Ancient Fragments

Sacred-Texts Classics

by I. P. Cory

[1832 ed.]

{reduced to HTML by Christopher M. Weimer, Dec. 2002}

This book is a collection of the fragments of documents relating to ancient near eastern history and pagan beliefs that were preserved in Greek and Latin. This book was published was before the great discoveries in the interpretation of hieroglyphics and cuneiform, so these documents were still thought to be the only reliable written evidence for the period outside of the Bible and the Greek historians. While all of the fragments are unquestionably ancient, some are more ancient than others, and some may not actually be what they purport to be (notably the oracles of Zoroaster). This does not necessarily reduce their value as source material, although it does change the focus.

Please note also that this is far from being a 'critical edition' of the text. The printed book is about three times as long as what is reproduced here and also includes the original Greek or Latin text of every selection, which is also not reproduced. Most of what is passed over is of a more 'historical' that 'religious' cast, mostly king lists. Also, the pagination of the 1832 edition was hopelessly muddled, so there are no page numbers given in this edition, and the footnotes that have been retained have been completely renumbered.

INTRODUCTORY DISSERTATION.
THE THEOLOGY OF THE PHŒNICIANS: FROM SANCHONIATHO.
FRAGMENTS OF CHALDÆAN HISTORY,
   BEROSSUS: FROM ALEXANDER POLYHISTOR.
   BEROSSUS: FROM APOLLODORUS.
   BEROSSUS: FROM ABYDENUS.
   BEROSSUS: FROM JOSEPHUS, &c.
   MEGASTHENES: FROM ABYDENUS.
   SUPPLEMENTAL FRAGMENTS AND EXTRACTS.
THE CHALDÆAN ORACLES OF ZOROASTER.
HERMETIC FRAGMENTS.
ORPHIC FRAGMENTS.
PYTHAGOREAN FRAGMENTS.
THE THEOGONIES.