Category Archives: Ancient letters
Papyri Related to the Alexander Romance
In the process of studying the Antinoopolis Charioteers papyrus, I spent some time with other papyri containing texts related to the Alexander Romance. I say “related to” the Alexander Romance, because it’s not entirely clear that any of these pieces … Continue reading
Practicalities of Letter Delivery in Antiquity
When I teach about ancient letter writing, one of the things I emphasize is the precariousness of sending letters any great distance in the Roman world. Without an organized postal service, the delivery of letters could be quite haphazard. I … Continue reading
Buying Papyrus in Roman Antiquity
I recently came across the reference in Theodor Birt that reminded me of an old problem. After a description of the production of papyrus sheets, Birt states that “the resulting sheets were sold individually (Die so entstandenen Blätter kamen einzeln … Continue reading
