A stop in the Strassburg papyrus

Extract

In JHS lxxxiii (1963) 108 B. D. Meritt and H. T. Wade-Gery write as follows about P. Strassburg 84 verso line 8: ‘In earlier studies of this papyrus (we include our own studies, in ATL i and ii and elsewhere) it has been assumed that these words start a new clause and are preceded by a heavy stop. On this assumption, no credible restoration has yet been found: the difficulties disappear when μετ' ἐκεῑνο is taken to qualify the preceding verb [ὰναφέρ] ειν εἰς τὴν πόλιν μετ̕ ἐκεῑνο. This, we believe, restores μετ' ἐκεῑνο to a natural place in its own sentence and gets rid of a long-standing obstacle: and if we are right, this ties line 8 firmly to what precedes.’