Textual Criticism of Greek Papyri
Abstract
Abstract Since its beginnings the textual criticism of Greek documentary papyri has developed along inevitably distinctive lines. Scholars working in this field are not trying to reconstruct from a manuscript tradition a critical edition approximating as closely as possible to the lost original form of a text. Their activity centres on interpreting the original text itself. This has normally proved in practice a challenging undertaking, often involving analysis of poorly preserved artefacts, barely decipherable scripts, and puzzling varieties of the Greek language. This chapter will sketch the development of research in the field, its characteristic problems, and future prospects for investigation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Historical and Linguistic Studies
Historical
Religious
and Philosophical Studies
Classical Antiquity Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Latin Textual Criticism
- Publisher
- Oxford University PressOxford
- Pages
- 94–102
- Publication date
- 8 April 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter