Sodalitas Graeciae (Nova Roma)/Religion from the Papyri
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*'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_One_.28XII_244-252.29|1]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Two_.28III_550-558.29|2]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Three_.28IV_939-948.29|3]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Four|4]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Five_.28III_198-229.29|5]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Six_.28IV 179-201.29|6]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Seven_.28IV 261-273.29|7]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Eight_.28I 296.29|8]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Nine_.28II 2-7.29|9]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Ten_.28VI 22-38.29|10]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Thirteen_.28VI 6-20.29|13]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Fourteen_.28VI 40-47.29|14]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_One_.28XII_244-252.29|1]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Two_.28III_550-558.29|2]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Three_.28IV_939-948.29|3]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Four|4]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Five_.28III_198-229.29|5]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Six_.28IV 179-201.29|6]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Seven_.28IV 261-273.29|7]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Eight_.28I 296.29|8]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Nine_.28II 2-7.29|9]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Ten_.28VI 22-38.29|10]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Thirteen_.28VI 6-20.29|13]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/PGM_Hymns#Hymn_Fourteen_.28VI 40-47.29|14]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' | ||
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| + | {{PortalBox | title=''Sortes Homericae'' | content=Divination by random citations from Homer was a popular method for finding oracles in antiquity. | ||
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| + | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Sortes Homericae|''P. Lond.'' 121 ( = PGM VII)]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' | ||
| + | }} | ||
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| + | {{PortalBox | title=''Mithraism in Egypt?'' | content=While attestation for the Roman cult of Mithras is rather meager in Egypt, some papyri do exist. Their association with the cult is not always certain, but they may be useful either in shedding light on new aspects of the cult or helping confirm aspects otherwise attested. | ||
| + | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Mithraism#A_Mystery_Oath|''PSI'' 1162]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Mithraism#A_Mithraic_Catechism|''P.Berol.'' 21196]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Mithraism#A_Lexical_Entry|''P.Oxy.'' 1802]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' | ||
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{{SGSectionHeader|Analysis}} | {{SGSectionHeader|Analysis}} | ||
| − | {{PortalBox | title=''Divine Statistics'' | content=Statistics of references to temples and divinities can provide interesting data for tracking the popularity of various cults in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. | + | {{PortalBox | title=''Divine Statistics'' | content=Statistics of references to temples and divinities can provide interesting data for tracking the popularity of various cults in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. |
| − | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/ | + | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Roman_Gods|Roman Gods]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Greek_Gods|Greek Gods]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' |
}} | }} | ||
| − | {{PortalBox | title='' | + | {{PortalBox | title=''Native Temple Decline'' | content=The decline of the Egyptian temples in late antiquity is one of the seminal events in late-antique Egypt. In terms of the history of the land, the phenomenon was sudden and precipitous. In a matter of four centuries a dramatic shift took place in the religious life of the population, not so much in terms of conversion to Christianity, but in terms of the organizational foci for religious observance. |
| − | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/ | + | *'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Temple_Decline|Egyptian Temple Decline]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>'''[[Sodalitas Graeciae_(Nova Roma)/Religion_from_the_Papyri/Temple_Taxation|Roman Taxation and Egyptian Temples]]'''<nowiki> | </nowiki>''' |
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Revision as of 05:53, 19 March 2009
Egyptian papyri offer a rich source of information for Greek religion (including "magical") practice. While many "foreign" elements (Egyptian, Jewish, etc) suffuse these papyri, the syncretism itself helps us study the complex reception of Greek tradition in the Roman Empire.
Texts
In the back of volume 2 (237-266) of his essential reference, Papyri Graecae Magicae, Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri (Stuttgart: Teubner, 1974), Karl Preisendanz listed thirty hymns reconstructed by Ernst Heitsch from various magical papyri. While at times somewhat arbitrary in his selection of what constitutes a unitary hymn, his work still offers an interesting point of departure for further study. The hymns as presented here provide both Heitsch's reconstruction and the original texts for the respective papyri as published by Preisendanz. Translations are those of Betz, The Greek Magical Papyri: Including the Demotic Spells (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1992) unless otherwise noted.
Divination by random citations from Homer was a popular method for finding oracles in antiquity.
While attestation for the Roman cult of Mithras is rather meager in Egypt, some papyri do exist. Their association with the cult is not always certain, but they may be useful either in shedding light on new aspects of the cult or helping confirm aspects otherwise attested.
Analysis
Statistics of references to temples and divinities can provide interesting data for tracking the popularity of various cults in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt.
- Roman Gods | Greek Gods |
The decline of the Egyptian temples in late antiquity is one of the seminal events in late-antique Egypt. In terms of the history of the land, the phenomenon was sudden and precipitous. In a matter of four centuries a dramatic shift took place in the religious life of the population, not so much in terms of conversion to Christianity, but in terms of the organizational foci for religious observance.
