Hyperboreus is an academic journal of classical scholarship publishing research in all areas, including papyrology, epigraphy and the arts. Priority is given to studies with a clear argument based upon interpretation of primary sources as well as to publications of new materials.
Marble Plaques in Tombstones from the Southern Suburb of Tauric Chersonesos
During the excavations of the necropolis in the Southern Suburb of Chersonesos in 2021–2023, eight marble tombstone plaques with inscriptions were discovered. They date from the third to the second century BC: Στράτιππος Ὕμνου; [- -]τας [- -]λειος; Παρθε[- -] Πυθίων[ος], χαῖρ[ε]; Διονύ[σιος ?] Διονυ[σίου ?]; [- -]ΚΛΕΙΣ[- -] | [Ἀπολ]λωνίδ[ου]; Κλυμένα Ἀπολλᾶ [Ἡ]ρογείτου [γ]υνά; Παρθένο[κλῆς?] Διοτίμ[ου]; Πολ[υκάστα ?] Δαμ[- -] Σιμ[αίου] [γυ]νά. The use of limestone tombstone stelae with small marble plaques is characteristic of the funerary practices of Megara and several of its colonies. The Chersonesos tombstones of this type date from the beginning of the third century BC to the end of the second century AD and constitute slightly more than one quarter of the funerary monuments known at the present time. The majority of these belong to the third to second centuries BC.
the Southern Suburb of Tauric Chersonesos
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New Funerary Lead Urns with Inscriptions from the Necropolis of Tauric Chersonesos
In 2023, the exploration of the necropolis on the premises of the Southern Suburb of Tauric Chersonesos revealed a monumental construction of an exedra combining memorial building and family tomb functions. Finds from the two slabbed graves and two stone sarcophagi at the base of the exedra confirm that, in Chersonesos, burials carried out in the first to the second centuries AD in accordance with the rites of both inhumation and cremation could coexist within a single burial complex. In one of the sarcophagi, four lead urns with graffiti [Ἀν]τισθένου, Διοσκουρίδου, Νάνωνος Ἀντισθένου и [Ν]εικ(- -) were found. It was the first time that several “signed” lead urns were discovered in situ in the same family tomb. In Chersonesos, such finds are rare. Up to now, only six such urns are known (excavations of K. K. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich and R. G. Loeper). One of the names – Ἀντισθένης – has not hitherto been attested in Chersonesos. In contrast, the names Διοσκουρίδης and Νάνων are well known from the Chersonese decrees dated to the first half of the second century AD. They belonged to the representatives of noble Chersonesos families ruling the city. Generally, the analysis of palaeography, onomastics, and accompanying inventory allows us to date the urns with the graffiti from burial 4 to between the end of the first century and the middle of the second centuries AD. The article provides a catalogue of all ten currently known lead urns with inscriptions from the Chersonesos necropolis.
Certum est dare lintea retro: Juvenal 3. 205; 5. 141, 143–144; 6. 195, 197–198 Reconsidered
The article re-examines five problems in three passages of Juvenal. In 3. 205 recubans sub eodem marmore Chiron cannot imply a sculptural table support, since the personage lives in extreme poverty. Instead, marmore must be taken ironically (cf. coccina in Mart. 2. 43. 8) and eodem as ‘aforementioned’: a tiny cheap stand for vessels is described as if it were a marble display table for precious cups. Mycale in 5. 141 is Trebius’ concubine: her triplets cannot be Trebius’ legitimate heirs, hence Virro indulges their children. Nunc in v. 141 is to be understood within the irrealis discourse: “now, when you are (hypothetically) rich” (cf. 10. 43). In v. 138 tu (Φ) is to be preferred to tunc (PRFO). In 5. 143–144 a waistcoat, small nuts, and pennies cannot be gifts to the triplets. Rose was right in taking viridem thoraca as a metonymy for a tamed monkey (hence schol. vet. ad loc. …ut simiae), rogatum as a supine and the pair of -que’s as mock epic style: the monkey begs for pennies and small nuts in reward for the performance. In 6. 195 relictis must be retained in the sense of ‘refrained from’ (cf. Pers. 5. 61; Hor. Serm. 2. 6. 89; AP 150) and taken impersonally as referring to the Romans in general: ‘you use in public words that but lately were refrained from (even) under the blanket’. In 6. 197–198 the words ut tamen omnes subsidant pinnae are not addressed to the old woman (‘to flatten out all <your> feathers’), but express the opposite of quod enim non excitet inguen in v. 196; the ut clause is pseudo-final: the effect of the old woman’s ugly face is presented as a purpose.
A Critical Note on Servius’ Commentary on Verg. Aen. 6. 1–2
This note suggests that, in defending Tucca and Varius’ relocation of Aen. 6. 1–2 from the end of the fifth book to their current position, Servius did not originally cite the Homeric ὣς φάτο δάκρυ χέων (Il. 1. 357 and Od. 24. 438) but simply ῾Ώς ἔφαθ᾽, as a reference to the opening of Od. 13.
