The Date of Philodemos de Signis

Extract

In discussions of the date at which Philodemos wrote the treatise περ σημείωѵ κаί σημεɩώσεωѵ there is general agreement on one point ‘that for this purpose our best evidence is a passage from col. 2, II. 11 sqq., of the papyrus. The author is there explaining the difficulties of induction in allowing for unobserved variations, and in taking Man as an instance he quotes first ‘the Kretan giant’ and then οѷ)ς έѵ՚ Акώρεɩ π∋γμα∕ονς δ(εικνύ)ονσιν νλει δ՚ ν∕α(λ)óγο(νς τος οѷς)’ Aντώνιος νûν ∕ κ Ʃụρία(ςκο)μσ(ατ. In the last line the letters of the papyrus are ΕΞϒΡΙΑΣ, which equally well may represent either § 'ϒρας or κ Σνρας but κ Σνρας has held the field since it was first suggested by Gomperz.