The Unpredictable Journey of Ancient Texts: Unauthorized Copies, Distorted Versions, and Shameless Interpolations
A) Unfinished Texts and Unauthorized Copies
One common source of unauthorized copies was the premature dissemination of unfinished texts. Cicero's letters provide a vivid example of this issue. In his correspondence with Atticus (Letters to Atticus 13.21a), Cicero expresses his frustration over the unauthorized copying of his work:
"Come now, do you really think you ought to publish without my orders? Do you really think anyone [should have it] before Brutus, to whom at your advice I dedicated it? Balbus writes to me that he copied book five of De Finibus from you, a book in which I have made changes, admittedly not many, but some nevertheless. However, I shall be obliged if you will keep back the others, so that Balbus may not get unrevised copies [αδιορθωτα] and Brutus what is stale."
Cicero's concern highlights how even close associates could inadvertently spread unrevised versions of a text, leading to multiple versions circulating simultaneously.
B) Proliferation of Versions at the Early Stage
Even with just an autograph and a single copy, texts could proliferate in unexpected ways. Cicero further illustrates this point in the same letter:
"Caerellia, ablaze in her wonderful enthusiasm for philosophy no doubt, is copying from your people. She has this very work De Finibus. Now, I assure you (being human I may be wrong) that she did not get it from my people - it has never been out of my sight. Moreover, so far from writing two copies they had difficulty in finishing one."
The enthusiasm of individuals like Caerellia could lead to the rapid dissemination of texts, often without the author’s knowledge or approval.
C) Distortion by Copyists and Clients
The motives of copyists or clients could also distort texts during the copying process. Origen, in his Commentary on Matthew (15.14), laments the variations found in gospel manuscripts:
"The differences among the manuscripts [of the gospels] have become great, either through the negligence of some copyist or through the perverse audacity of others; they either neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or, in the process of checking, they make additions or deletions as they please."
This observation underscores the significant impact that individual copyists could have on the integrity of a text.
D) Loss of Control Over Textual Transmission
Once a text left the circle of the author and their associates, maintaining control over its accuracy became nearly impossible. A letter from around 170 AD (P.Oxy. 2192) provides an example of this lack of control:
"Make and send me copies of books six and seven of the Characters in Comedy of Hypsicrates. For Harpocration says that they are among Polion's books. But it is likely that others, too, have got them. He also has prose epitomes of Thersagoras' work on the myths of tragedy."
The involvement of multiple parties in the copying process increased the likelihood of variations and errors creeping into the text.
E) Shameless Interpolations in Canonical Texts
Even established texts were not immune to interpolation. Julius Africanus’ Kestoi 18 (otherwise P.Oxy. 412 or PGM XXIII) is a notorious example. This text includes a passage from Homer’s Odyssey (XI.34-43, 48-51) that has been expanded with additional material:
The additional material amounts to 29 lines, including a transitional cento and a long magical incantation. JA argues for the authenticity of this 'recovered' version and states that it can be found complete in the archives at Jerusalem and Nysa, and in part at the Pantheon library in Rome.
Whether Julius Africanus was a hoaxer or a dupe remains ambiguous, but the presence of such interpolations demonstrates how texts could be significantly altered and circulated in their modified forms.
Conclusion
The journey of ancient texts from their creation to their eventual readers was fraught with opportunities for distortion and alteration. Unauthorized copies, enthusiastic but careless copyists, and intentional interpolations all contributed to the proliferation of divergent versions of texts. Understanding these challenges is crucial for modern scholars as they attempt to reconstruct the original form and meaning of ancient works. The examples provided here offer a glimpse into the complex and often unpredictable world of ancient book dissemination.
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