Hellenica Oxyrhynchia

The Hellenika Oxyrhynchia (from Greek Ἑλληνικά, Greek ( story) and Ὀξύρρυγχος, the city Oxyrhynchus ) is an ancient Greek historical work.

Tradition

From the work only fragments survive. Reported are three groups of papyrus fragments ( from the 2nd century ). These are the one of the 'London Papyrus " ( Fund 1906 ), the " Florentine papyrus " ( Fund 1934 ) and a short fragment of papyrus from Cairo. About 900 lines of work are received incomplete. Author and original title of the work are unknown, so it was named after the site Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. As Hellenika is generally described as historical works, which deal with Greece ( Hellas ).

Content

Content close to the Hellenika Oxyrhynchia to the historical work of Thucydides and therefore offer many researchers believe a valuable parallel tradition to Xenophon's Hellenica. The " Florentine papyrus " tells of the battle of Notion in dekeleisch - ionic War ( 407 BC). The " London Papyrus" portrays various events of the years 397-395 BC, namely the naval war between the Persians under Conon and the Spartans, who thebanisch - Phocian disputes and the land operations of the Spartans under Agesilaus in Asia Minor. It also includes an important digression on that of the Boeotian Federal Constitution. The very short " Cairo Papyrus " is about the failure of the Athenian campaign in Ionia under the walls of Ephesus in the year 409 BC The author, one assumes usually worked on the model of Thucydides on the basis of autopsy and his own exploration. The style is simple, digressions are frequent, speeches absent. As with Thucydides the yearly counting is done with a year epoch, in this case, the acquisition of hegemony by the Spartans (403 /02 BC)

Author question

The author's name is not known. As possible authors have been proposed by the research: Ephorus of Kyme, Theopompus of Chios, Androtion, Daimachos and Kratippos of Athens. The latter is regarded by many as the most likely candidate, especially with regard to the temporal classification and evaluation of his work by Plutarch. Notes on the Hellenika Oxyrhynchia declining source tradition can also be found in Plutarch and Diodorus, Cornelius Nepos and Justin.

The ancient historian Bruno Bleckmann argues vehemently for Theopompus as a writer and also argues that Hellenika their content was only an embellishment of earlier works (especially Xenophon ) and therefore possess little or no independent source of value. Bleckmann draws on a representative already Georg Busolt consideration and justify further. Whether this position will prevail in the research, remains to be seen.

Editions and translations

The Hellenika Oxyrhynchia found in Felix Jacoby's " Fragments of the Greek Historians ." Furthermore, edited by Vittorio Bartoletti edition appeared in the series Bibliotheca Teubneriana. Annotated and translated editions exist in English and German language.