Tierbilder Aus Dem Ersten Jahrhundert

The Artemidorus papyrus, originating from Alexandria at the beginning of the 1st century A. D., contains on its verso 41 drawings by one hand, thereof 38 sketches of animals (some comprising two species each, thus resulting in 44 species), most of them labelled with their Greek names. As visible from the ‛title’ on the papyrus itself, it presents terrestrial tetrapods as well as birds, fish, and whales. No ordering principle can be identified, except the preference of especially rare and impressive creatures. They belong to different animal taxa, i.e. crustaceans (1), fish (5), reptiles (6), birds (11), and mammals (17). The work as a whole stands in the tradition of Hellenistic animal pictures, beginning with Aristotle, developed further by the forerunners of the Nile Mosaic of Praeneste (Palestrina), and continued in Hellenistic and Roman artwork (wall paintings, mosaics) as well as in ‛scientific’ Byzantine codices. Most probably, this part of the papyrus was used as a collection of specimen.

Ragnar Kinzelbach, Universität Rostock.