Dionysius Scytobrachion

The author known (if he is known at all) as Dionysius Scytobrachion is hardly a topic of general interest, and since scholars of the rank of Eduard Schwartz and Erich Bethe devoted dissertations to him in the last century it may with justice be asked why the 20th century must see yet another one. This time, however, the subject chose hirns elf. My study of an unpublished papyrus (ehapter iii below) revealed that it contained a reference to Dionysius' Argonauts, a work already known in outline from Diodorus and the seholia to Apollonius of Rhodes; further searehing among published papyri turned up two other unnotieed fragments as well (chapters i-ii below), of which one-from an ancient manuscript of the work itself-was at least a century older than Diony­ sius is currently thought to have lived. Editions of these three papyri and a new examination of the evidence for Dionysius' life and works formed a dissertation ("The Argonauts of Dionysius Scytobrachion") submitted to Harvard University in 1979; out of this, with the addition of a general description of Dionysius' major works (chapters vii-viii below) and a new fragment collection, the present book has grown. At every stage of my work I have turned to others for help, and have always reeeived a generous response. Among those to whom I owe thanks for various assistanee are W. Clausen, L. Daly, H. Erbse, L. Koe­ nen, B. Kramer, H. Lloyd-Jones, R. Merkelbaeh, P. J. Parsons, R.