On Some Triumphs in the Epoch of Civil Wars in the Roman Republic
The article is devoted to some triumphs that are usually perceived as victory celebrations over fellow citizens in bella civilia. The author analyzes the triumphs of Sulla, Caesar, and D. Brutus (the latter triumph was voted but not held). In his opinion, there were no signs of celebrations of victory over fellow citizens during Sulla’s triumph; only the victory over Mithridates VI of Pontus was celebrated. Such hints might have been dropped during Caesar’s African triumph, but modern researchers seem to overestimate their importance. Only late authors perceived the African and Spanish triumphs as victory celebrations also over fellow citizens. At the same time, the absence of any negative reaction to the granting to Decimus Brutus of a triumph over Antonius is noteworthy. It shows deep changes in the perception of triumphs at the end of the Roman Republic.
Textual notes on some Aristophanic scholia. Ach. 794: read μόνῃ ἢ μάλιστα instead of μόνῃ μάλιστα; Eq. 478 b: read οὐχ ἡττᾶται instead of οὐκ ἀπατᾶται; Eq. 781 b: read τὸν στρατόν instead of τὸν πρῶτον; Eq. 1034 b: read ἡσυχίαν δι’ αὑτῶν instead of ἡσυχίαν αὑτῶν; Nub. 144 c: read κρατεῖ instead of καὶ εἰ; Nub. 421 d: read εὐτελῶς δειπνούσης instead of εὐτελούσης δείπνου; Nub. 450 b. α: read ἐκ πολλῶν instead of τῶν ἄλλων; Nub. 1017 (rec.): read ἀπραξίαν instead of ἀταξίαν; Lys. Arg. I, 1. 5 Hangard: read παρεμπολᾷ instead of ἐμπριλάς (sic); Ran. 775 a: read τὸ περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἄκρον instead of τὸ περὶ τοὺς λόγους σαπρόν; Plut. 550 c (rec.): read βίᾳ instead of μίαν.
Sophocles OT 809: The Response of the Defense
This paper is aimed as an answer to the article about the guilt of Oedipus in killing Laius, recently published in Hermes by N. Almazova, where the author concludes that Oedipus is guilty of killing in excess of self-defense. The analysis of the sources on Athenian homicide law shows that the notion “the excess of self-defense” is alien to the Athenian juridical practice and that the killer could be acquitted if it was the killed who started the fight, even in the cases when the reaction exceeded the limits of necessary self-defense. On the other hand, the close look at the description of the scene at the crossroads in Soph. OT 800–813 shows that Sophocles presents Laius and his party as aggressors and Oedipus as defending his life. We interpret διπλᾶ κέντρα in v. 809 as “two goads” and illustrate the possibility of this interpretation by evidence from the vase painting.
Древнейшее место культа Эдипа [Alexander Zaicev: The Oldest Location of Oedipus’ Cult]
Although Pausanias (1. 30. 4) mentions a heroon of Oedipus in Colonus, it follows from the final scene of Soph. OC (1732, 1757–1763) that in Attica of Sophocles’ times, his burial site was considered unknown and there was no heroon erected over his grave. Despite the numerous sources we possess, there is no evidence of Oedipus’ cult in Thebes in historical times. However, there is a testimony (sch. Soph. OC 91) that Oedipus was buried in the sanctuary of Demeter in the Boeotian town of Eteon, identified with Scaphlae, at the foot of the Cithaeron. The inhabitants of such a secluded place could hardly claim the authenticity of this burial if it were challenged in Thebes or Colonus. This is an argument for supposing that the cult of Oedipus originated precisely in Eteon-Scaphlae. This is further supported by the hints in Soph. OR (421; 1451–1454) and Sen. Phoen. (13; 31) that Oedipus was destined to die on Cithaeron, if we apply Th. Zielinski’s method of reconstructing lost mythic versions from rudimentary motifs in tragedy.
Zu einigen Stellen in der Ars Rhetorica des Consultus Fortunatianus
This article contains reflections on selected passages from the Ars rhetorica by the late antique teacher of rhetoric Consultus Fortunatianus. Based on my own collations of the oldest manuscripts, I propose some emendations of my own or attempt to evaluate old solutions that were rejected by the last editor.
Porphyrio’s commentary on Horace was last edited in 1894, after 70 years of chequered contributions from a succession of scholars: promising work announced in 1830 was followed by poor arguments, misdating of humanistic manuscripts, and failure to combine textual and historical evidence – shortcomings left partly unremedied in the edition of 1894. The present study of their persistence complements the analysis of the tradition published in 2023 by Stephen Oakley.
Gli Excerpta della Classis C dell’Ad se ipsum di Marco Aurelio
The paper presents a new edition of the excerpta of the classis C of Marcus Aurelius’ Ad se ipsum, based on a complete and renewed examination of all manuscript witnesses and on the results derived from the study of their stemmatic relationships.
