Oxyrhynchus Papyrus (MS P.Oxy.III.466)

The Oxyrhynchus Papyrus
The Oxyrhynchus Papyrus
	MS P.Oxy.III.466, Columbia University Library; New York City, New York
Hils' catalog	—
Leng's catalog	—
Type	Wrestling manual
Date	2nd Century
Place of origin	Greece
Language(s)	Ancient Greek
Author(s)	Unknown
Material	Papyrus
Size	1 sheet
Format	One side, three columns of text
Script	A semi-formal round hand with ; some finials and with occasional ; ligatures
Previously kept	Egypt Exploration Society (1907)
External link	Museum data sheet

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The Oxyrhynchus Papyrus (MS P.Oxy.III.466) is a fragmentary 2nd century Greek wrestling manual^[1] and the oldest extant European martial arts treatise. The original currently rests in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University in New York City, NY (USA). The text is in three columns with 13, 15 and 10 lines (from left to right). Each instruction is followed by πλέξον ("tangle"), translated as "mix it up!" or "you fight it out".

Provenance

Contents and Gallery

Images hosted by Columbia University.

Complete Text
Images	English Translation by Michael B. Poliakoff	Transcription
	You stand up to his side, attack with your foot and fight it out.	ασας· σὺ παραναπρόβαλε καὶ πλέξον
	You throw him. You stand up and turn around. You fight it out.	τὴν δεξιὰν σὺ κα σὺ ῤεῑψον· σὺ ἀνειμεταβαλοῡ· σύ πλΙξον
	You throw him. You sweep and knock his foot out. Stand to the side of your Opponent and with your right arm take a headlock and fight it out.	ῤεῑψον· σὺ ἐκσν . σον τὸν πόδα τὴν χεῑρα· σὺ σὺ μεταδιεράσας πλέξον . αι ᾰρα9 μετάθες τὸν εὐώνυμον ἐκ γενείου ἐμτα τοῡ ἐτέρου παράθες τὸ μέσον καὶ εκ κεφαλής τή δεξιᾱ πλέξον
	You take a hold around him. You get under his hold. You step through and fight it out.	σὺ περίθες· σὺ ὑπ' αὐτὴν ὑπόλαβε· σὺ διαβὰς πλέξον
	You underhook with your right arm. You wrap your arm around his, where he has taken the underhook, and attack the side with your left foot. You push away with your left hand. You force the hold and fight it out.	σὺ ὑπόβαλε τὴν δεξιάν[· σ]ύ εἰς δ ὑποβάλλει περι[θεὶ]ς κατὰ πλενροῡ τὸν εὐ[ώ]νυμον βάλε· σὺ ἀπόβαλε τή εὐωνύμψ· σὺ αὐτὸν μεταβὰς πλέξον·
	You turn around. You fight it out with a grip on both sides.	σὺ μεταβάλοῡ· σὺ κατὰ τϖν δύο πλέξον
	You throw your foot forward. You take a hold around his body. You step forward and force his head back. You face him and bend back and throw yourself into him, bracing your foot...	σὺ βάλε πόδα· σὺ διάλαβε· σύ ἐ πιβὰς ἀνάκλα· σὺ προστὰς ἀνάνευε καὶ εἰς αύτὸν... λον καὶ αὐτὸν ἀντιβλ...
		[No transcription]