Fun little blog post, but wouldn’t ἐπιδέδωκα in this context mean something like “rendered?” or “reported?”
I don’t think that’s the verb there.
CΟΦΟΥ ΠΑΡ ΑΝΔΡΟC ΠΡΟCΔΕΧΟΥ CΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΑΝ
ΜΗ ΠΑCΙΝ ΕΙΚΗ ΤΟΙC ΦΙΛΟΙC ΠΙCΤΕΥΕΤΑΙ
I’m wondering about μη with indicative here. LSJ s.v. μη suggests this usage is “later Greek”, which I guess would be appropriate:
b. with pres. or aor. subj. in a warning or statement of fear, μὴ . . γένησθε take care you do not become, Il.5.487; μὴ . . ὑφαίνῃσιν I fear . . may prove to be weaving, Od.5.356; “αἷμα μὴ σοῖς ἐξομόρξωμαι πέπλοις” E.HF1399: in Att. Prose, to make a polite suggestion of apprehension or hesitation, perhaps, “μὴ ἀγροικότερον ᾖ τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν” Pl.Grg.462e, cf. Tht. 188d, Arist.Pol.1291a8, al.: > in later Greek the ind. is found, “μὴ ἡ ἔννοια ἡμῶν . . ἀντιλαμβάνεται” Dam.Pr.27.
The citation “Dam.” is to the philospher Damascius, “v/vi A.D.”.
Subjunctive ΠΙCΤΕΥΗΤΑΙ would be unmetrical.
I posted the wrong link! Let’s try this:
The handwriting on the papyrus is that of Petaus, scribe of Hormu, a village in Egypt. The text reads, ΠΕΤΑΥΣ ΚΩΜΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΣ ΕΠΙΔΕΔΩΚΑ, or “I Petaus, village scribe, have entered.” This line is repeated over and over, and after the fifth line, he begins to misspell it. According to J. Reed, he “eventually tires of the exercise” (7). In short, Petaus, the village scribe, was illiterate. This papyrus is one of the ways in which he practiced his signature.
Well, ΚΩΜΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΣ is abbreviated on every line, I see, but that’s not a big deal.
Look at the D.Chr.18.18 reference in the LSJ for επιδιδωμι as dictate: γράφειν μὲν οὖν οὐ συμβουλεύω σοι αὐτῷ ἀλλ’ ἢ σφόδρα ἀραιῶς, ἐπιδιδόναι δὲ μᾶλλον. Wouldn’t that be a better explanation? Petaus, the village scribe, is teaching students to write.
On the wax tablet writing exercise, as Joel pointed out in his earlier post, the teacher simply misspelled πιστευετε. It’s imperative, hence μη. The two monostichs are mutually independent.
On the Petaus piece, επιδεδωκα is an official documentary formula: “I have submitted” i.e. I hereby submit it (the above petition, or whatever). Village scribes don’t teach students to write, when they can scarcely write themselves.
On the wax tablet writing exercise, as Joel pointed out in his earlier post, the teacher simply misspelled πιστευετε. It’s imperative. The two monostichs are mutually independent.
OK. I didn’t read them as independent. But usually aphoristic advice like this is framed in 2nd. pers. sing. unless a specific group is being addressed.