Attribution proposal of two fragments from the Vienna papyrus PVindob. G 26008

Abstract

The aim of the article is to argue for the ascription of the columns A and B (after Most’s edition) of the PVindob. G 26008 to the aristotelian dialogues On poets and On philosophy, respectively. Firstly, it is shown the aristotelian authorship of the text of both columns, which are analyzed as a whole. Then, it is dealt with the question if the source of the papyrus’ texts is either a only work or several ones. It is dismissed, with a wide range of arguments, the view of the unique source, especially the Most’s claim that this source is the Aristotle’s Protrepticus. Afterward, it is distinguished the question of the source from the question of the indentity of the work which the texts are extracted from. It is argued that, whereas the work copied in the papyrus was most probably a doxographical work of philosophical content, the first source of the texts was double, given the difference of subject between them. Finally, it is defended that the source of column A is most probably the dialogue On poets, and the source of column B, the dialogue On philosophy.