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Dioscorus of Aphrodito

Dioscorus of Aphrodito
Fayum-60.jpg
Born Dioskoros
c. A.D. 520
Aphrodito, Egypt
Died c. A.D. 585
Aphrodito, Egypt
Occupation Poet, lawyer, village administrator
Nationality Coptic
Citizenship Egyptian
Literary movement Allegory
Notable works Hymn to St. Theodosius (Poem 17)
Relatives Apollos (father)

Flavius Dioscorus (Greek: Φλαύϊος Διόσκορος Flauios Dioskoros) lived during the 6th century A.D. in the village of Aphrodito, Egypt, and therefore is called by modern scholars Dioscorus of Aphrodito. Although he was an Egyptian, he composed poetry in Greek, the cultural language of the Byzantine Era. His poems are the oldest surviving poems written by the hand of a known poet. The manuscripts, which contain his corrections and revisions, were discovered on papyrus in 1905, and are now held in museums and libraries around the world. Dioscorus was also occupied in legal work, and legal documents and drafts involving him, his family, Aphroditans, and others were discovered along with his poetry. As an administrator of the village of Aphrodito, he composed petitions on behalf of its citizens, which are unique for their poetic and religious qualities. Dioscorus was a Christian (a Copt) and lived in a religiously active environment. The collection of Greek and Coptic papyri associated with Dioscorus and Aphrodito is one of the most important finds in the history of papyrology and has shed considerable light on the law and society of Byzantine Egypt.

The papyri of Dioscorus were discovered by accident in July 1905 in the village of Kom Ashkaw (also called Kom Ishgau, Kom Ishqaw, etc.), which was built above the ancient site of Aphrodito. An inhabitant was renovating his home when a wall collapsed and revealed a chasm below. Papyrus rolls and fragments were seen in the crevice, but by the time the Antiquities Service was notified and arrived, most of the papyrus was gone. During subsequent excavations, a large jar filled with papyrus was discovered in a Roman-style house. Important fragments of Athenian Comedy, both Old and New, were discovered among these papyri, including fragments of the famous comedy writer Menander. There were also fragments of Homer's Iliad and other literary works and reference works.


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