Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52
ancient Greek manuscript
Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52 (P. Oxy. 52) is a report from two public physicians, written in Greek. The manuscript was written on papyrus in the form of a sheet. It was discovered by Grenfell and Hunt in 1897 in Oxyrhynchus. The document was written between 25 July and 23 August of the year 325. It is housed in the Glasgow University Library (Special Collections Department). The text was published by Grenfell and Hunt in 1898.
The papyrus was addressed to Flavius Leucadius, the logistes of the Oxyrhynchite nome. It describes the visit of physicians Didymus and Sylvanus to the daughter of Aurelius Dioscorus, who had been injured in the collapse of a house. The measurements of the fragment are 147 by 100 mm.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52” as ancient Greek manuscript. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as ancient Greek manuscript. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 22, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7133492. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1897 and 1898.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52 primary sources, Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52 archive and Papyrus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 52” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.