1) Berlin Papyri 7497 1201 (2nd cent.).—Frag. 7. 2) Oxyrhynchus Papyri 421 (2nd cent.).—Frag. 7. 3) "Petrie Papyri" iii 3.—Frag. 14. 4) "Papiri greci e latine", No. 130 (2nd-3rd cent.).—Frag. 14. 5) Strassburg Papyri, 55 (2nd cent.).—Frag. 58. 6) Berlin Papyri 9739 (2nd cent.).—Frag. 58. 7) Berlin Papyri 10560 (3rd cent.).—Frag. 58. 8) Berlin Papyri 9777 (4th cent.).—Frag. 98. 9) "Papiri greci e latine", No. 131 (2nd-3rd cent.).—Frag. 99. 10) Oxyrhynchus Papyri 1358–9.
The Homeric Hymns:—The text of the Homeric hymns is distinctly bad in condition, a fact which may be attributed to the general neglect under which they seem to have laboured at all periods previously to the Revival of Learning. Very many defects have been corrected by the various editions of the Hymns, but a considerable number still defy all efforts; and especially an abnormal number of undoubted lacuna disfigure the text. Unfortunately no papyrus fragment of the Hymns has yet emerged, though one such fragment ("Berl. Klassikertexte" v.1. pp. 7 ff.) contains a paraphrase of a poem very closely parallel to the "Hymn to Demeter".
The mediaeval MSS. 1202 are thus enumerated by Dr. T.W. Allen:—
A Paris, Bibl. Nat. 2763.
At Athos, Vatopedi 587.
B Paris, Bibl. Nat. 2765.
C Paris, Bibl. Nat. 2833.
{Gamma} Brussels, Bibl. Royale 11377–11380 (16th cent.).
D Milan, Amrbos. B 98 sup.
E Modena, Estense iii E 11.
G Rome, Vatican, Regina 91 (16th cent.).
H London, British Mus. Harley 1752.
J Modena, Estense, ii B 14.
K Florence, Laur. 31, 32.
L Florence, Laur. 32, 45.
£2 Florence, Laur. 70, 35.
£3 Florence, Laur. 32, 4.
M Leyden (the Moscow MS.) 33 H (14th cent.).
Mon. Munich, Royal Lib. 333 c.
N Leyden, 74 c.
O Milan, Ambros. C 10 inf.
P Rome, Vatican Pal. graec. 179.
{Pi} Paris, Bibl. Nat. Suppl. graec. 1095.
Q Milan, Ambros. S 31 sup.
R1 Florence, Bibl. Riccard. 53 K ii 13.
R2 Florence, Bibl. Riccard. 52 K ii 14.
S Rome, Vatican, Vaticani graec. 1880.
T Madrid, Public Library 24.
V Venice, Marc. 456.
The same scholar has traced all the MSS. back to a common parent from which three main families are derived (M had a separate descent and is not included in any family):—
x1 = E,T
x2 = L,{Pi},(and more remotely) At,D,S,H,J,K.
y = E,L,{Pi},T (marginal readings).
p = A,B,C,{Gamma},G,£2,£3,N,O,P,Q,R1,R2,V,Mon.
Editions of the Homeric Hymns, & c.:—
Demetrius Chalcondyles, Florence, 1488 (with the "Epigrams" and
the "Battle of the Frogs and Mice" in the "ed. pr." of
Homer).
Aldine Edition, Venice, 1504.
Juntine Edition, 1537.
Stephanus, Paris, 1566 and 1588.
More modern editions or critical works of value are:
Martin (Variarum Lectionum libb. iv), Paris, 1605.
Barnes, Cambridge, 1711.
Ruhnken, Leyden, 1782 (Epist. Crit. and "Hymn to Demeter").
Ilgen, Halle, 1796 (with "Epigrams" and the "Battle of the Frogs
and Mice").
Matthiae, Leipzig, 1806 (with the "Battle of the Frogs and
Mice").
Hermann, Berling, 1806 (with "Epigrams").
Franke, Leipzig, 1828 (with "Epigrams" and the "Battle of the
Frogs and Mice").
Dindorff (Didot edition), Paris, 1837.
Baumeister ("Battle of the Frogs and Mice"), Gottingen, 1852.
Baumeister ("Hymns"), Leipzig, 1860.
Gemoll, Leipzig, 1886.
Goodwin, Oxford, 1893.
Ludwich ("Battle of the Frogs and Mice"), 1896.
Allen and Sikes, London, 1904.
Allen (Homeri Opera v), Oxford, 1912.
Of these editions that of Messrs Allen and Sikes is by far the best: not only is the text purged of the load of conjectures for which the frequent obscurities of the Hymns offer a special opening, but the Introduction and the Notes throughout are of the highest value. For a full discussion of the MSS. and textual problems, reference must be made to this edition, as also to Dr. T.W. Allen's series of articles in the "Journal of Hellenic Studies" vols. xv ff. Among translations those of J. Edgar (Edinburgh), 1891) and of Andrew Lang (London, 1899) may be mentioned.
The Epic Cycle:—
The fragments of the Epic Cycle, being drawn from a variety of authors, no list of MSS. can be given. The following collections and editions may be mentioned:—
Muller, Leipzig, 1829.
Dindorff (Didot edition of Homer), Paris, 1837–56.
Kinkel (Epicorum Graecorum Fragmenta i), Leipzig, 1877.
Allen (Homeri Opera v), Oxford, 1912.
The fullest discussion of the problems and fragments of the epic cycle is F.G. Welcker's "der epische Cyclus" (Bonn, vol. i, 1835: vol. ii, 1849: vol. i, 2nd edition, 1865). The Appendix to Monro's "Homer's Odyssey" xii-xxiv (pp. 340 ff.) deals with the Cyclic poets in relation to Homer, and a clear and reasonable discussion of the subject is to be found in Croiset's "Hist. de la Litterature Grecque", vol. i.
On Hesiod, the Hesiodic poems and the problems which these offer see Rzach's most important article "Hesiodos" in Pauly-Wissowa, "Real-Encyclopadie" xv (1912).
A discussion of the evidence for the date of Hesiod is to be found in "Journ. Hell. Stud." xxxv, 85 ff. (T.W. Allen).
Of translations of Hesiod the following may be noticed:—"The Georgicks of Hesiod", by George Chapman, London, 1618; "The Works of Hesiod translated from the Greek", by Thomas Coocke, London, 1728; "The Remains of Hesiod translated from the Greek into English Verse", by Charles Abraham Elton; "The Works of Hesiod, Callimachus, and Theognis", by the Rev. J. Banks, M.A.; "Hesiod", by Prof. James Mair, Oxford, 1908 1203.
THE WORKS OF HESIOD
WORKS AND DAYS (832 lines)
(ll. 1–10) Muses of Pieria who give glory through song, come hither, tell of Zeus your father and chant his praise. Through him mortal men are famed or un-famed, sung or unsung alike, as great Zeus wills. For easily he makes strong, and easily he brings the strong man low; easily he humbles the proud and raises the obscure, and easily he straightens the crooked and blasts the proud—Zeus who thunders aloft and has his dwelling most high.
Attend thou with eye and ear, and make judgements