gesammelte Schriften (Göttingen) 176–77]Google Scholar
Stewart, E. (2017) Greek Tragedy on the Move: The Birth of a Panhellenic Art Form c. 500–300 BC (Oxford)Google Scholar
Stewart, E. (2021) ‘Tragedy and tyranny: Euripides, Archelaus of Macedon and popular patronage’, DHA 21, 79–101 https://doi.org/10.3917/dha.hs21.0079 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, E.G. (1961) ‘Euripidean hypotheses in a new papyrus’, in Amundsen, L. and Skånland, V. (eds), Proceedings of the IX International Congress of Papyrology. Oslo, 19th–22nd August, 1958 (Oslo, London and Boston) 1–17 Google Scholar
Turner, E.G. (1962a) ‘2455. Hypotheses of Euripides’ plays’, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 27, 32–69 Google Scholar
Turner, E.G. (1962b) ‘2456. List of Euripides’ plays’, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 27, 69–70 Google Scholar
Turner, E.G. (1980) Greek Papyri: An Introduction (Oxford) [corrected and updated version of 1968 edition]Google Scholar
Vecchiato, R. (2022) Edition griechischer Papyri aus der Kölner Papyrussammlung. Ein frühhellenistisches Lexikon poetischer und dialektaler Wörter (Sonderreihe der Abhandlungen Papyrologica Coloniensia 46/1) (Leiden and Boston)Google Scholar
Walker, R.J. (1920) The Macedonian Tetralogy of Euripides (London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow)Google Scholar
Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, U. von. (1875) Analecta Euripidea (Berlin)Google Scholar
Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, U. (1879) [No title; response to Novati (1879)], Hermes 14, 464–65Google Scholar
Zieliński, T. (1922) ‘De Alcmeonis Corinthii fabula Euripidea’, Mnemosyne n.s. 50, 305–27Google Scholar
Zieliński, T. (1925) Tragodumenon Libri Tres (Kraków)Google Scholar
Zuntz, G. (1965) An Inquiry into the Transmission of the Plays of Euripides (Cambridge)Google Scholar