Juvenal 6. 422–423: Female Genital Massage?
Crista in Iuv. 6. 422 does not mean ‘clitoris’, ‘labia’, or ‘pubic hair’; and v. 422–423 do not imply manual stimulation of the female genitals: (1) the woman is described as mannish, and this would undermine her characterization; (2) in a close parallel at Mart. 7. 67, a vigorous massage is mentioned after physical exercises and before drinking and vomiting (v. 8); (3) v. 423 resists an obscene interpretation and suggests slapping as part of the massage (сf. Sen. Epist. 56. 1). Crista is best taken as a metaphor for a muscular nape: cf. ThLL IV. 1209. 70–77 s.v. (crests of dolphins, whales, and crocodiles) and Scr. physiogn. II. 75 Foerster (of prominent vertebrae): aspera cervix tamquam cristata; I. 368 τραχὺς αὐχὴν ὥσπερ λοφιά.
Come farsi amico il giudice (nota a Caritone VI, 7, 11)
Textual note on Chariton VI, 7, 11: read πῶς οὖν εὐμενῆ τὸν δικαστὴν ἕξεις παρασχεῖν κάλλιον ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα κομίσῃ instead of πῶς οὖν εὐμενῆ τὸν δικαστὴν †ἕξεις ἢ σχεῖν κάλλιον† ἵνα καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα κομίσῃ.
… in alium orbem terrarum delatos (Petron. 1. 2)
The figurative expression in alium orbem terrarum delatos (Petron. 1. 2) implies a change of natural element: those who pass from the schools of rhetoric to the forum become like fish out of water, and as such prove incapable of speaking. Elucidating this expression, with its strong proverbial background, also helps to clarify a passage in Philostratus, Epist. 28 Kayser.
Arte allusiva in Tibullo, 2. 2. Un esercizio di lettura
This article points out the previously unnoticed intertextual link between Tibull. 2. 2 and Catull. 11, and argues that Tibullus alludes to Catullus’ poem on his divorce from Lesbia in order to make his own poem, which culminates in a eulogy of marriage and family life, more ‘elegiac’. A few textual and exegetical notes on Tibull. 2. 2 are also provided.
In the article, a set of emendations is proposed for the text of Cicero’s speeches. In Pro Archia 28, a locus vexatus, it is proposed to read aduocaui instead of the manuscript reading (ad)(h)ortaui. In Pro Caelio 18, a conjecture liceat instead of the transmitted liceret is proposed. In Pro Ligario 24, the recommended reading is Quamquam <quid>, quid facturi fueritis, dubitem… In the second Philippic 69 it is proposed to delete exegit.
A New Edition of Cicero’s Tusculanae Disputationes
This article first briefly summarizes the state of our knowledge concerning the textual tradition of Cicero’s Tusculanae Disputationes. It then illustrates via select examples the unique value of the corrections made by an early reader of one of the work’s principal manuscripts (Vatican Vat. lat. 3246) and probes some of the questions of text-critical method that this source raises.
The Use of πυρόω in the Septuagint, and its Value for Esther, Addition D 5
A careful analysis of the semantics and syntax of the verb πυρόω in the Septuagint helps to identify a hitherto unrecognised element of linguistic similarity between Addition D to Esther and 3 Maccabees (books originally written in Greek ab initio, that is, without a semitic Vorlage). This similarity, namely the metaphorical use of πυροῦμαι (passive) directly predicated of the person experiencing an intense emotion, followed by a dative denoting the trigger of fire ‘within’, should be added to those features supporting the hypothesis that Addition D to Esther, like most probably also Additions B and E, was originally written in what Septuagintal studies call “compositional Greek”.
De Bucolicorum Theocriteorum et Maronianorum aliquot locis disputatur
Twenty-two critical or exegetical remarks on Theocritus and Vergil’s bucolica are offered, twelve on Theocritus, ten on Vergil. Other passages of both poets are also discussed. The paper aims at demonstrating that there is still a lot of work to do to improve the text and understanding of these bucolica, also Vergil’s, which are more difficult than is generally realised.
The paper discusses a couple of passages in Euripides’ Electra that might show signs of intertextual allusion to Sappho, Sophocles, and above all to Aeschylus’ Agamemnon.
The author conjectures ἡ ᾽κ πλευμόνων δὲ in Eur. IT 288 against the reading ἥδ᾽ἐκ χιτώνων of L, relying on the tragic idiom.
Poem-Division in Sappho’s Papyrus Fragments
This paper examines how poem-division can sometimes be determined in Sappho’s papyrus fragments even when the left-hand margin of the papyrus is missing and there are therefore no corônides to guide us, by paying careful attention to language and style. Six instances are examined, from Books 1, 4, and 5 of Sappho’s ancient edition, and a division is advocated in each case.
The Townsite of Semibratneye (Labrys): Results of Excavations of 2001–2005
A survey of the excavations in Semibratneye (Labrys) in 2001-2005.