This book is written as an aid to the use of Greek or Latin papyri (Latin texts, though not specifically mentioned in the title, are treated throughout on the same footing as Greek). The reader may be textual critic, historian, or intelligent layman whose imagination has been stirred at the idea of making direct contact with the writers of two thousand or so years ago. I hope this guide will help him to find his way about an elusive branch of study, and make his exploration of the originals both more fruitful and more interesting. By setting out what is useful for a man to know before he begins to use these texts, I hope also that I can save him from putting the wrong sort of questions and drawing unjustified inferences. The aim I have had foremost in mind is to facilitate a profitable approach to the originals (in the manner of W. Schubart's Einführung in die Papyruskunde, Berlin, 1918) rather than to summarize and codify the findings of past scholars. - Preface.

Historians, classicists, and archeologists will welcome Professor Turner's lucid introduction to the field of Greek papyrology. The relatively recent rediscovery of Greek (and Latin) texts on papyrus has made possible greatly improved editions of classic works and has provided a deeper understanding of life in classical times. Professor Turner considers papyrus as a writing material, goes on to the problems of excavating for papyri, editing a papyrus text, determining its author and owners, and so on. He discusses the relation of papyri to Greek literature as well as to various types of non-literary documents, and he assesses various contributions papyri have made to ancient history. A list of the principal editions of papyri is included. - Publisher.