The Leipziger Weltchronik (German for ''
World chronicle of
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
'') is preserved in five papyrus fragments in the Papyrus Collection in Leipzig. The fragments were bought in 1913, but were only published in 2010. The chronicle dates to the first half of the 2nd century AD. These are the earliest known fragments of a world chronicle. On the badly preserved fragments events on the founding of
Thebes (
Boeotia
Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its ...
) and a list of Babylonian and Egyptian kings are preserved.
Hesiod
Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...
is named. The chronicle is perhaps Christian.
[Weiß: ''Archiv für Papyrusforschung'' 56/1, 2010, p. 26-37]
The following events are preserved in the four remaining columns:
*column I: The legend of the founding of Thebes (P.Lips. Inv. 1229).
*column II: heavily damaged,
Hesiod
Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...
and the
Ionians
The Ionians (; el, Ἴωνες, ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaea ...
are mentioned, there appears the year 772 v.Chr. (P.Lips. Inv. 1232 + P.Lips. Inv. 1231, Kol. I)
*column III: Babylonian kings are mentioned, the
Pythian Games
The Pythian Games ( grc-gre, Πύθια;) were one of the four Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. They were held in honour of Apollo at his sanctuary at Delphi every four years, two years after the Olympic Games, and between each Nemean and ...
and there is a list of Egyptian kings (P.Lips. Inv. 1231, Kol. II + P.Lips. Inv. 590, Kol. I + P.Lips. Inv. 1228, Kol. II)
::Smende
...
::
..ompsames: 51 years
..::
.., x years Amenophris:
years
..::Ous
thos: 11 years ,
::Psossam
os:
years
::S
..tes: 1 year, Ouse
ho
years (?)
::one further S
..es
x years ...
::
..s:35
Jahre. ..::his son: 75 (?) years.
::Ous
rh
s 24 years.
::Se
ngkheis: 14 years.
::So
phtheis: 3 years.
::Amendesis: 11 years.
::Sesongchis: 41
.
::Ousorthos: 40 xyears.
*column IV: list of Egyptian kings (P.Lips. Inv. 590, Kol. II)
::Medes 48 years,
::Psonsame + years,
::Amoses 14 years,
::Amenophis 9 years,
::Ouertho ..20 (years?)
::Ou tho ... years,
::Sesyngch is x yeas,
::Syphois yeas,
::Zmendas yeas,
::Ouserthos yeas,
::Psonsame yeas
Literature
*Daniela Colomo, Lutz Popko, Michaela Rücker, Reinhold Scholl: ''Die älteste Weltchronik, Europa, die Sintflut und das Lamm'', In: ''Archiv für Papyrusforschung'' 56/1, 2010, p. 1-25
*Alexander Weiß: ''Die Leipziger Weltchronik – die älteste christliche Weltchronik?'', In: ''Archiv für Papyrusforschung'' 56/1, 2010, p. 26-37
References
Greek chronicles
Papyrology
Leipzig
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