Erotic Narrative Anonymous Sesonchosis in Greek
_Sesonchosis_ is an anonymous Greek prose narrative belonging to the genre of erotic fiction. The work takes its title from Sesonchosis, a legendary Egyptian pharaoh who was a popular figure in Greek romance and historiography, often depicted as a world-conquering hero. While fragmentary Greek texts feature a protagonist of this name, the specific content of this particular narrative remains uncertain due to its extremely fragmentary preservation. Based on the established legend and the conventions of its genre, the plot likely involved themes of love and desire intertwined with military conquest and adventure, representing a characteristically Greco-Roman literary reinterpretation of Egyptian history and myth. The transmission history of this specific work is undocumented, though had it survived more fully, it would likely be known only through papyrus fragments or indirect references in other ancient texts. It stands as an example of the intersection of historical legend and popular fiction in antiquity, illustrating how the developing ancient novel genre employed exotic, pseudo-historical settings for romantic and adventurous plots, thereby contributing to the literary perception of Egypt in the Greco-Roman world.
| col1 | [ ]ν̣επω [Μεα]μῆρις [ ]αυτης [Μεα]μῆρις [ ]υναρχι[ ]ἐ̣πιστο[ ]αργους [ ]ο̣ραπαρ [ ] . ρσικω [ ]ενηι [ ]α̣λογχο[ ]ς καὶ [ ]τ̣ικην [ ]ι̣θερα [ ]ασα [Σεσόγ]γω̣σ̣ι̣ς̣ [ ]σ̣τω̣[ . ] [ ] Παμου[ ]ε̣ . αρ .. [ ] . βασι[ ]δε ε[ ] .. χα [ ]γὰρ ἐνταυ . |
| col2 | .. η̣ ... [ ......... ] ξια δοῦλον εἴλ[η]φα [τὸν] ταύτης πατέρα, ἔκδοτόν μοι δίδωσιν ἣν ὁρᾷς παῖδα, πιστωσάμενος δὲ αὐτὴν πρὸς γάμους ἐπὶ τοὺς πολέμους ὥρμησα· δέον οὖν ἐστιν ἐμφανισθῆναι αὐτῇ τίς [ε]ἰμὶ καὶ τυχὸ̣ν̣ ἀναλήψο̣μαί μου τὴν̣ π̣αλαιὰν ἀξίαν.” εἶπεν ὁ Παμοῦνις· “μηδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ χρῆσ̣α̣ί̣ μου ἣ〈ν〉 προεῖπον σοι σ̣κ̣ῆ̣[ψ]ι̣ν̣· εἰ γὰρ ὑπ̣έτ̣αξεν [αὑτόν] σοι ὁ βασιλεὺς δυν̣[αμικώ]τερον εὑρών, νῦν̣ [ ....... ] . δυναμικώ[τερο .... ]η̣ι̣ ὑποχείριον ε[ ........ ] ὅ̣θεν ἐπίμεν̣[ε ἐπὶ τῇ τα]π̣ε̣ινότητι [κ]αὶ φά̣[σκε ἐξ Α]ἰγύπτου πεμ[ ...... ελ]ηλυθέναι χ̣ρυσ̣[ίον ..... θ]ῆ̣ν̣α̣ι̣ ὑπὸ κακ[ού]ργων πλαν[] εἰς τ[ού]τους τοὺς τ[όπους] πεπλανῆσθαι μ[ . |
| col3 | ..... ] ταύτηι τῆι διαστολῆ[ι ὁ Σε‐] σόγγωσις ἐξαγγέλλ̣ε̣[ι τὰς] αὑτοῦ ἁ[μ]αρτίας τοῖς . [] καί π̣ο̣[τε] ἡ Μεαμῆρ[ις ἐπὶ] περίπ̣[ατο]ν ἐρχομέν[η] παρ[εγένε]τ̣ο̣ ἐπὶ τοῦ τ̣[όπου] οὖ ἦν [ὁ Σεσ]όγγωσις· ἕστ[η‐] κεν δὲ [καθ]ορῶσα τὴν τ̣[οῦ] ὕδατος [ἐπί]ρροιαν· ἀπέβλεπεν [δὲ] εἰς τὸν Σεσόγ[γω‐] σιν κ[αὶ ... ]ον ἑώρα τὸ[ν ἄν‐] δρα· ἐπ̣[ὶ τού]τωι πονέσα[σα] τὴν ψυχ[ὴν] ἀπέρχετα[ι]. καὶ τημ[ελ]ηθεῖσα κατ[ε‐] κλίθ[η ἐπὶ] τ̣ὴν εὐωχ[ίαν.] ἀηδῶς [μετ]ελάμβαν[ε τῶν] [π]α̣ρ̣α̣κ̣ε̣[ιμ]ένων· ἐμ[νη‐] μόνευε τὴν τοῦ νεα[νί‐] σκ[ου] εὐείδειαν· ὡς δ̣[ὲ οὐκ ἔ‐] στεγεν ἑνὶ τῶν συ̣νδ̣[είπνων] |