The Practical Muse: Reconstructing the Contexts of a Greek Musical Papyrus

Abstract

In this dissertation, I extensively re-examine P. Mich. inv. 2958, a second-century-C.E. musical papyrus excavated by the University of Michigan at Karanis (Kom Aushim) in the Fayum, Egypt in 1924. In contrast to pre-existing scholarly opinion, I argue that this musical papyrus could have originated outside of the cultural center of Alexandria. This document contains fragments of two sections of an otherwise unknown Greek tragedy with accompanying musical and rhythmic notation. The name Aigisthus in line 16 suggests that the plot of this tragedy originates from either the well-known Orestes cycle or the story of Aigisthus’ daughter, Erigone. The verso contains a brief financial account that represents a non-musical re-use of the papyrus, a common practice with all ancient literary texts. Although this papyrus has a significant publication history, it continues to present editors with challenging textual and interpretive questions. I utilize methodological approaches from a variety of disciplines, including papyrology, musicology, and archaeology, in order to contextualize the physical document as well as the text and notation that it preserves. My research emphasizes the evidence this unique papyrus provides concerning non-elite Greek musical practices in Roman Egypt during the second century C.E., and I further discuss how this papyrus relates to the writings of the ancient Greek musical theorists. From this investigation, I conclude that P. Mich. inv. 2958 represents a rare example of community-oriented, professional (or semi-professional) musicianship, and demonstrates that high-quality music making was not restricted to the hyper-elite contexts of courts, cities, and major festivals. The musical significance of P. Mich. inv. 2958 should not be understated: this papyrus represents a valuable window into the practical relationship of musical theory, composition, and performance in Greco-Roman Egypt. The musical sensitivity and complexity of this fragment challenges the perceived decline of Greek music from the Classical ideals of fifth-century-B.C.E. Athens, and instead signifies a differing aesthetic, one that may well have influenced the development of early Christian chant, and therefore, the course of Western musical history.