Previously unknown fragments of two lost tragedies by Euripides, discovered in an Egyptian papyrus
Two scholars from the University of Colorado Boulder have unearthed significant fragments from two lost tragedies by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. This discovery, made after months of painstaking research, is hailed as one of the most substantial findings in over fifty years.
The journey began in November 2022 when Basem Gehad, an archaeologist with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, sent a papyrus to Yvona Trnka-Amrhein, an assistant professor of classics at the University of Colorado Boulder. The papyrus was discovered at the ancient site of Philadelphia in Egypt, and the law prohibits physically removing any artifacts from the country, so Trnka-Amrhein had to rely on high-resolution photos of the 98-line papyrus for her analysis. Gehad and Trnka-Amrhein had recently collaborated on another remarkable archaeological find: the upper half of a colossal statue of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, uncovered at Hermopolis Magna.
Upon examining the papyrus, Trnka-Amrhein realized that it contained fragments of a tragedy. To confirm her suspicions, she used the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, a comprehensive digital database of ancient Greek texts maintained by the University of California, Irvine. Her findings indicated that these were previously unknown fragments of works by Euripides, a playwright whose lost plays have long intrigued scholars.
Recognizing the importance of her discovery, Trnka-Amrhein sought the expertise of her mentor, John Gibert, a renowned professor of classics and an expert in Euripidean fragments. Together, they embarked on an intense research journey, meticulously examining the papyrus, which measured 10.5 square inches, to decipher and validate the ancient text. They aimed to ensure that the text aligned with the tragic and metrical style characteristic of Euripides.
Their efforts led to the identification of new material from two of Euripides' fragmented works, Polyidus and Ino. Of the 98 lines on the papyrus, 22 were previously known in slightly different versions, but remarkably, 80 percent of the material was entirely new. We don't believe there's been a discovery of this magnitude since the 1960s, said Gibert. Trnka-Amrhein added, This is a substantial and unusual papyrus for this period. It is a significant contribution to the field.
Retelling a Cretan Myth
Polyidus retells an ancient Cretan myth in which King Minos and Queen Pasiphae demand that the seer Polyidus resurrect their son Glaucus, who has drowned in a vat of honey. Trnka-Amrhein notes, It actually has a relatively happy ending. It's not one of those tragedies where everyone ends up dead. Polyidus succeeds in reviving the boy using a special herb he saw a serpent use to bring another back to life. The papyrus includes a scene where Minos and Polyidus debate the morality of reviving the dead.
Ino was once close to being one of Euripides' most famous works, Gibert explained. Part of its text had been inscribed on cliffs in Armenia, but these were destroyed in modern conflicts. Fortunately, early 20th-century Russian scholars had preserved the images in drawings.
In previously known fragments, Ino is portrayed as an evil stepmother who attempts to kill her husband's children from a previous marriage. However, the new fragments reveal a different plot twist. Another woman is the evil stepmother, and Ino is the victim, said Trnka-Amrhein. The king's third wife is trying to eliminate Ino's children. Ino turns the tables, causing her to kill her own children and commit suicide. It's a more traditional tragedy: death, chaos, suicide.
As with any findings in ancient Greek studies, bold claims such as these will undergo careful scrutiny from other experts. Despite this, Gibert and Trnka-Amrhein decided to present their findings with confidence. We could play it safe, said Gibert, but we're establishing a solid foundation, and on that foundation, we're taking a bit of a risk.
The scholars have already faced scrutiny, presenting their findings to 13 experts in Washington, D.C., in June, and having their first edition of the fragment accepted for publication in August.
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