TM 62856

Roll (back blank, multiple columns)
Classical, prose, history

POxy 2100+3891+4109

Thucydides, 4.15-6; 5.4, 18, 42-3, 72-3; 8.6, 20, 23-5, 52-4, 81, 96, 103

126-175

Oxyrhynchus

Physical Features

For methodology, discussion, and analysis of the 400 papyri that formed the initial core for this dataset, see W. A. Johnson, Bookrolls and Scribes in Oxyrhynchus (Toronto, 2004).

SIGLA:
~ The figure is mostly measured, but has some element of approximation.
~~ The figure is measured, but is an approximation of the average line length of a verse text.

* The figure is calculated.
** The figure is calculated, but on the basis of a small amount of evidence.

‡ Calculations of the total columns in a roll or the roll’s length are given for a single work unless otherwise specified. The question of what a bookroll may have contained is non-trivial and these calculations must therefore be used with consideration and caution.

Letters/Line	Column Width (cm)	Intercolumn (cm)	Width from Column to Column (cm)
*20.4 (15-26) [Bks4-5] 22.11 (18-26) [Bk 8]	5.5 (5.3-5.7)	1.5 (1.4-≥1.55)	7.0 (7.0-~7.2)

Lines per Column	Column Height (cm)	Upper Margin (cm)	Lower Margin (cm)	Roll Height (cm)
(33-39) [Bk4=33; Bk5=33 (32-34); Bk8=38 (37-39)]	18.5	3.9(?)	5.6(?)	28.0(?)

Columns Extant	Letters per Column	‡Estimated Columns in Roll	‡Estimated Roll Length (m)
30 [Bk3=2,Bk4=2; bk5=7; bk8=19]	(654-839) [Bk4=737; Bk5=654; Bk8=839]	‡[Bk4=158; Bk5=133; Bk8=120]	‡[Bk4=10.9 m; Bk5=9.2 m; Bk8=8.3 m]

Leading (mm)	Letter Height (mm)
5.2 (~4.75-~5.7)	2-2.25

Kollesis (cm)
fr8 .. 7.5 K¹ 11 .. \| fr9 .. 15 K¹ 1.2 .. \| 4109fr1 ..2.5 K¹ 3.5 ..

Scribal Features

For methodology, discussion, and analysis of the 400 papyri that formed the initial core for this dataset, see W. A. Johnson, Punctuation, Iota Adscript, and Nu-movable in Ancient Literary Bookrolls (Leuven, TOP 10).

SIGLA:
** The categorization is based on a small amount of data.

Adscript & Nu-movable

At present, we provide limited data on scribal features. Details like orthography, use of trema, abbreviations, sigla, and the like are captured in the database but have not been adequately reviewed and curated. These will be added in due course.

Adscript Usage	Adscript Hypercorrection Examples	Nu-movable Usage
Adscript added, with exception	ιππηιϲ for ἱππῆς, nom.	Omitted always, with exception

Punctuation

For methodology, definitions, and important admonitions regarding these summary data, see Chapter 1 in W. A. Johnson, Punctuation, Iota Adscript, and Nu-movable in Ancient Literary Bookrolls (TOP 10).

Paragraphus	Marking Full Breath Pause	Marking Lesser Breath Pause	Multiple distinctive dots	Marking Speaker Change
Paragraphus marks full stop	Space	Space

Punctuation Grade (for Prose Texts excepting Dialogue)	Punctuation Summary (for Poetry & Dialogue)
Two grade: Paragraphus + space \| Space alone

Script quality

The script evaluation approximates the evaluative measure implied by the Diocletian pricing edict, which differentiates the cost of hiring a scribe into three categories:

1 — “best writing”
2 — “second quality writing”
3 — “writing a petition or legal document”

Foundational to our project is that the data are culled not from editions, but from independent analysis based on autopsy or high-resolution images. The analysis is facilitated by a suite of dedicated software, and for known works makes use of machine-readable texts from the TLG project.